CBR 14 Bingo: Shadow
In this book, the past casts long shadows, entangling the main character even in the present.
Caroline Kirby, fresh off a divorce, returns to her childhood home in Hawaii, to the mother she had thought long dead and the mystery of her father’s death in a sacred volcano crater.
I do like a certain flavor of vintage suspense books, with their gentle pace and their deep dark secrets. Here, the author set us up with a long ago mystery to solve, which was also fun because I’ve always liked a cold case. And the mystery was a chilling one, and the sense of place so strong, that I thought I would quite enjoy this book.
Ultimately I did, but I thought the story lost steam about halfway through. The trouble, I think, was that I was hoping to see Caroline solve the mystery, but while she does, it is done in an almost offhand manner. Instead the author focused more on Caroline’s return to her roots and her making for herself a new life, as well as Noelle’s cure – things I was not as invested in. I also found myself rather disappointed in the way the romance with David was portrayed.
Also, the aunt Marla was absolutely insufferable.
