Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 04 May 21
This series set in the 1930s hints of a bygone elegance and glamor. Each story is a standalone, though reading the series in order will provide relevant background and add to the reader’s enjoyment. I typically can’t wait for the next book in the series to release, but this one is by far the best in the series. The plot is intricate and layered, the voice is caustic, and the subjects are deep-down romantic. Once you get started, you won’t want to put the book down.
Lyra Brazier has finally given up on proving to her father that girls are as good or better than boys. With a broken engagement behind her, she’s moved to Burning Cove and is apprenticing as an investigator working with Raina Kirk. First she takes Raina’s place at an intake with a new client and narrowly escapes being killed by the client’s violent husband and then Raina disappears. Something fishy is going on and Lyra has a lot to prove by getting to the bottom of it.
Teamed with expert investigator Simon Cage, Lyra goes in search of Raina, whom seems to have disappeared without a trace from an exclusive spa. Clearly things are not as they should be and there are unexplained disappearances from the same room that Raina was occupying and many of the staff at the resort are acting suspiciously. Lyra and Simon are undercover as lovers, but soon their cover becomes more real than make believe as they work toward finding answers.
The story that emerges is so layered with plots and subplots so deep that it will keep you on your toes to figure out what’s what and who’s who. Clearly these two are pushing some buttons because bodies start to show up all around them.
Luther Pell is Raina’s lover and he definitely comes hot footing it down to the spa to support the investigation and push the buttons that need to be pushed to find and rescue his lady love before it’s too late. I absolutely loved this story and can’t wait to see where the author will take us next.
Grade: A+
Summary:
Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly disappears. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and tracks down her last known appearance at an exclusive hotel and health spa. The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job. What Lyra lacks in investigative experience she makes up for in gut instinct, and her gut isn’t happy that she’s saddled with a partner by Luther Pell, Raina’s dangerous lover, who wants to bring in someone with more experience to help.
Instead of the suave, pistol-packing private eye she expected, though, Simon Cage is a mild-mannered antiquarian book dealer with a quiet, academic air, and a cool, remote gaze. Lyra suspects that Simon is much more than what he seems, and her instincts are confirmed when they arrive at the spa and pose as a couple: Simon has a unique gift that allows him to detect secrets, a skill that is crucial in finding Raina.
The unlikely duo falls down a rabbit hole of twisted rumors and missing socialites, discovering that the health spa is a façade for something far darker than they imagined. With a murderer in their midst, Raina isn’t the only one in grave danger—Lyra is next.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
