Beth had always thought the woman was a little off until her grandfather had passed away, that is. Then she had experienced such a clear vision of him standing at the end of her bed, waiting to say goodbye, that she had never doubted her Grandmother's stories again. When she had mentioned it to her Gran, the older woman had simply hugged her and with tears in her eyes, she'd said, "Your momma, she got visits, too."
Beth hand't really known how to respond to that. Her mom had died of toxemia shortly after Beth was born. When her Gran had passed several years later, Beth had awoken--apparently at the very moment of the elder woman's death from a stroke--to the old John Denver song, "Leaving on a Jet Plane." She awoke
hearing line that gave her an immediate image of her Gran standing out in the hall, luggage in hand, ready to go on a trip. She had a sad look on her sweet old face, as if she hated having to stop by so unexpectedly.
Beth never doubted that it was her Gran, stopping by just like her Granddad had done so many years before. Then, when the same song just happened to be playing on the car radio three days later on the way to the funeral... that had really convinced her that she had been "visited."
~~~
I loved this book! Romantic Suspense is among my favorite genres, but when you add a bit of the paranormal, it adds so much to the options that can be added... and Swann did this exceptionally well. After mentioning early in the book about the incidents that had happened to Beth, the main character, we do not see any further evidence of this phenomenon until Ann has arrived at Stutter Creek... I'm not going to share anything further, because this is so special that you will want to read it and respond to it first-hand... Without saying any more, I'll just add it was the perfect complement to making the story...fantastic! Beth's life had hit a new bottom and she was just beginning to deal with it... Beth's mother had died when she was born, and her father had raised her on his own--they were inseparable. But he had recently died while at the same time, her husband had left her for a younger woman. It was wonderful to see her daughter married soon thereafter, but when they decided to live in Italy, well, Beth had never felt lonelier...
Facing that she was now having a hard time staying in her home, Beth suddenly decided to pack and head up to their cabin where she had so many wonderful memories with her father... And as a divorcee now, she couldn't help but remember her very first deep crush for Big John, a young man, who at 18, realized that he shouldn't be feeling like he did for the 14-year-old Beth and had joined the service...and then continued to work until he'd retired... Twenty years had gone by and he and Turk, a dog with whom he'd worked during the service and whose life he'd save when he was leaving a last battle, arrived at Stutter Creek, just before Beth showed up... Their reconnect is, well, truly sweet...and would have been the answer to her dreams if it had not been tied to...death...
The book opens when a young woman sees a small boy standing along the road... Amanda couldn't help but stop... The boy's father immediately drugged him again...so he would have time for his fun with Amanda and then get rid of her... The serial killer was quite happy to have found his son and use him to attract his victims! And he was ready for the next one on his list...
Kurt head butted Sherylyn when she tried to grab the gearshift. Then he cranked up the volume on the radio and smiled when he heard the refrain of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain."
As Willie Nelson continued to wail. Sherylyn did her best to get rid of the wad of duct tape in her mouth, but Kurt went wild He loosened his grip on her chin. Sherylyn whooped air through her suddenly open mouth just as Kurt thrust his entire hand between her teeth. Her jaw was forced open with a craack, and he crushed the ball of tape down into her throat.
Completely panicked, Sherylyn whipper her head back and forth, but she could not dislodge the tape. His fist was iron...
~~~
Beth had seen the boy along the road as well, and had stopped immediately. He had disappeared... Beth at first thought it was an hallucination, caused by the stress she'd been experiencing, but she couldn't stop thinking about it and knew she would have to make sure the boy was really not out there somewhere...
Beth was not the type of victim the killer wanted--his picks were young blond girls, but Beth was causing problems and she would be taken care of...for his own protection...
This book is action-packed as the bodies start being found and another girl is taken... The suspense is developed as readers move from situation to situation, until the climatic merge of the various characters explodes into a frantic search and rescue, led mainly by Turk! It's tense, edgy, and yet the finding of an old love late in life is so tenderly presented, emotions will be going up and down as each event jerks us from either concern, fear, or loving moments... This one just had to be added as a personal favorite for me! And, by the ending, prepare for a wonderful smile of complete satisfaction...
This was my first time reading Ann Swann, but I found her writing provocative and flowing as she deftly moves us from scene to scene... I can certainly recommend this and for romantic suspense lovers, call it a must-read suggestion from me...
GABixlerReviews
Ann Swann was born in the small West Texas town of Lamesa. She grew up much like Stevie-girl in The Phantom Pilot, though she never got up the nerve to enter the haunted house. Ann has done everything from answering 911 Emergency calls to teaching elementary school. She still lives in West Texas with her husband, Dude, one rescue dog, two rescue cats, and a part-time box turtle named Piggy. When not writing, Ann is reading. Her to-be-read list has grown so large it has taken on a life of its own. She calls it Herman.
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