|
BOOK REVIEW: Hidden Motives
|
||
|
Click cover to purchase book |
by: Laura V. Hilton Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: Hidden Motives Author: Carol Cox, Gail Gaymer Martin, DiAnn Mills, Jill Stengl Publisher: Barbour Books ISBN: 1-59310-257-7 Genre: Inspirational/Contemporary Romance
"Watcher in the Woods" by Carol Cox – Laurel Masters is thrilled when her maternal grandmother invites her to Arizona for an extended visit. Laurel is curious why her mother never visited or even talked about her grandmother and is looking forward to getting to know her. But from the moment Laurel arrives, it’s clear that her grandmother is active in the New Age movement. Laurel finds a friend in Jason Wells, a visiting computer consultant—but Laurel is torn when someone starts cyberstalking her. Should she stay and get to know Jason—or flee for her life?
"Then Came Darkness" by Gail Gaymer Martin – Gerri Ward applies as housekeeper at Emory Estates in Michigan, hoping to find clues to prove her late grandfather’s innocence in a horrible murder case. The groundskeeper, Rich Drake, reaches out to Gerri, teaching her to wait on the Lord—a lesson Gerri has a difficult time learning. When the owner of the estate realizes Gerri’s motives, will Rich be able to save her from danger?
"At the End of the Bayou" by DiAnn Mills – Shelby Landry suffers from excruciating migraines, and her doctor suggests that maybe a visit to the family estate in Louisiana will provide the answers she needs to stop the headaches. Land Developer, Chad LeBlanc, offers a friendship to Shelby, and when she starts remembering some vague events from her early childhood, he is there to help her dig deeper to find answers. Will the past be too horrific for Shelby to handle?
"Buried in the Past" by Jill Stengl – American widow Stephanie Keller travels to England to help her Uncle Paul manage his estate while he is recovering from a stroke. It soon becomes apparent that someone wants Stephanie to leave and will go to any length to scare her away. Even though Pastor Dudley Larkin seems to warmly welcome Stephanie, she wonders if she’ll ever truly learn to live in England. Will Stephanie’s stalker scare her away before she has a chance to find out?
I found Hidden Motives rather dark and gloomy for my taste, but enjoyed reading the stories about the heroes and heroines finding love in spite of the mysterious shadows darkening their steps. My favorite story in the novella collection is "At the End of the Bayou"—maybe because it wasn’t as spooky as some of the others. The authors all did a great job at making the readers see the shadows and hear the creaks. Reading Hidden Motives during a thunderstorm only added to the scariness of the collection.
If you like the types of stories that start out similar to the way Snoopy started his stories—It was a dark and gloomy night—then Hidden Motives might be the book for you. It has well developed characters, and the settings are excellently described. You’ll find yourself visiting England, Michigan, Louisiana, and Arizona, and feeling as though you are actually there. Just don’t read Hidden Motives during a thunderstorm, unless you want an extra measure of spookiness added to the stories. | |
