Broome Enigma - Meryl Brown Tobin

On a working holiday in Australia's cosmopolitan Outback town of Broome in 1986, Jodie, a young book designer is open to romance and adventure. At the holiday village where she is staying, she meets Joe, a young man who works there. Despite the strong attraction between them, the many unknowns about his earlier life keep them apart. To try to uncover his mysterious past, they travel to Perth and back to Broome and are drawn into not only bizarre but also dangerous situations. Is Joe the person Jodie thinks he is, or is he some alter ego? Can she stop their relationship from developing until she knows whether he is free to love her?

My review

It's difficult to decide exactly what Broome Enigma is. There are romance elements here, but also a thriller. Joe is a handyman at a camp site in Broome. He seems standoffish with the two sisters who come to stay, but both find themselves immediately attracted to him. Older sister, Jodie, finds herself falling for this mystery man and while he at first seems to want to keep his distance from her, they soon become close. But, as they become close, she finds herself thrown in to the danger that is stalking him.

There were so many twists and turns in this book. we follow Joe and Jodie as they try to find out who is after Joe and how he lost his memory. As I mentioned there are romantic elements here, but I really don't think that romance is the main part of this story. It's more to do with the couple finding out what's going on and who is behind it all.

Jodie is a little wet at times, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book. Perhaps a little less of the internal dialogue might have helped and sped things up a bit. This is a fascinating read as you try and find out where it's going, but it's not a fast-paced, edge of your seat one.

Overall, a good story with plenty to keep you guessing.

Extract

A big gust of wind rocked the van and flung Jodie

hard against Joe. He pushed her off.

“Joe, it’s me, Jodie! Wake up, wake up!”

“Jodie, is that you?” He threw his arms around her

and buried his head in her chest.

She brushed his hair back from his sweating face.

“Take it easy, Joe. Take deep breaths. It’s okay. It’s

going to be okay.”

He stopped shaking and pulled back from her.

“What’s happening?”

“It’s the cyclone. Don’t you remember?”

Another huge gust shook the van and sent Jodie

sprawling on Joe’s bunk and into the wall. “Ow, that

hurt!” She picked herself up and rubbed her head.

The van rocked violently again. Joe and Jodie

grabbed for handholds.

“Quick, come into my bed with me, Joe. It will be

safer there.” Tripping and feeling their way along the

wall, the two made their way to the double bed and

clambered in.

Her breathing coming in short spasms, she lay on

her back and took deep breaths. The storm whined and

screeched about her, and the roof creaked and scraped.

“Oh, my god, the roof’s going to take off any minute!”

Joe’s arms enveloped her. “Hush, everything will

be all right. But will you be okay if we have to make a

run for it?”

“Yes.” She let out a sob. “But I like our chances

better in here than out there.”

Joe kissed her forehead. He pulled her closer and

they lay locked against each other while the storm

raged around them.

 Bio

Meryl Tobin, writing name Meryl Brown Tobin, is an Australian writer of short and long fiction for adults and children, non-fiction, especially on travel and the environment, poetry and educational puzzles. She has had 22 books published. These include puzzle/activity books, black-line masters books of educational puzzles, workbooks for primary students, a travel book, a children’s picture storybook, a poetry collection and a haiku collection with four other poets of The Society of Women Writers Victoria. She has also edited one book and co-edited two others. In total, nearly 300,000 copies of her first four puzzle books, which were published by Ashton Scholastic, were sold in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Hundreds of her poems, puzzles, short stories and travel and other articles, and some cartoons and comic strips have appeared in more than 150 magazines, newspapers and anthologies in Australia and overseas, including India, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the USA. Some of her stories and poems have been broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Commission and other radio stations while others have been published on the Internet. As a guest on the set of Ch7’s children’s program The Book Place, she read her story LEFTY with regular presenter, Lynn Weston.

 

2.      Places selling ‘Broome Enigma’

‘Broome Enigma’ is on sale on about 40 websites in at least 16 countries including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, The Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and USA, including Amazon.com : broome enigma and Broome Enigma eBook : Tobin, Meryl Brown : Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store  (Australia).

 

Social media links

https://sites.google.com/view/merylbrowntobin-author

https://www.amazon.com.au/Broome-Enigma-Meryl-Brown-Tobin-ebook/dp/B0CHWLFTSZ/#customerReviews

https://www.facebook.com/meryl.tobin.18

 Selection of readers' comments from https://sites.google.com/site/merylbrowntobin - NOVELS

1.     Readers’ comments about ‘Broome Enigma’

A.    Felicia Di Stefano

Finished your book. Very much a page turner kept me up till 1.30 am one morning. 

Wow what a thriller. Would never have worked out the end!

B.    Chrissie Michaels, Australian author 

Congratulations on such a well crafted story, full of page turning suspense, fast pace and strong dialogue! I enjoyed the read immensely. 

C.    Michele Tobin

'Broome Enigma' takes the reader on a scenic, cultural and historic visit to one of Australia's fabulous, renowned destinations. As a backdrop to the novel, it is a perfect setting for an enigmatic storyline with its melting pot of characters to take form.... 

D.    Roberta Ashby

An easy read and the characters were great to follow. Just when I thought I’d sussed out a bad guy or two, I hadn’t so it certainly is not predictable!  Your research was extensive.

E. Anna Sput Stern, author and poet

Congratulations!!! Considering that the novel is written for young people, I admire the style fitting so well their personality. Many thanks for sending it to me; I’m going to treasure it. 

E.    Jill Sutton

Congratulations! I’ve just finished ‘Broome Enigma’. You are an amazing writer. I very much enjoyed joining all the characters in their exciting adventures. 

F.     Hartley Tobin

Because I’m familiar with Broome at the time of the setting of this story, I readily imagined the people in the various settings. When I got to the last four chapters I could not put the book down until I had finished.

G.   Lynette Burton:

I loved it; I was really sucked into the read. I read the first two chapters on Sunday but yesterday [Monday] I had to force myself to put it down to get my housework done. I finished the last two chapters in bed with a coffee this morning, I have not done that for years and it felt like a little luxury.  I am yet to visit Broome but it’s on my list and now when I do I will be able to reference all the true to life landmarks and history in your book all over again.

Can’t wait for the next one.

H.   Kathy McKean

I really enjoyed it. I found it easy to read; I am not fond of novels you need to over think to understand them. I was time poor when I got ‘Broome Enigma’ and felt frustrated every time I would see it on my bedside table. I managed to get one chapter read and couldn't wait for the next opportunity so I could continue. I had one morning that I had put aside to do housework but picked up ‘Broome Enigma’ whilst having my early morning cuppa; needless to say not much housework got done. 

 I liked the innocence of the main characters, the setting and the suspense and I always love a happy ending. I felt sad to finish the novel. I felt like I had lost some new friends that I had made and whose company I enjoyed. 

I.      Anonymous

Just as well...[for the ending] as the sexual tension had built up unbearably!!

J.     Janice Williams, author and poet

Congratulations to Meryl for her page turner, ‘Broome Enigma’. Having recently stayed in Broome, I found it was interesting to pick out the various features.

K.   Rose Chapple, author

Congratulations! 

I can imagine it as a movie or series, but I guess that's another thing altogether. I hope it's doing well, and that the American market is taking off. You might be personally responsible for an increase in tourism!

Well done again!!!

L.    Mervi Cahill

I really enjoyed reading 'Broome Enigma'. It was an easy read and you made the characters come to life. I enjoyed the inclusion of history and tourist spots as I haven't travelled there but could picture myself visiting the sights as I'm reading.  Congratulations on your first novel and hopefully not your last. 

M.  Eunice Frazer

Enjoyed your novel––well written, entertaining, interesting characters and plenty of action set against a beautiful West Australian landscape.  

N.    Gwenda Mathieson

I enjoyed your book so much so that I read it in two sittings, initially dipping in to it then sitting until I finished it.

I was happy that Jodie and Tiffany showed maturity as the story developed and particularly as Jodie felt that she knew Joe but needed to get to know....

 Now I look forward to the next book.  Is it already under way?

O.   Valwyn Beggs

I was transported into another world, the Broome Underworld, in your novel. What a thriller! So many twists and turns!

P.     Moira Wood

I love the cover of ‘Broome Enigma’ which is attractive to potential readers.

 As a once single and vulnerable person meeting a young man and having an instant attraction, but an unresolved feeling about his previous life, I could immediately relate to the main character Jodie. As events unfolded, the story became even more intriguing with ongoing sagas.

 A great read with lots of suspense and a beautiful ending.

Q.   Janne Morrison

I have just finished reading 'Broome Enigma' and absolutely loved it!!!  I could not stop reading it and was disappointed when it finished––I hope there is a sequel in the pipeline!! Such a great assortment of very relatable characters and plausible and fascinating storyline.  Totally unpredictable and so many twists and turns made it such very enjoyable reading - thank you!!!!

R.     Eric Hornsby

It gets into the story quickly and I love the way you get into the love story. It starts with a suggestion of a love story then the difficulty of mixed tensions, a man who is living like a tramp with no direction and then you have involved a doubtful group of characters of all types, suspect and otherwise....It has humour, fear and characters interacting. I thought it a very good story that was engrossing. It doesn’t waffle....It is a good read––about real life and real people––and one that will suit most readers.  It really is a thrilling read. Not to forget the humour you placed along the way. There is no doubt 'Broome Enigma' will appeal to most age groups.

S.     Annie Chisholm

This is a great read! I felt like I was actually there, in beautiful Broome.

The writer builds up the suspense as she develops the characters. The aftermath of the cyclone and the Festival of the Pearl and they are painted cleverly. I read the book to my husband and both of us enjoyed it thoroughly.

Live, Local and Long Dead - Nikki Knight

LIVE, LOCAL, AND LONG DEAD: 

Vermont DJ Jaye Jordan's Green-Up Day ends in murder when not one, but two, bodies turn up in an old park -- and one of them was much too close to both her ex and her current man when it was alive and bodacious. Now Jaye, with the help of a colorful (and diverse) cast of townies, will have to clear her men's names, unravel a World War II-era mystery…and get Grandpa Seymour to the Senior Prom on time. 

 

My Review

Live, Local and Long Dead is a fantastic murder mystery, set in a small town in Vermont. Our heroine, Jaye (or Jaqueline) is a radio DJ and after she stumbles across two bodies she can't help but try and work out who they are and how they ended up there. One of these bodies has been there for quite some time, but the other is a much more recent death and has links to the men in Jaye's life.

I loved the supporting cast in this story. In many ways, the mystery side of things took second place to everything and everyone else that was going on. Jaye is finding her feet with her new partner Will, while older members of the family are also embarking on romantic liaisons. Jaye's daughter Ryan (who I realised was a girl after I'd read a few chapters and started getting confused) is also a great character who really adds something to this story. I think my absolute favourite has to be Neptune the cat, who reminds me very much of cats I've known. Brilliant.

I did actually manage to guess who was behind the more recent murder in this book and quite a bit before Jaye did. I wasn't so sure about the older mystery though and the two elements to this story really made for a great read. I loved the story, setting and the people in this book and I'd really love to rejoin Jaye and the rest of them again in the very near future.

 

Buy:  https://www.amazon.com/Live-Local-Vermont-Radio-Mystery/dp/1509257462/

 

Blurb

Nikki Knight describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York City’s 1010 WINS Radio, she writes short stories and novels. Her stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, and Black Cat Weekly, online, and in anthologies – and been short-listed for Black Orchid Novella and Derringer Awards. Active in writers’ groups, she’s served as Vice President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and is currently Co-Vice President of the New York/Tri-State Chapter of Sisters in Crime. As Kathleen Marple Kalb, she writes the Ella Shane and Old Stuff mystery series. She, her husband, and son live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat.

 

Website:  https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/nikki-knight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikkiKnightAuthor

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NikkiKnightVT

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenmarplekalb/

Other: YouTube: NIKKI KNIGHT'S RADIO STORYTIME - YouTube  

  

Kissing Kin - Karen Hulene Bartell

Maeve Jackson is starting over after a broken engagement—and mustering out of the Army. No job and no prospects, she spins out on black ice and totals her car.

When struggling vintner Luke Kaylor stops to help, they discover they’re distantly related. On a shoestring budget to convert his vineyard into a winery, he makes her a deal: prune grapevines in exchange for room and board.

But forgotten diaries and a haunted cabin kickstart a five-generational mystery with ancestors that have bones to pick. As carnal urges propel them into each other’s arms, they wonder: Is their attraction physical…or metaphysical? 

My Review

Kissing Kin is not exactly what I expected. This is a romance story, but there are a few more things going on here than just that. It tells the story of Luke and Maeve who are very distantly related, hence the title kissing kin as this is a term for distant family I believe. Their ancestors have some unfinished business and after the two meet it's almost as though someone or something is trying to influence their behaviour.

I did get a little bit confused about the actual family relationship here. I think that it would have almost helped to have some kind of family tree in the beginning or end of the book to refer to, just to get it straight in my head. Not that it really matters in terms of the story, I would just like to know for my own interest.

I enjoyed the romance between these two. They did seem quite slow off the mark, there was lots of interest and tension with little done about it in the early stages. There's a lot of other things going on. Luke and Maeve make a great couple and they both handle the little disturbances and mysteries from their forebears really well. I'm not entirely sure when this is set or how old the characters are supposed to be as it did seem quite old-fashioned in some respects, especially in how they conduct their relationship.

This was a gripping read with lots going on. I really didn't expect or predict half of the things that happened, but I really enjoyed following the story.

Bio

Dr. Karen Hulene Bartell, author of Wild Rose Pass, The Keys: Voice of the Turtle, Christmas in Cahokia, Holy Water: Rule of Capture, Lone Star Christmas, Angels from Ashes, Christmas in Catalonia, Sacred Gift, Belize Navidad, Sacred Choices, and others, is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories steeped in the supernatural that lift the spirit. Dr. Bartell lives in the Texas Hill Country with her husband Peter and her "mews"—three rescued cats and a rescued CATahoula Leopard dog.

Cruel Lessons - Randy Overbeck

On a school camping trip, fifth graders experiment with a dangerous new hallucinogen and die in a horrific accident, their deaths shattering the quiet town. Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks, hoping to redeem a fatal mistake from his past, grasps the opportunity to conduct the district investigation of how students are getting the drugs. Almost before he begins, the cops make a stunning arrest. But Parks battles on, convinced the real pusher is still out there, poisoning more kids until he receives an anonymous threat: if he continues, those close to him will pay. Is Parks willing to risk those he loves for a chance at redemption?

Four kids dead. Can Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks unmask the drug dealer poisoning his students before more kids die?

My Review

Cruel Lessons is a thriller with a mystery at the heart of it. It isn't a murder mystery as such, although there are certainly deaths and ones related to the mystery. It's the kind of read that will keep you turning the pages and guessing (often wrongly) where it will go next. 

There perhaps should be a warning with this book, the victims are children, mostly pre-teens who are engaging in troublesome but not entirely unexpected teenage behaviour. Someone is taking advantage of that though and putting them at serious risk.

I considered various people that might have been behind it as I read this book. I did settle on the right person once or twice, but not firmly and I changed my mind a few times. It was a gripping read though and one that kept me guessing.

I was a little confused about the period, I believe it was the mid-nineties which mostly made sense. There were a few things that seemed to be too modern, with the internet and email playing a big role here. I know that it was around back then, just not quite as wide spread and accepted as it appears to be here. Or perhaps that's my memory playing tricks on me.

This was a well-written and entertaining read. I'd certainly be interested in more from this writer in the future.

Bio

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has turned that experience into captivating fiction, authoring the bestselling series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, winner of nine national awards. This past fall, the Wild Rose Press released his newest work, an atmospheric amateur sleuth mystery, CRUEL LESSONS, which has captured two national awards already. He hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also a speaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” “A Few Favorite Haunts,” and “Everything You Wanted to Know About Publishing” with audiences all over the US. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

 

More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website www.authorrandyoverbeck.com .

randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com

513-633-2838

 

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/randy-overbeck

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Overbeck/e/B07QQHW7DM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4825632.Randy_Overbeck

 

Buy Links:

https://books2read.com/u/3GGGvK

Review of Death in the Mayfair Hotel - Fliss Chester

In a candlelit ballroom, London’s most fashionable amateur sleuth, Cressida Fawcett, is dancing the night away in her sparkling silk dress. It’s a night Cressida will never forget. Because outside the window, there’s a body under the falling snow…

Christmas Eve, 1925. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to attend an exclusive ball at London’s glamorous Mayfair Hotel. When she steps out into the moonlit courtyard with her little pug Ruby wrapped in her furs, she is thrilled to see a dashing man propose to her best pal under the swirling snowflakes. But instead of squealing ‘yes’, Dotty lets out a terrified scream…

Because floating in the fountain, with her long blonde hair rippling in the ice-cold water, is the body of their dear friend Lady Victoria Beaumont.

It’s clear the wealthy young beauty was murdered, whacked over the head with a bottle of champagne. Would Victoria’s elderly husband Lord Beaumont kill his wife over rumours of her younger beau? Or did someone clobber Victoria to prevent her producing an heir for the Beaumont fortune?

A snowstorm prevents the authorities from arriving, and just as Cressida searches for clues, she finds herself locked inside a large wicker hamper. Why does the scent of the hamper’s smoky luxury tea remind her of the crime scene? And will a suspiciously rotund Ruby follow her snuffly nose and find Cressida in the nick of time?

Trapped in the hotel with a killer lurking among the guests, will Cressida lose someone dear to her heart? And when she finds a clue among the Christmas crackers, can Cressida solve her most mysterious case yet?

The perfect cozy whodunnit for a cold winter’s night. Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss won’t be able to put this down!

My Review

Over the last day or so the weather here has taken a turn for the worst. You may be wondering what that has to do with this book review. Death in the Mayfair Hotel is set on Christmas Eve and the colder temperatures have suited that perfectly. It wouldn't really matter though, I'm happy to join Cressida, Alfred, Dotty and of course Ruby the pug at a moment's notice. I do enjoy these books so much. 

This time, I hadn't a clue who was behind it all, but that didn't matter, I was swept up in the glitz and glamour of Cressida's life. She really is such a fun character and one that does seem to care too. It would be so easy for someone with the privilege of the world that she lives in to not care about anyone else, but she does seem to.

After the death of someone that Cressida and Dotty made their debut with, they can't help but try and find out who could be behind the murder. Alfred is there to help and support Cressida, in even more ways than he usually does. As for a certain little dog, I honestly think that Ruby might be the brains behind the whole operation.

I love these stories, the setting and characters are so vivid and alive in my mind as I read. I hope that I get to return to Cressida and the rest of the gang again before much longer!

Author Bio:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

https://www.instagram.com/flisschester/

https://twitter.com/SocialWhirlGirl

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Buy Link:

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Murder on a Country Walk - Katie Gayle

Julia Bird loves a walk in the countryside. There’s nothing quite like the fresh air and green rolling hills of the Cotswolds to clear your head. Unless you come across a dead body, that is…

When the local Berrywick vet, Dr Eve Davies, is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, the police believe it’s nothing more than a tragic accident, but Julia isn’t so sure. Just a few days earlier when she took her dog, Jake, to the vets, Dr Eve said she believed something awful was about to happen. It turns out she was right…

But who would want the beloved village vet dead? Was it her mother Kay, a down-and-out gambler who stands to inherit her unwedded daughter’s home? Was it her assistant Olga, who was close to getting fired? Or was it her cut-throat tennis partner Will, with whom Dr Eve had an argument shortly before she took a tumble? And who is the stranger skulking around Berrywick peering into people’s windows?

When a second body appears in the exact spot where Dr Eve was found, Julia knows it can’t be a coincidence. Both victims were pushed off the cliff, but why? Should Julia let sleeping dogs lie, or will she be like a dog with a bone to find the murderer?

A totally gripping and charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.

My Review

Somehow we're up to book six of this lovely series. I didn't realise that there had been so many, but I've been enjoying them so much that it happened without me realising.

This time Julia finds herself stumbling over a body that seems to have died an accidental death. The local vet has fallen over a small cliff and died in the process. At first it seems as though there is no foul play involved, but Julia, being Julia, she can't help but try and find out more.

I love this series. It's just the right level of gentle countryside and murder. There's also the slowly unfolding love interest storyline with local doctor Sean. In this book, Julia starts to question how they really feel about one another.

I did manage to figure our some of this mystery, although that had more to do with the why than the who it was that was actually involved until quite close to the end. I did better than Julia though, who found herself barking up the wrong tree on more than one occasion.

I really enjoy this series and I'm looking forward to more visits to Berrywick in the not-too-distant future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Author Bio:

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. 

https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter

https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks

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Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CY6BCMFNsocial

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Waltz on the Big Meadow - Dorothy A. Bell

It's 1897, an abandoned wife and mother with a rebellious teenage daughter faces a dilemma: how to earn enough cash for food and upkeep, and maintain respectability? The gossips would have it that her laundry business is a sham. She's too friendly with her customers at the local bordello and the men at the logging camp. When she takes in a border, a doctor, who arrives without his bride, tongues really start to wag. There is a second chance for love, but it's fraught with obstacles and heartache.

Widowed laundress gets second chance at love and life.

My Review

What a read! I didn't really know what to expect with this one. Yes, there's romance, but that isn't really what this book is about. Or at least, it wasn't the biggest part of it for me. I love history, and books, like this one, that take you back to a particular time. I don't know a great deal about America in the late 1800s. But from the first page of this book I was there.

I think that what I loved most about this book was the women. The pages are populated with such interestingly drawn characters. Women who are finding their way in what was very much a man's world. Women who could find themselves shunned by society if they acted in the wrong way. I felt for both Odessa and her mother Irene as they tried to navigate life. Abandoned by her husband, Irene has few options open to her, but with heart and drive, she manages to make her way in life as the story unfolds.

I was gripped by this story. Grateful that life is so very different for me and my girls. As is often the case, when we think of life being simpler in the past, it often is, but at the cost of women. There is romance here, but it isn't a defining moment for Irene. She doesn't need it, as for her daughter, in many ways she would have been better off without romance.

This was a fantastic read and one that will stay with me for quite some time. 

Author Bio

Married going on sixty years, yes, to the same sweet fella. Moved, relocated at least that many times over the years, but always end up back in Oregon. I was born in Burlington, Iowa but my dad had itchy feet and moved me, my sister and mother to a small town in the Willamette Valley of Oregon when I was ten. And that's when I first met my future spouse in the sixth grade. I've been a store clerk, a meat wrapper, sausage and hamburger grinder, I've put the center stick in kites, pumped gas, and for 18 years I was an aquatic exercise instructor. Love, love working out in the water. Highly recommend a water workout. While doing all of that, I wrote, read, and wrote some more and finally, after many tries and a lot of sell-education on the craft of writing a good story, I was first published in 2014 with my first Oregon Historical fiction romance. I have had a dozen novels published with royalty paying publishers. Ten of which are no longer with a publisher, but I have the rights, and they are in e-book compatible format for any who are interested. Check me out at my blog at https://dabellm3.wordpress.com.