Pirate Patty Reviews

Told in two times, decades apart, by two women.

Maureen hasn’t had the best life up to now. With a drug addict mother, she has been fending for herself for a long time. Now she’s working as a carnival girl. Traveling from town to town. This isn’t the life she wants for herself. But it’s the life she has.

In 1985, they land at Opal Beach for the entire summer. In a town divided, Maureen is even outside the Townies group. But she makes a friend, falls for a wealthy family’s youngest son and believes she has found someplace she can put down roots.

But Maureen has misjudged the situation and one day she just isn’t there anymore. No one talks about it, but everyone knows about it.

Decades after Maureen, Allison Simpson is offered a house-sitting position for one of the wealthy couples in Opal Beach, after offering her husband and his girlfriend an umbrella while on the air doing the weather! Oh yes, our Allison has caught her husband cheating and isn’t afraid to air her dirty laundry in public. Even if it means losing her job. Which is a given.

Now she’s divorced, with no job and living with her sister. She has nothing to lose by digging into the local intrigue. And then odd gifts begin to show up at her door. Is Maureen alive? Does someone want Allison to investigate this?

What she quickly learns is these people have dark secrets and have no intention of letting her live to tell the tale!

Really good characters. Very human and scarily real.

Well Done!

NetGalley/ October 1st, 2019 by Graydon House/ Harlequin Mystery