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Beth LaMonte's 40th birthday is a hard one. Her mother dies, and her husband of many years wants a divorce. She's a respected CPA for a small company, but the work just doesn't seem satisfying anymore. After some soul searching, she decides to pull up stakes in a big way. She quits her job, and moves across country to a small Maine village which lives on tourism. Besides numbers, Beth has another talent, a skill she's kept going as a hobby. She's a talented painter, and a Maine tourist town seems like an excellent place to set up shop and see if she can make a living from this long neglected ability. After renting a house, she begins to meet the locals. Mary and Lou Schmidt own a delightful B&B, and Beth finds them kind, helpful new neighbors, even if Mary gossips a bit more than she likes. There is Rod Thompson, her perpetually angry, reclusive landlord, and Bob Downey, proprietor of the thriving craft shop where she hopes to sell her landscapes. It all seems quite ordinary, but Beth’s new home has a problem above and beyond the unreliable plumbing. She discovers a nightly visitor, a small bright light, like a firefly, which comes tapping on the windows, not letting her sleep. There is a powerful sense of anguish in the house, too, upsetting already close-to-the-edge Beth. The firefly seems to want to her to follow it down a treacherous cliff face to a small cove. Soon, Beth realizes, there are dark secrets in this buttoned-up little town, and she’s involved. After renting a house, she begins to meet the locals. More importantly, she has a nightly visitor, a small bright light, like a firefly, which comes and taps on the windows and won't let her sleep. There is a sense of anguish in the house, too, which upsets the already close-to-the-edge Beth. The firefly tempts her to follow it down a treacherous cliff face to a small cove. Soon, Beth realizes, there are dark secrets in this buttoned-up little town, and like it or not, she's involved. Although I stumbled a little over the idea that Beth could so quickly and easily set herself up as a painter, the story moved along quickly and carried me over this initial rough patch. Firefly Beach is well-written, and a fast read. It's a mystery/suspense/paranormal, all rolled into one, and the concept worked for me. Beth is a strong heroine, and although she's essentially a chilly personality, I found her entirely believable. The characters were well-drawn in the mystery mode, that is, they are sufficiently quirky to be real people, although no one other than the heroine is drawn in great depth. I thought the author's insights into the villains of the piece, although they only put in a brief appearance, to be shrewd and on the money. Beth's professional background may seem dry, but it gives her the courage to pursue the cold case at the heart of the story in Firefly Beach. She brooks no nonsense, and is an aggressive amateur sleuth who takes some genuine risks. If you enjoy a fast read, and love a mystery-definitely not a "cosy," despite the setting-you'll enjoy Firefly Beach. Reviewed by Juliet |
Buy the Kindle eBook Buy from Lyrical Press Firefly Beach Rating:
Posted May 2009 |
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