Review: Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper

At the age of 16, Carrie Carter ran from an abusive home, taking her little sister Lindsay with her. Though underage, Carrie managed to provide for them both by working at a seaside cafe, which 17 years later she is now leasing from the owner. Though neither sister has heard from or spoken to their mother since they ran, Carrie still struggles to forgive and forget her tormented past.

Despite her distrust of men, Carrie can't stop her heart from doing the "Snoopy dance" every time she sees Greg Barnes walk into the cafe. But Greg lives in an emotional shell, having lost his family 3 years ago in a horrific tragedy. Carrie's crush may be evident to everyone around her, but Greg barely even notices her.

Carrie and Greg are about to find themselves drawn together by a multilayered mystery... but the past has a way of catching up with you. Can they overcome the baggage of their painful pasts and figure out the mystery before things spin out of control?

Snoopy's Happy Dance

My thoughts: 

I enjoyed Shadows on the Sand. While I can't relate to Carrie's past, she's written in a way that still allowed me to sympathize with her. The description of her heart doing the "Snoopy Dance" made me smile every time, I could picture Snoopy exactly! The regulars in the cafe are entertaining and always keep things hopping, and the supporting characters' obsessions with social networking was humorous. I'm not usually a fan of stories that spend time from the villains point of view, which is common in mysteries, so I was very glad it was kept to a minimum of just a page here and there.

I really liked how Carrie's point of view was written in first person, and everyone else was written in third-person. I very much enjoy first person writing, but it usually only allows a book to have one persons point of view. Switching back and forth was interesting and allowed the best of both worlds. I'd like to see this done more often in books.

While I did like the author's previous book (Fatal Deduction) better, Shadows on the Sand was still an enjoyable read and one that I would recommend. Gayle Roper has a voice that's just a bit different from the average author, her books aren't just "one of the crowd". If you're looking for a mystery with a bit of romance (and twitter!) thrown in, check this one out.

My rating: 4 stars

(I received this book courtesy of Waterbrook Multonomah Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, a positive review was not required.)

If you're interested in the book, here is an excerpt from chapter one:

Review: Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper

(I read Fatal Deduction late last year and reviewed it at Amazon, that was before I started this blog. Anyway, the story-line and details still stick with me, and I just enjoyed it sooo much! So I've decided to post my review here as well, because it's just such an awesome book. If you haven't read it, you should definitely check it out!)

I started reading this book thinking that it would be just an average mystery, but boy was I wrong! This book is so much more than that, and I ended up loving it!

When Libby's wealthy aunt dies, her will stipulates that Libby and her estranged twin sister Tori should live together in their aunt's house for 6 months before they can receive their inheritance. They both agree, though Libby knows it won't be an easy 6 months as Tori is often critical of Libby's life and always has ulterior motives for everything she does. When a dead body shows up on their doorstep the first morning of their 6-month stay, along with a crossword puzzle, Libby starts to worry about who or what her sister has gotten involved with....

I loved the sweet blossoming friendship/romance between Libby and Drew, they are both so likable you just can't help but root for them! They both have baggage and pain from the past that rears it's ugly head in different ways, but it's encouraging to see how they handle it and encourage each other. Tori tries many times to come between Libby and her daughter, Chloe, basically trying to buy Chloe's affection with toys and gadgets, but Chloe has a good head on her shoulders and it was nice to see that at her impressionable age of 13 she could sort of see through what Tori was trying to do.

Fatal Deduction has just about everything: ex-cons, family dynamics, friendship, romance, mystery, crossword puzzles, and even some action and a big twist at the end! I very highly recommend this book!

My rating: 5 stars!!!

If you have a kindle, you can download the first chapter of Fatal Deduction for free at Amazon.