A Haunted Bluffs Mystery – Rosepoint Publishing

Storm of Secrets

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop from both myself and my associate for Storm of Secrets by Loretta Marion on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

Storm of Secrets: A Haunted Bluffs Mystery
Paranormal Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (November 12, 2019)
Hardcover – 327 Pages
ISBN-10: 1643851756
ISBN-13: 978-1643851754
Digital ASIN: B07NTY8L1N

Book Blurb

A deadly storm, a missing three-year-old child, a suspicious death, and the eerie presence of the spirits of the dead set the stage for the second mesmerizing installment of Loretta Marion’s paranormal suspense series.

A powerful storm descends upon Cape Cod’s Whale Rock at the peak of tourist season–and the weekend Cassandra Mitchell’s and Daniel Benjamin’s wedding is set to take place at The Bluffs, the magnificent Victorian mansion Cassie inherited from her family. In the wake of the storm’s destruction, three-year-old Lucas Kleister goes missing–and the body of small-time drug dealer Lee Chambers is found in a restaurant dumpster. Now, the WRPD are faced with a murder to solve, a missing child to find, and the aftermath of one of the worst storms in recent memory.

While aiding with the clean-up and helping the displaced, Cassie has been receiving cryptic messages from the spirits of her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, the original residents of The Bluffs. At first, the messages are benign, but soon, they begin to point to something more sinister. As Cassie works to decipher their meaning, the specter of a mysterious local legend surfaces. The tale of Barnacle Boy–and what happened to him during another destructive storm decades earlier–will weave through the desperate search to find Lucas and the identity of a killer.

My Review

The second installment of this series continues to build on the mystery of the paranormal circumstances enveloping the mansion at The Bluffs that protagonist Cassie Mitchell has inherited, saved, and refurbished along with an adjacent rental/studio in the Carriage House. Along with her fiancé Daniel, a former FBI agent, the town dives into prep for the massive storm that canceled their wedding and Cassie discovers a body in the dumpster behind one of the merchants downtown.

Daniel is enlisted in the search for the missing three-year-old, Lucas, as well as gleaning clues regarding the identity of the man in the dumpster. Daniel and she work unofficially with the Whale Rock Police Department, sussing clues and trading information.

This supernatural thriller introduces a fascinating sub-plot beneath the main plot using current and historical timeline filler to add background to the mysterious Christopher Savage, a displaced person staying temporarily at the Carriage House. The extra layer adds a depth of complexity to the storyline that interspersed with the frantic search for the boy and investigation into the dumpster body keeps the intensity at high level.

I enjoyed the paranormal aspect of the narrative, her great-grandparents often confusing Cassie with messages she is unable to immediately interpret. The relationship between she and Daniel is painted romantically as an ordinary middle-age couple and her relationship with estranged sister, Zoe, fitful. The author weaves a fascinating correlation between that of Cassie and her family with that of Christopher and his and gradually more secrets find their way to the surface.

I was given this digital download by the publisher through NetGalley for this blog tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I’ve enjoyed both books in this series and would welcome the chance to read the third. This entry could read fine as a standalone, but you may wish to begin with Book 1 to get a full explanation of the paranormal nuance. Recommended for any who enjoy a little supernatural vibe to their mysteries.

His Review

Missing children at sea are never happy circumstances. Add to that a search during a violent storm and the setting of “Storm of Secrets” is launched. Whale Rock Village in Massachusetts is in the track of the storm when a bright object catches Cassie Mitchell’s eye, leading to the discovery of a body hidden in the nearby dumpster.

Barnacle Boy was the first child lost and washed up on the beach years earlier. Buried in the Mitchell family graveyard his identity is still unknown. Who is this boy and why was a three-year-old child left to play on the beach with his older brother?

Merging family history with current missing persons adds a savage twist to this tale. Can local police and gossips help to solve this mystery? Each clue seems to lead further from a happy ending. The lost boy Lucas should have never been out playing with his older brother, Nicholas, with an impending storm. Six years old does not make a mature baby sitter. Associate Reviewer - C E Williams

This book is both engrossing and unnerving. At times it appears there will be no satisfactory conclusion. Read the book and enjoy the masterful conclusion! CE Williams

Giveaway

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Loretta Marion - author A true bibliophile, Loretta Marion‘s affection for the written word began in childhood and followed her like a shadow throughout her life as she crafted award-winning marketing and advertising copy and educational brochures. She then applied her writing skills as a volunteer, establishing a Legacy Story program for hospice patients, which inspired her to create her own fictional stories. Her debut novel, The Fool’s Truth, is a twisty mystery set in Maine. Her Haunted Bluffs Mystery Series is set on Cape Cod and was introduced by Crooked Lane Books in 2018 beginning with HOUSE OF ASHES. Her newest release, STORM OF SECRETS, is the second book of the series.

When not whipping out words on her laptop, she is traveling, enjoying outdoor pursuits, or is curled up with a delicious new book. Loretta lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Geoffrey.