Shadows on the Sand: A Seaside Mystery
Gayle Roper
Multnomah Books
Roper delivers a romantic suspense that does more than just entertain you for a brief moment. Through her delightful, but baggage heavy characters, she opens a world that will leave you delving into your own faith.
Carrie Carter and her sister own a café in Seaside, New Jersey.  Though you are first met with her witty and sometimes sarcastic personality, she is carrying around the weight of a tragic past. Her and her sister ran away from their alcoholic mother and her all too friendly boyfriends. When Carrie arrived in Seaside, then 16 year old Carrie found sanctuary at the Surfside, and in the care of Mary Prudence Hastings. Now in her 30’s, she adores caring for her own customers, especially Greg Barnes.
Greg is a former police detective who carries his own heavy baggage. His family was killed in a car bomb meant for him. Regret and forgiveness hang heavy around his heart. Numb to everything but the pain in his heart, he moves through life one miserable day at a time. Though it is obvious to all around him how much Carrie likes him, he barely says a word, or lifts his head.
However, Carrie’s dishwasher is killed, and the two find themselves wrapped up in a mystery…and unable to hide their blossoming attraction for each other. But the closer they get to each other, emotions from their past they thought they had conquered resurface. They both will find themselves examining their idea of faith and forgiveness.
My first reaction was skeptical. The narrative is first person, but only sometimes. It also travels through a spectrum of characters, including the killer’s. Usually this creates chaos, but Roper does a wonderful job as she offers you a glimpse into the darkness that hides in hearts. The overall effect leaves you searching your own life.
The romance isn’t a whirlwind, which I liked. There wasn’t a huge rift and then they came to like each other despite their obvious annoyance of each other. It was more like an awakening on their part, both for each other, and what God had in store for them. As they explore their feelings for each other, they must examine their hearts, digging up weeds that could tangle and choke the budding flower of their love.
Overall I have to give it four stars. It is well written and explores a myriad of topics. And though it isn’t an edge of your seat who-done-it, it still propels the story forward. This is a great addition to your bookshelf.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Cover art image was obtained from the author’s website.
