A deadly storm, a missing child, a grisly murder, and the eerie presence of ghosts 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 … 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 the killer.
more
I have read many romance books featuring Cape Cod, so it was like visiting an old friend reading this book. I haven’t read the first book but I instantly felt connected to the many characters and this is easily read as stand alone. There are some back story between Cass and her sister Zoe and also the history of the house that may have been touched more on in book one but it did not hinder the reading of this book. A huge storm has his the residents of Whale Rock and after it passes and the damaged is ascertained it becomes known that a child has gone missing, not only that, but Cass discovers a body in a dumpster.
Murder and a missing child are the central story lines in this book as well as the mystery of Barnacal Boy – a local story of a young boy was was found washed ashore in the 70’s and was yet to be identified. The side story of that jumped from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s to the present day, at one point I thought I had that part figured out but I was thrown of kilter with the twists that Loretta Marion threw in there.
Everything connects eventually in the end and made for a great read, I look forward to reading more in this series and going back and reading book one.
After spending an enchanting adventure on Cape Cod within the pages of the first book, HOUSE OF ASHES, I certainly looked forward to returning to the coast. Once again, this is a beautifully written and intensely atmospheric story that is very difficult to put down. There are a lot of moving pieces and characters, but well worth the investment to discover the secrets that have been woven into the history of so many families.
The story unfolds from both past and present perspectives, which the author is able to seamlessly interweave to create a truly poignant and nuanced mystery. These multiple timelines added an engaging and complex layer that allows readers to fully appreciate each knot as it is slowly unraveled.
As the literal storm of Chantal rages, personal storms brew all around these characters. Everyone has something to hide, and strong reasons to keep it that way. The powerful force of the weather casts everything asunder, yet despite it all, the clean-up efforts bring out the nurturing and supporting force of this tight community to salvage friendship, forgiveness, and love in the most unlikely places. Though violet and fierce in nature, these devastating storms serve a terrifying reminder of how life-quenching they can be in the moment, while pregnant with possibly in the aftermath.
“All lost children deserve to be discovered.”
Though I was slightly apprehensive about the missing child aspect given my highly empathetic nature and own small children, the author’s masterful storytelling showcases just how frightening this situation can truly be, while also remaining respectful to the memories of the children who are never found or identified.
While this one can definitely be read as a stand-alone, I would be remiss not to recommend starting from the beginning. The paranormal elements that surround Cassie are richly explained in the first book, making their presence in this book much more significant and understandable. And though he is only briefly mentioned in the first book, the story of “Barnacle Boy” comes full circle, allowing readers to bear complete witness to his tragic story.
I really hope we see more from this series, as it continues to get better and better. A strong mystery, filled with hints of history, supernatural, suspense, and romance, there is so much to offer to a wide range of readers.
And as a small side note, the covers of both books are absolutely gorgeous! It’s difficult for me to recall a more perfect representation, highlighting both the eerie and captivating allure of Battersea Bluffs. Well done!
Storm of Secrets by Loretta Marion is a wonderful book full of how secrets wreck our lives and those of our loved ones.
A massive storm, a man’s body found, a missing toddler, a new man in town, a nun, and a postponed wedding, what else could happen?
Cassie Mitchell
Our sleuth is Cassie Mitchell. She is a local artist and hometown girl that knows most of the townsfolk. Cassie is also a step ahead of the local police in finding clues and figuring out how events happen. Although, Cassie has a bit of help from her ancestral ghosts.
I like Cassie; she tries to help after the storm and with the police investigations. Cassie has a relationship with most of the cops in town, and they give her a bit of leeway and are grateful for deductions but wish that she would stay out of it. We learn about her family dynamics and family history in this book. Let’s say that she has quite the cursed family tree.
Mysteries
This book has many moving pieces. There is the body found in the dumpster before the storm, the boy missing, a party house complete with a drug dealer, a town ravaged by a storm, homes, and business without power. That doesn’t include the cold case of the young boy who washed ashore years ago. So, lots are going on but moving fast.
Five Stars
I enjoyed Storm of Secrets by Loretta Marion, and therefore I am giving it five stars. If you like paranormal mysteries, then this is the story for you.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Storm of Secrets by Loretta Marion.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
There is no option but to postpone Cassandra Mitchell and David Benjamin’s wedding as a vicious storm heads towards Whale Rock. After the storm, the locals deal with a missing three-year old boy and a man’s body that was found abandoned in a dumpster. David, former F.B.I., is assisting the local police as his fiancée, Cassie, a long-time resident of Whale Rock does her best to glean bits of information about the two investigations. Cassie has help from the spirits of her deceased great grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, who are able to “guide” her. Years ago, a young boy drowned and washed ashore. He was never identified and was interred in the Mitchell family graveyard. Is it too late to find out who he was? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
This is the second book in the series. Very well written and enjoyable. It was a nice long book so passed a good bit of time had to really pay attention to what was going on. This book goes back and forth from the past story of a young boy that was found washed up on the coast and the story line of a missing boy now. As they try to find the missing boy more and more of the past comes into play . Kept me reading to see what would happen next. Has very well thought out characters. Great Read.
A storm is closing in the Cape Cod and the small town of Whale Rock and everybody is preparing for this natural disaster. But just before the storm hits the land,a small time drugs dealer is found dead in a dumpster and a toddler has gone missing. So the local police force and Daniel Benjamin a retired FBI agent(and groom to be)have their work cut out for them. Meanwhile Cassie Mitchell,a bride whose wedding has been postponed due to the stormy weather,welcomes several local residents and visitors, whose houses are in a danger zone, in her house “The Bluffs” where the ghosts of her great-grandparents have taken up residence .
There is another story of another boy whose body washed up on the shore,some 20 years ago, but who was never identified. It is clear that this story still attracts some attention. There is a mysterious woman who visits his grave,a local writer trying to make a book out of this tragic story and a visitor who also has some keen interest in the unknown boy.
There is yet another storyline going back to the sixties,eighties and present day, about an immigrant Italian family and their tribulations in the US.
The mystery side of the story is not bad but there are so many sidelines and so many things going on …paternity quests,diaries,ghosts,paintings,pregnancies,illness,beach houses,party guests,lost(or forgotten)lovers,drugs,lost boys both from the past and the present,damaged young men…it is just too much.
Of course,it didn’t help that I couldn’t connect with the amateur sleuth,Cassie. She is opinionated,judgemental, nosy(ok,that’s normal for a sleuth…),not very discreet and even rude sometimes.
But the setting is great,a small town of the Cape Cod coast,flooded by merry vacationers in the summer and pretty restful in the winter. And that is a great start full of promises.
I think I was a bit confused in the first few chapters and it seemed alittle hard to follow. It did kinda of take off and kept me interested and turning the pages. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next book. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy