Carrie Carter was a runaway teen, finding a “home” in Seaside, NJ with her sister Lindsey. Running away from an abusive alcoholic mother and her many boyfriends, Carrie went to work for Mary P in a café in the coastal small town. When Mary retired, Carrie realized her dream of running the café and life beginning to look up. When one of her employees, Jase, goes missing and is discovered dead in the nearby bay, it appears the past is catching up with several of her closest friends. Carrie also longs to be loved and has her eye on an ex-cop, Greg, but she is uncertain if he can let go of his past and be able to love again. He barely seems to even notice her even though she serves him breakfast every day.
I loved the small coastal town that Gayle Roper set the story in. Carrie and Greg were both very believable characters who I could sympathize with and understand. Carrie was insecure and Greg had seen his wife and children needlessly killed several years prior and was still overcoming his own grief. However, I do feel the author went too far with the overuse of social networking and the role it played in the town news and solving the mystery and the cult involvement of the café employees was not all that believable for me. However, I did love the fact that Mrs. Roper dealt with some real world topics such as alcoholism, adultery, drug use, and forgiveness. There were some unexpected surprises and twists, including who the real killer was, throughout the story that also added to my enjoyment. If you are looking for a mystery title with a sweet love story thrown in for good measure, check out Gayle Roper’s latest book, Shadows on the Sand.
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