The Cephalopod Coffeehouse: February 2016

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse: February 2016

Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the works they enjoyed most over the previous month.  Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.  If you wish to add your own review to the conversation, please go to the link and sign on to the link list.

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Title:  SUMMER SHADOWS

Author: Killarney Traynor

This is the description from Amazon:

Mystery. Romance. Danger. Murder. Not the typical family vacation. When Julia Lamontaigne arrives in Franklin, New Hampshire, she's looking for an escape from the tragedies that have taken over her life. Haunted by the legacy of her beloved sister, and entrusted with her sister's three orphaned children, Julia hopes for a summer of peaceful healing... and hopefully, bonding. 

At first, the small New Hampshire town seems to be the perfect location. They quickly settle in and make friends with their eccentric neighbours, then begin work on their summer house – while Julia is drawn into a relationship with Robert Wilde, the handsome cop next door. 

But Franklin is haunted, too - by the decades-old murder of a beautiful young artist, killed in the house at the end of Julia's street. Even though everyone says that the case is solved, Julia can't escape the feeling that there's more to the story than she’s being told. She's right. 
Someone doesn’t want the murder case re-opened. And they’re willing to kill again to stop it. 
The house at the end of the street hasn't begun to give up its secrets.

I gave this book 4*.

I found the story to be believable.  I was disappointed with the amount of typos and I feel that better editing would have made this novel 5*.  It would have picked up on missing words or using the same word used twice in one sentence, etc.

Having said that the book wasn’t boring and in fact kept me engrossed.  After a tragic accident that takes the lives of Julia’s sister and brother-in-law, she assumes the responsibility of her sister’s three children.  Julia and the children are all grieving in their own ways but trying to live as a family.  Julia loses her job and takes the opportunity to transfer them all to a property her sister had bought was planning to renovate in a small town during the summer holidays.

Ron, her eldest nephew is a stoic character, turning his grief inwards and trying to keep control of his younger siblings and keep them out of trouble.

Julia hopes that in renovating the house they can all bond and grow emotionally as a family and help each to heal over the loss of their parents and her sister and husband.

At the end of the street there is an empty house with a murderous past that gives a frisson and mystery to the story.

They begin to bond as a family with the help of some colourful characters as neighbours and there is also a touch of romance.

I enjoyed this book.