A missing belt—her uncle’s prized possession. The lure of buried treasure. And a sexy former SEAL who makes U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell crazy. What more could any woman want. Right?
Taylor is on a quest to unearth her uncle’s buried treasure—a journey so far out of the realm of her real life she can barely fathom it. There’s one other minor glitch. Taylor's certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy's dementia-riddled mind. Now he’s dead.
All the same, Taylor is in Rock Harbor, Texas, to settle her uncle's estate, including following his directions to the treasure. When someone tries to kill her, Taylor's quest becomes personal. She tosses Randy's official cause of death—Drowning Due to Accident—out the window and starts looking at his Rock Harbor acquaintances. Could Randy's treasure be real?
Jake Solomon is in Rock Harbor under false pretenses. He loathes the charade dictated by his father’s plan to protect Taylor Campbell. But Jake will do what it takes to protect Taylor from the fate that befell her uncle and the other members of a tight circle of Coast Guardsmen called the Compass Points who served together on Point boats in Vietnam.
Due to the danger involved, Jake’s dad has ordered him not to become involved with Taylor. Disobeying his father was Jake’s first mistake.
Taylor is attracted to Jake as well, but she refuses to wait for Jake to locate the killer when she knows her plan will force her uncle’s murderer into action.
But the killer's actions are just what Jake is afraid of.
My review:
Taylor Campbell's favorite uncle Randy passed away and left her everything. Including a mysterious letter and a hidden treasure. As a U.S. Coast Guard Commander, she missed the funeral, but she's in Rock Harbor, Texas now to clean up his estate and find out what was going on in his head before he died. She meets Jake Solomon who is in town trying to find out what happened to her uncle and the other members of his circle of friends called the Compass Points. Each has been killed off, and Jake is the only one still alive. Romance was the last thing on Taylor and Jake's minds, but even as a killer stalks them, they can't stay away from one another.
A magnificently crafted suspense thriller with a bit of romance. I was hooked right from the beginning and left wondering who the killer might be until the very end. Carol Kilgore does an excellent job of winding everyone and everything up in a tight knot, and you can't tell which thread goes where until it all elegantly unfolds at the end.
The cast of characters is amazing. Taylor is a strong and clever protagonist. She has a lot of experience to help her along with a big heart. Jake is smart and sexy. He has a bit of a bad boy edge, but his sense of justice is powerful. I loved Dan and A.J. Each secondary character stood out as brightly as Taylor and Jake.
I highly recommend SOLOMON'S COMPASS. It's a fantastic tale with something for every reader. I can't wait to read more from Carol Kilgore.
Author bio:
Carol Kilgore is an award-winning author of
several published short stories and many essays and articles. Solomon’s
Compass is her second novel, a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance
she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss – always at least one crime; always a
love story. Carol and her Coast Guard husband live in San Antonio,
Texas, with two herding dogs that like nothing better than pack time on
the patio.
You can find Carol here:
Great review! I haven't heard of this book before, but you make it sound like a must-read. Gotta love it when an author can successfully make you guess about a killer!
ReplyDeleteCarol will be happy with that review!
ReplyDeleteSolomon's Compass sounds great! Thanks for the review. :) I've never heard of this book as well, love that cover. SO many wonderful books, will add this to my tbr:D
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an awesome review and recommendation, Christine. I think I'll celebrate :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, everyone! Carol's book is fantastic. I was blown away. Make sure to celebrate with chocolate, Carol! :)
ReplyDeleteI have this book already on my TBR list. It sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI need to get to this book soon. I want to read it very badly.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great review! I've seen this book featured on a lot of blogs. It certainly looks like a good one!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!!!
ReplyDeleteYour books sounds fantastic, Carol. Great review, Christine.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I need to put this one on my list. :)
ReplyDelete