The Shimmering Road (Charlie Cates #2) by Hester Young
ISBN: 9780399174018 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9780698190788 (ebook)
ISBN: 9781524703042 (audiobook)
ASIN: B01HCGYY6K (Kindle edition)
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication Date: February 14, 2017
A pulse-pounding mystery from the author of The Gates of Evangeline featuring Charlotte “Charlie” Cates, an unforgettable heroine whose dark visions bring to light secrets that will heal or destroy those around her…
When soon-to-be mother Charlotte “Charlie” Cates begins to have recurring dreams about harm coming to her unborn daughter, she knows these are not the nightmares of an anxious mom-to-be. They are the result of her mysterious gift. But before she can decipher what these dreams might mean, Charlie learns that the mother who abandoned her when she was a toddler is the victim of a double murder in Arizona. The other victim Jasmine, a half-sister Charlie never knew she had has left behind a child, a little girl who speaks to Charlie in her dreams and was present on the night of the murders. Convinced that she must help her orphaned niece, Charlie travels to Tucson, Arizona, where she must confront her painful ties to her mother and delve into her sister’s shadowy past.
To untangle the web of secrets that will reveal the truth of her nightmares, Charlie can no longer avoid her family s checkered history. Who is in the racy photos that turned up in Jasmine s apartment? Where is her niece’s father, whom Jasmine was rumored to have been seeing again on the sly? Was her mother’s charity work in Mexico really as selfless as it seemed? And most important of all, what did her niece really witness on the night of the murders?
The search for answers leads Charlie across the Mexican border, from the resort town of Rocky Point to the border town of Nogales, and elucidates the meaning of her dreams in most unexpected ways. Ultimately, to protect her niece and her unborn child, Charlie must battle not just evil but the forces of nature, in one final terrifying encounter in the Tucson desert.
A thrilling mystery that combines literary suspense and romance with a mystical twist that is unputdownable. If you love Kate Atkinson and Alice Sebold, you should not miss Hester Young.
At the end of The Gates of Evangeline (a highly recommended read), Charlotte “Charlie” Cates is pregnant by her new lover, Noah Palmer. Their relationship seemed doomed from the start since Charlie lived in Connecticut and worked in New York and Noah lived and worked in Texas. Fortunately, they are in love and committed to working on their relationship and looking forward to their growing family. Charlie has moved to Texas and is really trying to make things work, but she feels as if she’s living in the shadows of Noah’s former life with his ex-wife. Just as things are about to come to a head in Texas, Charlie receives a phone call informing her that her long-estranged mother and a half-sister she never knew about have been murdered in Arizona. If that’s not troubling enough, Charlie seems to be the only living family member left for her half-sister’s daughter, Michaela or Micky. After traveling to Arizona, Noah becomes enamored with the idea of adopting Micky and adding another child to their little family. Charlie isn’t quite sure if she’s ready to make that step, but with no other alternatives available they stay in town for awhile. Charlie and Noah try to learn as much as possible about Charlie’s mother, Donna, and her half-sister, Jasmine. Is it possible that Jasmine’s past was the reason for her and her mother’s murder? How does Donna’s job assisting poverty-stricken and troubled women in Nogales, Mexico tie into her murder, if at all? The more Charlie and Noah learn the more questions they have and these questions raise even more doubts and fears than ever before. Can they find the answers before another murder takes place?
If you read my review in 2015 for The Gates of Evangeline, you probably recall that I loved that book (this was one of my favorite reads for that year). If you haven’t read it, trust me, run out and grab a copy to read as soon as possible. The Shimmering Road is the second book in the Charlie Cates trilogy and pretty much takes off where The Gates of Evangeline ended. I found The Shimmering Road to be a fast-paced and engaging read. I enjoyed learning more about Charlie and witnessing her growing relationship with Noah. There are a lot of issues raised in The Shimmering Road, including abject poverty, drug abuse, childhood prostitution, politics, murder, family drama, mystery, a bit of romance, the paranormal, and more. There are good guys, bad guys, and not-so-bad guys, but it’s not always easy to tell who’s who and that alone kept me guessing until the bitter end. Ms. Young provides plenty of twists and turns in the story to keep the reader off-balance and wondering just what is going on, and I’ve got to say, I love that in a story. I loved the characters, the settings, and the action not to mention the storylines. So now, yes you guessed it, I’ve got to recommend that you grab a copy of The Shimmering Road to read immediately after you read your new copy of The Gates of Evangeline. Seriously, this is a good series and one you don’t want to miss. I’m looking forward to book three in this series and just may bide my time with a reread of both books (yes, they are just that good).
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Author: thebookdivasreads
I'm a reader, an avid reader, or perhaps a rabid reader (at least according to my family). I enjoy reading from a variety of different genres but particularly enjoy fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, ChickLit, romance and classics. I also enjoy reading about numerous non-fiction subjects including aromatherapy, comparative religions, herbalism, naturopathic medicine, and tea.
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