Carla Neggers

Ike Grantham gave graphic artist Tess Haviland a derelict carriage house in lieu of payment for work she had done and shortly thereafter disappeared. It is haunted and on a tiny piece of property, but on the shore. She doesn't do anything for a year and then decides to spend a weekend there and decide whether to keep it or sell it. Remnants of the Thorne family, father Andrew, daughter Dolly and cousin Harley, historic owners of the carriage house, live in the main house next door. During Tess's stay she hears Dolly's cat in the basement and comes across a skeleton. In indecision she waits for a day to call police and the bones are gone by then. Not a big mystery about the body but the history of the house and its family and Tess's family interactions are what made an interesting story.… (more)

After a friend's betrayal, Olivia leaves her graphic design job to move back to her home town where she has purchased an old Victorian home she wants to open as a small event center. But the abandoned property next door looks like a junkyard, so she contacts the owner to offer to get it cleaned up. This brings Dylan to town to check the place out. He knew nothing about this inheritance from his father. Dylan's father was a treasure hunter who died in Portugal, so Dylan wonders why he bought the house. Was there some tale of a treasure associated with the house? And what can he learn about his estranged father from the house. Nice story set in a picturesque landscape and an area with a lot of history.… (more)

FBI agent Andrew Rook is working with an informant who promises information but is not following through. When the informant makes a connection to a woman Rook has been dating he breaks with her to avoid a conflict of interest. The woman, Mackenzie Stewart, is an assistant deputy with the U.S. Marshall Service and a friend of the Judge being targeted. Then the informant goes missing and Mac is attacked when visiting her friends lake house. Soon both services are involved. I found this plot very convoluted. A lot of law enforcement involved in an issue that hadn't even been determined as unlawful. Everything seemed to be a stretch to make a connection between these people. Definitely a good thing Neggers was ending this series. It has definitely run out of steam.… (more)

Alicia Miller, DOJ lawyer goes to friend, Quinn Harlowe, former DOJ analyst, for help. She's jumpy and talking crazy. Quinn fears a mental breakdown, but before she can do anything Alicia runs off, getting into a black car and disappearing. Fearing for her friends mental state, she begins looking for her only to find her body washed up near her cottage. Quinn doesn't believe it's suicide and starts looking into Alicia recent activities. At the same time Huck McCabe (aka Boone) is undercover at Breakwater Security, next door to the cottage, looking into possible vigilante activity. They have a common goal but Huck must maintain his cover. He has a dangerous line to walk. Many of the characters from the earlier volumes appear in supporting roles. We always have a batch of political types with questionable ethics and a group of thugs willing to do the violence. Good thriller.… (more)