The Shimmering Road (Charlie Cates – 2) by Hester Young
Five months after the events at Evangeline, Charlie Cates and her boyfriend Noah are anticipating the birth of their baby daughter in Texas.
Their excitement about the future is tempered, however, by a recurring nightmare Charlie has about getting shot in the belly while showering. Is her dream simply the product of an anxious mind, or is it a premonition, a message that she and her daughter are in danger?
When Charlie learns that the mother who abandoned her as a toddler, is the victim of a double murder in Arizona, she thinks it has nothing to do with her. Yet the other victim—a half-sister Charlie never knew she had—has left behind a child, a little girl who speaks to Charlie in her dreams.
Convinced that she must help her orphaned niece, Charlie travels with Noah to Arizona, where she must confront her own painful ties to her mother … and untangle a web of secrets that will reveal the truth of her own nightmare.
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Author’s Bio
Hester Young holds a Master’s degree in English with a Creative Writing concentration from The University of Hawai’i at Manoa, and her work has been published in literary magazines such as The Hawai’i Review. Before turning to writing full time, she worked as a teacher in Arizona and New Hampshire. She lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey. Her first novel, The Gates of Evangeline, was named one of Publishers Weekly’s best books of 2015, an Indie Next Pick, a SIBA Summer Okra Pick, and a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Thriller Award for “Best New Novel.”
My Review
4 stars
Charlie Cates is late in her pregnancy and happy with her boyfriend Noah. But Charlie is having nightmares again and the one where she gets shot in the shower is bothering both her and Noah. Then she has the vision of a child walking through blood and learns that her half sister and mother has been killed. She is dreaming about her niece Micky. Charlie and Noah head to Tucson, Arizona to help Micky, solve the murder investigation, and learn more about her own past.
This is a great mystery. There are so many possible murderers and for a variety of reasons. I really liked how Charlie learned more about her past. I makes you understand why she doesn’t really want to adopt Micky at first. It was interesting all the things you have to go through to adopt a child, I never realized how involved it could be. Then you have the whole immigration issue too since Ruben, Micky’s father lives in Mexico.
There is a lot happening in this story that keeps you guessing until the end. I like The Gates of Evangeline and I really love the sequel. Although you will have more background story I do think you could read The Shimmering Road as a stand-alone mystery. Make sure to get a copy today.
I received The Shimmering Road from the publisher for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
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