What Lies Beneath: The Road to Hidden Harbor/Remember Me/Primal Fear (Feature Anthology) [Mass Market Paperback]

First let me say that these are three new stories- a plus for this genre. I really enjoyed the first two, 'The Road To Hidden Harbor' by Anne Stuart and 'Remember Me' by Joanna Wayne. The third 'Primal Fear' by Caroline Burns was okay but slower and a bit disjointed.

In Joanna Wayne's tale Dr. Nathan Wayne is smitten by his new patient, a young woman who has just saved the life of a two year old child and endangered her own in so doing. Jill Jacobs is rushed into surgery for a subdural hematoma and as Nathan watches his patient awake from the anesthesia he is certain he knows her. The story of her heroism makes local headlines and even appears on the national cable news network. Rather than enjoying her celebrity status Jill is terrified and Nathan wants to know why. He also begins to suspect he knows who she really is and he wants to renew his relationship. His investigation and Jill's sudden fame put their lives in jeopardy as their romance blossoms. This is a beautiful story and my favorite of the three. This one deserves five stars!

In Anne Stuart's contribution Professor Molly Ferrell travels to Hidden Harbor, Maine to complete the research for her book about her favorite obscure writer, 'a long dead poet', Michael O'Flannery. Her obsession with O'Flannery intensifies when it seems the whole town is hiding the truth of his mysteriuos death from her. When she meets Jake Marley, the carpenter at the bed and bath she's staying at things begin to heat up and danger is not far behind. This one is also a good read. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars.

I did not enjoy 'Primal Fear' as much as the first two stories but others might and its included at no extra charge. All in all this is a good deal.

Listen up Anne Stuart fans - this is a reprint of some golden oldies - and super ones. As always from Anne Stuart mesmerizes! They are dark, moody and mysterious and an excellent read! One great anthology.

In the first one, we have Molly Ferrell coming to a small New England fishing village to find out what happened to the brilliant writer/poet Michael O'Flannery. Supposedly, twenty years ago he took a gun into the forest and killed himself, leaving behind a set of near genius works that have obsessed Molly for decades. His writing touched her, reached her in a way men never did. So she is determined to exorcise the ghost of O'Flannery once and for all by writing a book about him. Visiting his hometown, she is determined to find out why a man of such talent would destroy himself - and maybe break her obsession, once and fall. There she finds instant resistance in the town folk. There's an empty grave with a headstone, people lock their doors or stop talking when she entered a room, and heavy, dogged resistance from Jake, a carpenter. He hints there were other deaths in the town and maybe Michael did not kill himself, but was murdered. Stuart owns the talent of dark, moody alpha/gamma heroes, and she is flying high with this tale.

I am not familiar with the works of Joanna Wayne or Caroline Burns, but I will be checking to see other material as their stories also impressed me.

Wayne gives a tale of a woman running from her past, trying to keep it secret, who falls for Dr. Nathan Duncan. He is drawn to his new patient, but is sure they have met before. How long can she keep her past secret from her doctor?

Burnes tale is very effective, very sinister. A body is found on the shores of a sleepy Florida coast. First people say it is a shark attack...but could it be something more? Marine biologist Libby Phillips is not sure its a shark attack. Distracting her from the investigation is a modern day 'pirate' one sexy Chat Watson. But is he trying to win her in his bed or keep her from discovering the truth about the body? A very enjoyable mystery.

Delightfully dark tales perfect to curl up with on a dark and stormy night.

The book was a fast read. All three stories were well written and gripping. Joanna Wayne did a great job of capturing the very real danger connected with a woman being stalked by a madman. I highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.