6 Rainier Drive

July 31, 2006
The aftermath of a fire at the Lighthouse restaurant and the search for an arsonist spark the sixth volume of smalltown drama set in Macomber's fictional Washington town of Cedar Cove (after 50 Harbor Street
). Justine and Seth Gunderson, the owners of the Lighthouse, are divided by their reactions to the tragedy; Seth is obsessed with rebuilding as quickly as possible, while Justine wants to take advantage of their newly found free time. Meanwhile, Macomber follows numerous loosely connected story lines involving characters from previous volumes: an impulsive act of generosity by hairdresser Teri Miller triggers romance with a world renowned chess player; physician's assistant Lynnette McAfee encounters trouble in her relationship with shy horse trainer Cal Washburn; father-to-be Jon Bowman struggles with anger over his parents' legacy of betrayal; and several navy families face leaving their hometown. Fans of the series will snap this one up, but new readers may struggle to sort out the characters and relationships (Macomber includes a two-page list of residents to help). Those who enjoy good-spirited, gossipy writing will be hooked.