Gone to Dust

Starred review from July 3, 2017
Hart’s second Gravediggers adventure romance (after The Darkest Corner) is delightful, with plenty of witty banter, pop culture references, and serious heat. The women of Last Stop, Tex., have noticed that the men working at the local funeral parlor are more attractive and capable than might be expected. Romance writer Miller Darling has noticed them too. She writes passionately and obsessively, only coming up for air when her book is complete, so she’s trying to avoid being distracted by thoughts of the one who has caught her eye, Elias Cole. Her latest book reflects her family’s fascination with and dedication to uncovering King Solomon’s lost treasure, a quest that led to her parents’ death and her brother’s disappearance. But when Miller realizes her brother’s life has been threatened, she abandons her computer and teams up with Elias (who turns out to be a former Navy SEAL) to save him. In a hat-tip to the movie Romancing the Stone, Elias and Miller end up in South America trying to evade gangs and thugs who want to kill Miller’s brother and steal a priceless treasure for themselves. Hart’s novel is a read-in-one-sitting wonder, full of lightheartedness that’s rare and welcome in a romantic thriller. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency.