Hidden Secrets

October 8, 2018
Suspense overwhelms romance in Gallant’s gripping third Siren Cove romantic thriller (after Lost Innocence). Paige Shephard, owner of the antiques shop Old Things in Siren Cove, Ore., is delighted to learn that her longtime friend Quentin Radcliff is moving back to town temporarily to open a new restaurant. Soon their friendship develops a spark of romance, but Quentin is reluctant to commit to Paige. The idyll of Siren Cove is shattered when a dangerous intruder breaks into Paige’s store, possibly looking for something among the recent antique acquisitions. As Paige tries to discover what the intruder could be looking for, she and Quentin stumble across a clue to the disappearance of a woman decades ago. Then Quentin is arrested in connection with the recent disappearance of his former girlfriend, but Paige never doubts his innocence. Mystery adds intensity to this fast-paced story, but the transition from friends to lovers lacks the sensuality and passion that would make it believable. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Literary.

November 15, 2018
Antiques store owner Paige is excited that her long-time best friend, Quentin, is returning to the small town in which they spent their childhood to open a new restaurant. She is also busy buying treasures to get ready for Winter Ball shoppers. Break-ins and some unpleasant encounters with family members of the elderly people she purchased goods from reveal the presence of secrets in the items she purchased. Quentin buys her a dog to help keep her safe, and they grow close romantically as they try to puzzle out what's happening. Then they find a necklace connected to a decades-old missing person case and soon are themselves in serious trouble. Gallant's many-layered holiday romantic suspense tale may appeal to fans of cozy mysteries by Denise Swanson and Debra Morgan.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)