Stranded

September 15, 2013

Reporter Darcy St. James takes a job on a cruise ship to investigate the mysterious disappearances of female passengers, a story that had been uncovered by a friend and fellow journalist who has gone missing herself. Gage McKenna's outdoor adventure company has contracted with the cruise line to provide camping trips for passengers. When he realizes Darcy is investigating undercover, he thinks she's the same obsessed reporter he knew before, but as her investigation becomes more dangerous, he realizes she's changed and wants to get to know the new Darcy better, if they both survive. VERDICT Pettrey delves into human trafficking in her latest tale of romantic suspense, which also revisits the McKenna family from Submerged and Shattered. Series followers and readers who enjoy Lynette Eason, Irene Hannon, and DiAnn Mills will add this to their to-read list.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
In the third novel in Pettrey's Alaska Courage series featuring the McKenna family (following Shattered, 2013), adventure and intrigue follow Darcy St. James. She goes undercover, posing as an adventure journalist on a cruise ship while secretly trying to track down the big lead her best friend, Abby, had hinted at. Darcy's task becomes more difficult when Abby disappears, and none of the crew are willing to answer Darcy's persistent inquiries. Luckily, the McKennas are coordinating the cruise's offboard activities, and they quickly join in the hunt. Gage McKenna and Darcy's mutual attraction reaches an all-time high, but she is much more focused on finding out what's happened to Abby. Will she and Gage be able to come together, or will her dogged investigation prove too much to overcome? Pettrey succeeds again. Not only does each character come fully to life, readers won't be able to put the book down as the stakes are raised higher and higher in a case that is much more sinister than it first appears.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)