Wild Orchids

Recently widowed, Ford Newcombe, a famous author, decides to explore new subject matter when he overhears researcher Jackie Maxwell tell about a woman stoned for loving the devil. To seek the truth, off they go to rural North Carolina--where they become embroiled in a mystery. As narrators John Dossett and Lauren Mufson switch off chapters, they add richness to the story line and depth to the characters. Deveraux's tale takes the listener to a world far away, and the truth the characters discover may be more than either has ever imagined. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

March 31, 2003
Forget garden-variety ghosts and poltergeists—the devil himself makes an appearance in bestseller Deveraux's latest romantic suspense novel. When famed mystery writer Ford Newcombe loses his beloved wife, Pat, he can't bear the thought of writing without her. Six years later, Ford is moving from one small town to another in an attempt to cure his writer's block when he hears the story of a woman who was murdered because she loved the devil. Fascinated by the tale, he decides that he must investigate it and approaches Jackie, the storyteller, to offer her the job of assisting him. Needing a change of pace, Jackie agrees to accompany him to Cole Creek, N.C., and strange things begin to happen when they arrive—Jackie instinctively knows her way around the town, she begins to have frightening premonitions that come true and the townspeople insist that the devil tale is just a rumor. Not one to give up, Ford continues to investigate and discovers an article about a 20-year-old murder. As he uncovers more gruesome details, he begins to suspect that Jackie may have somehow been involved in or witnessed the murder. Meanwhile, Jackie meets a man who seems too good to be true, who is also interested in the devil story. As Ford and Jackie work their way closer to the truth, it becomes clear that the story about the devil may be horrifically true. Deveraux's writing is sloppy ("I tried to pep Jackie up because she was looking as forlorn as an abandoned puppy"), but her plotting is effective, and she does a superb job of building up to her chilling conclusion.

January 15, 2003
Guess what happens when a widowed mystery writer hires a lively young assistant?

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2003
Ford Newcombe grew up amongst his 11 uncles and their families, never really fitting in with his ne'er-do-well relatives. He met his wife, Pat, in college and she became his muse, helping him become a famous author. But after 21 years of marriage Pat dies, and Ford is at a loss, looking everywhere for the inspiration to begin writing again. He meets Jackie Maxwell, a young woman with a gift for storytelling, and she tells a doozy about a modern-day woman who is stoned because she was seen consorting with the devil. Ford wants to hire Jackie, but she is about to get married. Life has other plans, however, and Jackie ends up traveling with Ford to Cole Creek, North Carolina, the site of the stoning. Jackie recognizes the town, and she and Ford soon realize that she must have been there before, and perhaps witnessed the event. As in her last book, " Forever" [BKL O 15 02], Deveraux combines romance and the occult in a new and entertaining manner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)