The song "Shades of Gray" ran through my mind as I finished this book and thought about it a bit. There are so many different elements within to ponder, ranging from venturing out of your comfort zone, taking a chance on love, and that gray area of what is truth. As Chloe discovers, none of these are quite as simple as they seem.
The story begins simply enough, well, aside from the pressure that Vivi and Joaquin's decision to enter her in the highly competitive local bar contest creates. How competitive? Competitive enough that some of the local bars have hired ringers for a month to prepare to represent their businesses. I mean, Wonder Woman's stunt double? Chloe, who is a regular runner, decides to go along with the idea, especially since Joaquin, who won four years ago but won't be eligible to re-enter for another year, says he'll be coaching her.
What no one planned on, however, was Enrique, one of the ringers, being found dead. Chloe and Ann, a descendant of famed pirate Jean Lafitte, both find themselves on the suspect list. There's a search for a sunken pirate ship and treasure, too, in the mix. We also learn quite a bit about life on the Gulf coast, mixing drinks, pirate lore, and how far some might go to protect others.
For me, the strongest point of the book was the characters, however. Chloe is strong and steady, but terrified of thunder/lightning storms. If she makes a promise, she keeps it, even if it's to her detriment. She's also vulnerable in the sense of being wary of mentioning her growing love for fire-figher Rip. In other words, she comes across as a real person with strengths and weaknesses.
Her friends, from take the take-no-prisoners Vivi, who co-owns the Sea Glass Saloon with Chloe and seems to have a hot line to the governor, and Joaquin, steady-as-a-rock bartender and friend, are likable and I hope to get more of their stories in later books. Ann remains a bit of a mystery to me but, well, she's a bit of a mystery to Chloe, so that is probably intentional. I'm sure we'll hear more of her as the series goes along, not to mention her fascinating tidbits on pirate lore.
Bottom line, this book is a winner and works nicely as a stand-alone. It left me pondering the question of what is truth and is omission an untruth, and any book that leaves me thinking is a winner in my book. As I said above, "Shades of Gray". Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me along to watch Chloe roll a beer keg up that sandy slope.
No comments:
Post a Comment