Laura Gayle

I received this book in exchange for an honest review, and because I'm horrible at getting around to ebooks it has been waiting for over a month. However once I decided to start reading it this afternoon I couldn't stop til I finished it and now I'm sitting here annoyed that book 2 isn't already waiting as well. Orcas Intrigue does a remarkable job of describing the characters in a way that makes them immediately important to you as a reader, which is tricky. I loved how real and down to earth they all seemed, and found myself laughing hysterically at a scene where Camille is talked into a tasting of a flight of beers, epecially once the adorable sheriff makes an entrance. It's not a long book, and I do love books that manage to keep me occupied for days at a time, but I will settle for the fact that there will be more coming to the story of Camille Tate, and I cant wait!… (meer)

Running away from a failed relationship, Camille takes a job as a caretaker on an old estate on Orcas Island. From the minute she arrives, Camille experiences odd things. She believes she has witnessed a murder, and the police don't seem to care. The former caretaker seems to have disappeared suddenly under mysterious circumstances, and no one is willing to talk about it. Camille sort of makes friends with the woman at the mansion next door, and sort of finds herself in a new relationship, though she hasn't gotten over the old one. Meanwhile, she's trying to figure out if a murder actually happened, and why she's getting mysterious messages.

On top of all this, it turns out Camille has a special special talent: she can disappear. For quite some time I assumed that this was metaphorical: when things get stressful Camille gets quiet and unobtrusive. Oh no. Turns out she literally disappears. I thought that was odd and out of place in what was generally meant to be an atmospheric mystery.

That said, the atmosphere in the book is well done. The author captures the environment and remoteness of Orcas Island well. The fog, the damp, and the forests are vivid. I enjoyed the mystery build-up, but this mystery is not properly resolved. While we do find out who the bad guy is, there are still huge holes left in the mystery. I hate that. Apparently this is the first of a trilogy. I would read the next one to see what gets resolved. I'll see how I can deal with the disappearing act. I'm not so fond of that.… (meer)