Spine-tingling adventures await with every swipe of the finger or turn of the page in Connie Mann’s Deadly Melody. Third in Mann’s Safe Harbor series, Deadly Melody can be read as a stand-alone book, although it may be a little richer if you have previously read the first two books in the series.



As a young teenage girl, Catharine, an accomplished violinist, runs away from her powerful uncle who is involved in drugs and the mob.



Returning “home” for the wedding of her foster sister in Florida, Cat agrees to her sister’s request to provide music. Having once thought herself safely hidden in Safe Harbor, the death of another sister’s boyfriend indicates Cat may have been found by those she eluded years ago. To keep her family and friends safe, Cat keeps everyone at a distance. Cat is very independent, loyal, and determined to sacrifice herself for those she loves.



The biological son of Sal and Rosa Martinelli, yet kidnapped and raised by friends of the Martinellis, Nick Stanton is the town’s police officer who falls for Cat. Obviously, Cat is either IN trouble or she IS trouble; Nick can’t decide which. Should he help Cat or arrest her? Who has it out for her and why?



The rapid pacing of the book, the many twists, and the total lack of trust between characters kept my neck in whiplash mode. I tried to decode who was the guiltiest party, who would outsmart whom, and who would not live to see the light of the next day. Timing is everything in a novel of this genre, and Connie Mann has it down pat. Me, I’m going to practice my deep breathing and panic-fighting techniques so as to be ready for Mann’s next novel!



I gratefully received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. I am not required to leave a positive review, and all opinions are solely my own. ( )