Private detective Seth Halliday is back in this fourth installment of this exciting series by Bobby Underwood. Being as I read this a couple of weeks before Christmas, the timing couldn’t have been better. This adventure has Seth and his lovely wife Caroline spending Christmas in South America with their great friend Harry and his sister when they decide they want Candy to join them. For those who missed EIGHT BLONDE DOLLS, the 3rd book in the series, Candy is the main subject in that fantastic mystery novel.

“She laughed, and to my ears it sounded like the lilting refrain from a tune imbued with timeless innocence. Maybe that was what Candy had to find again -- her innocence -- even though it had been shattered. Certainly it could never be like that again for her, but only something remembered. But maybe it would be enough. For a lot of us, it has to be enough, I thought.”

Even though this book can stand alone, I’d advise reading the previous books first, because you’ll be well acquainted with this fine cast of characters, and the emotional impact of this one will be even greater.
There are scenes here that are written so vividly tender, I was deeply and pleasantly moved beyond what normal fiction is capable of.
One particularly lovely scene had Seth and Candy visiting the giant Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

“You tell yourself it’s just a statue, remind yourself it has become one of the most recognizable tourist attractions in the world, but it does no good once you are there. You feel humbled, small, as though He is real, and you are glimpsing heaven. The sheer size of Christo Redentor inspires awe. You want to look out at the magnificent vista of Rio de Janeiro at night, vibrantly alive with lights. But something keeps drawing your eyes back behind you, upward toward life eternal.”

What Underwood did in this book (and many of his others) was to take some relatable characters who you grow to care about, and put them in a hard world that closely resembles our own. Then through friendship and love, he lets them find their way toward redemption and healing.
I thought the previous novels in this series were great, but this one gave me a little something extra. It lit a few candles, pushing aside the darkness so hope could shine through. ( )