SPEAK NO EVIL, published by eKensington, is set near Charleston, South Carolina, where Crosby lived for many years and which remains one of her favorite cities. It's a contemporary story of secrecy, a grand southern family in decline, and of what happens to three sisters when their mother, newspaper heiress Florence Willodean Aldridge, unexpectedly dies. Her daughters--Caroline, Augusta and Savannah--return for the funeral, unsurprised that the dark past they share still casts its shadow over them and their legacy.
Florence has left a number of demands, including that the sisters live together in the family home for one year or lose their inheritance, and that Caroline must take over The Tribune. They've barely settled in when a series of kidnappings and murders resurrects memories of their brother's disappearance as a child. Amid rising tensions, it soon becomes clear that Caroline, having unwittingly taken a major role in the investigation through The Tribune's coverage, is most likely the killer's next target.
Even as she tamps down her fear and struggles with turmoil at home and at the paper, Caroline must confront her feelings for ex fiancé, Jack Shaw, the only man she has ever loved, and perhaps the only person who stands between her and the killer.
Excerpt from Tanya Anne Crosby's SPEAK NO EVIL...
He took another swig of his Guinness and reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone. Three missed calls from Kelly. Zero from Caroline.
Then, again, he hadn’t expected Caroline to call. She was as prideful as her mother—damn her! Even ten years later, she wasn’t about to forget a stupid mistake. He set the phone down on the counter and drained his glass, eyeing the cell with some malice.
The bartender eyed him curiously. “Bad day?”
Jack shrugged. “Buried a friend,” he said.
And fought with the woman who somehow still managed to consume his thoughts even after all these years, but he didn’t offer up that part. It was nobody’s business.
Caroline was the sole reason he couldn’t settle down with Kelly, he realized. Every time he’d considered it, Caroline’s face popped into his head—like one of those annoying carnival games. He didn’t think that was the way it was supposed to be—married to one girl, obsessed with another.
There was nothing wrong with Kelly.
She just wasn’t Caroline.
“I’ll take another.”
Kyle nodded and complied.
Okay, so maybe as a description of the past several years, “obsessed” was a bit of an overstatement, because he had pretty much managed to put Caroline out of his head—except whenever lifechanging decisions were about to be made. This minute, however, it was a full-on obsession, complete with phantom touches that were hijacking his body. Just seeing her had done that to him. It left him with a sense of longing that was acutely disagreeable, and he couldn’t shake it.
Eyeing the phone again, he considered calling her—just so he could stop thinking about her—and it dawned on him that she was probably the reason he had never changed his number. That thought had never even entered his brain before this moment, but he was pretty sure it was true. He wasn’t over her. Worse, he was afraid he was never going to be over her, and the thought of living his life in limbo made him feel like chain-smoking half a dozen packs of cigarettes right in front of her.
His cell phone rang and his heart thumped hard. Then he saw the number and felt the letdown: Kelly.
He couldn’t avoid her forever.
Draining his glass once more, he took out his wallet, paid the tab, grabbed his cell, and almost as an afterthought, reached into his pocket, digging out his last pack of cigarettes, still half full, and tossed them on the bar, then walked out. The phone stopped ringing, but he would call her back. Now that it was all clear in his head, he realized holding on wasn’t fair.
It was time to let go.
About the Author
Tanya Anne Crosby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of seventeen romances. Her new novel, SPEAK NO EVIL, is her first romantic suspense novel and her first ebook original. Her first novel, the historical romance Angel of Fire, was published in 1992 by Avon Books, where she was hailed as "one of Avon's fastest rising stars." Soon after, her book Once Upon a Kiss launched the company's Avon Romantic Treasure imprint.
Known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with flawed characters, Crosby has been honored as a five-time nominee for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and nominated for Best Innovative Historical in 1998 and Best Historical Love and Laughter in 1999. Other nominations include multiple Historical Romance of the Year nominations, Best All-Around Historical and Best Historical Mystery.
Now back from a ten year writing hiatus, Tanya has just finished her second romantic suspense novel, which includes several characters from SPEAK NO EVIL. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two cats and frequently visits family in her beloved Charleston.
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I haven't read anything from this author but after reading the review I may just have to now. But what is funny is that I keep thinking of the three monkeys with their hands over ears, eyes and mouth.The see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil monkeys. I'm sorry weird stuff pops into my head LOL
ReplyDeleteCutie's grandmother reads romance thrillers like they are going out of style. She is usually willing to share on top of that. After she reads them, she passes them on to me. I'll have to tell her about this one and then maybe she'll pass it on to me. :D
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