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Police Chief Matthew Cade is on the way to secure a road which has downed power lines. Before he arrives, a pedestrian steps in front of the speeding police car and bounces off. When Cade gets out of the car to help him, the man mutters something to him, then passes out. When Cade’s co-workers arrive, they are told to treat this as any other incident involving a hit pedestrian, and Cade follows the ambulance to the hospital.
Soon after arrival, the man is declared dead—but being hit by the speeding police car didn’t kill him. Someone had shot the man at close range.
Librarian Blair Owens tries to be there for Cade, knowing he’ll be devastated by the death of a man he hit. But the next morning when Blair tries to find him, Cade has disappeared and no one knows where he is or what happened to him. The town of Cape Refuge is in an uproar and Blair is forced to turn to a God she claims doesn’t exist to find answers. Did someone kidnap the Chief of Police? Or did he simply run off?
Once again, Ms. Blackstock has penned a wonderful story with realistic characters. I did think Cade was a bit larger than life in some situations, but for the most part, I could almost imagine I know them. I cared deeply for Cade and hoped someone would find him before its too late.
SOUTHERN STORM is a page turner that I didn’t want to end. I think the ending was wrapped up a bit too quick, but altogether, SOUTHERN STORM is an exciting read, one I highly recommend. Fans of Terri Blackstock should grab this book. SOUTHERN STORM easily stands alone, but readers might want to read the first book in the series to fill in some of the missing pieces.
Reviewed by Laura V. Hilton
for The Road to Romance
September 29, 2004
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