COPPER WATERS

Annalisse Series, Book 4

by

MARLENE M. BELL

Genre: International Mystery / Crime / Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing

Date of Publication: October 7, 2022

Number of Pages: 340

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A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.

Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.

Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.

But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.

Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.

The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.

As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.

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Well, I didn’t see that ending coming! Maybe not the ending per se, but the murderer’s revelation. You could have knocked me over with a feather!

This is the fourth in the series, and while could be read on its own, it is best to have an understanding of the history between the various characters. This book also delivers a slower pace while we dive more into Annalisse’s background and family, which we discovered in a previous book. I can only imagine the questions she has for her mother if she can ever catch up to her again. But her trip to New Zealand still provided answers to some questions. I don’t want to spoil anything, so you’ll have to read the book to uncover those questions and answers.

Annalisse is still holding Alec at bay. These two have more baggage than most characters I see, but if you understand everything they have been through until this point, you might have a better grasp on everything that has kept them from fully committing to one another. I would have thought after two years that they could trust each other more than they seemed to. However, I am happy to say that they make some inroads into this by the end of this book. Another reason to read the book; because I’m not going to give away any spoilers.

We also learn more about Bill in this book and some of his past stories. He is a fantastic investigator, and he and Annalisse make a good team, especially when trying to sort out the murders in this small town. I think it would be fascinating to have a spinoff book that gives us more background on Bill. I believe there is a gem hiding inside of him just from the little bit that we learn in this book.

I loved the descriptions of New Zealand, and I want to visit this country even more now. The author paints a picture that will stick in your mind. The author also provides detailed information about sheep, and this might cause you to go down a rabbit hole looking up the various breed and their traits.

This book is filled with deception, corruption, and so much more. I appreciated the slower pace because it allowed me to digest everything that was happening and ruminate on what could possibly happen next. With the new information that is revealed in this book, it has me on pins and needles, waiting for the next book to see how a few situations resolve themselves.

We give this book 4 paws up.

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series — mysteries with a touch of romance — has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity) and FAPA (Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award) for two other installments, Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy. She also penned the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

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