Anna J Stewart

Mabel Reynolds has been searching for her missing twin sister, Sylvie as well as other missing women, for 7 long years, but recently, the dreams of her sister are becoming more vivid and more informational than ever before. The people she is working with at Temple House have also been coming up with new leads, giving Mabel hope that her sister might eventually be found. The arrival of special investigator, Paul Flynn, not only gives Mabel new hope, but makes her feel the first attraction to a man since her 8 year old daughter was born. Meanwhile, Mabel's work with Soteria House has brought her to a recent assault victim who may have a connection with the Circle of the Red Lily.

Vanished is a welcome addition to the Circle of the Red Lily series with interesting, well-developed characters and even more clues in the overarching mystery. The protagonists are likable, and both have backstories involving violence and loss, giving them common ground for the beginning of a romance. And while their feelings for each other grow very quickly, they are balanced by multiple clues and evidence popping up throughout the plot. Mabel's daughter, Keeley adds some humor to the story even though she reads a bit too mature to be 8 years old and the appearance of Mabel's sister, Sylvie adds a paranormal element to the narrative. Overall, Vanished is an engrossing novel, leaving this reader yearning for the next installment.… (més)

Exposed by Anna J. Stewart
Circle of the Red Lily #1

What lurks beneath the glitz and glamor of Hollywood’s façade? This is the first in a series introduces the Circle of the Red Lily that is a secret society that requires human sacrifices and will kill to keep their secrets. Little does Riley Temple realize that old negatives she buys to take to her dark room will expose the final moments of one woman’s life.

What I liked:
* Riley Temple: photographer, lost her parents when she was very young, raised by her grandfather and Aunt Moxie, grew up in Temple House, strong, impulsive, tenacious, likes mysteries, attracted to Quinn
* Quinn Burton: homicide detective, from a family of police officers and chiefs of police, has a new partner he is getting to know, fit, intelligent, caring, attracted to Riley
* The development of the relationship between Riley and Quinn, that they were “real”, I cared about them, and liked them for and with one another – they were well rounded and have good support systems…really liked them
* Aunt Moxie: octogenarian, a star in the golden age of movies, slowing down but still vibrantly alive
* Cassie, Mabel, Laurel, and Sutton: four who live in Temple House and are good friends of Riley’s – hope they each get a book of their own.
* Blake Redford: new building manager, ex-Navy-special deployment, finding his way after retiring, mad skills, looking forward to hearing more about him in the future
* Wallace “Wally” Osterman: new Detective, paired with Quinn, liked him and hope to hear more about him
* Others that were introduced
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* Getting enough but not too much detail on the murders and also about the secret society – can’t wait to find out more
* That though there is more to the series, this ended in a comfortable place and not on a cliffhanger
* Reading a new-to-me author I would gladly read again

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how callous, evil, and awful some people can be

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

5 Stars… (més)

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I enjoyed these books, all interrelated. Although I'm a fan of romance novels, several of the tropes used were too similar, making very fast happily ever afters, so many of them all at once, a bit hard to chew. My favorite would have been the very first one, Ms. Curtis's story well written and well edited. The others were also well written, but might have benefited from a sharper pen. Minor issues, and yet noticeable.

Light hearted seasonal fluff, and I really did enjoy them overall.… (més)