Now You See Him

If you've read Stella Cameron you're familiar with Toussaint. Louisiana and you're about to go back again in this spicy thriller that stars Ellie Byron, who ran away from home when she was fifteen, winding up in Toussaint, where she now owns a bookstore. Two years ago Ellie witnessed a woman murdered with an ice pick during Mardi Gras and though she could not identify the killer, her testimony helped put him away. Charles Penn was the man she helped send up the river and now, during a prison transfer, he's escaped. And not long after another woman is ice picked to death and it looks like Penn may be the killer. However, maybe not, as the murders are apparently copies of murders in local mystery writer Sonia Elliot's books. It turns out she'd written a couple books called DEATH AT MARDI GRAS and DEATH IN DIAMONDS and the two ice pick murders mirror the killings in those books. As it turns out Ms. Elliot has another book about to come out and Ellie has an advance copie, so she's got a pretty good idea how the next killing is going to take place. Only trouble is, is Ellie going to be the victim. So there you have the premise of a very good mystery. Mix that up with Ms. Cameron's very steamy sex scenes and you have the kind of book that both thrills and excites. I loved this book, but then I love most anything Ms. Cameron writes. Oh yeah, I forget to mention what Ellie ran away from, oh wait, I guess that's one of the many things I'll have to leave to you to find out when you read the book.

Two years ago, Ellie Byron witnessed a murder during Mardi Gras from her hotel balcony. She was not able to identify the killer, but habitual criminal Charles Penn was still convicted of the crime. Penn escapes from prison and another victim turns up with a similar MO that is patterned after a series of mystery novels, and the police think that the killer may want to harm Ellie. Ellie has a tragic past. An orphan at ten, she ran away and managed to be taken in by a not so nice family. After a couple of attacks by who she thinks is Penn, she is reluctant to go to the authorities. She fears that further investigation into her background may bring light to her not so pleasant past. But neighbor and attorney Joe has eyes for Ellie and pledges to keep her safe. While the culprit is relatively easy to discover, the chemistry between the leads and the quirky citizens that make up the Toussaint parish allow the reader to forgive a lot of things, and makes for an entertaining story including the inclusion of characters from a supposedly unrelated novel popping up near the end. But, will Joe and Ellie be able to figure out who the killer is before the next mystery novel (aptly titled "Death of a Witness") is published? And any reader familiar with the Toussaint series will like catching up with old characters from previous novels. Just one question - when will Father Cyrus renounce his vows and take up with Madge already?

If you've read Stella Cameron you're familiar with Toussaint. Louisana and you're about to go back again in this spicy thriller that stars Ellie Byron, who ran away from home when she was fifteen, winding up in Toussaint, where she now owns a bookstore. Two years ago Ellie witnessed a woman murdered with an ice pick during Mardi Gras and though she could not identify the killer, her testomany helped put him away. Charles Penn was the man she helped send up the river and now, during a prison transfer, he's escaped. And not long after another woman is ice picked to death and it looks like Penn may be the killer. However, maybe not, as the murders are apparenlty copies of murders in local mystery writer Sonia Elliot's books. It turns out she'd written a couple books called DEATH AT MARDI GRAS and DEATH IN DIAMONDS and the two ice pick murders mirror the killings in those books. As it turns out Ms. Elliot has another book about to come out and Ellie has an advance copie, so she's got a pretty good idea how the next killing is going to take place. Only trouble is, is Ellie going to be the victim. So there you have the premise of a very good mystery. Mix that up with Ms. Cameron's very steamy sex scenes and you have the kind of book that both thrills and excites. I loved this book, but then I love most anything Ms. Cameron writes. Oh yeah, I forget to mention what Ellie ran away from, oh wait, I guess that's one of the many things I'll have to leave to you to find out when you read the book.

I've been enjoying Stella's "Bayou Books" since KISS THEM GOODBYE, and particularly like seeing the familiar faces and locations from the previous books. The author's signature suspense, coupled with the steamy scenes, is also back for this installment. I'm looking forward to the next and last in this series, A GRAVE MISTAKE, especially since these stories celebrate the flavor of Louisiana, while taking the reader on an exciting ride.

Two years ago, Ellie Byron was standing on a balcony watching the Mardi Gras festivities when she saw the Stephanie Gray murder. The New Orleans Police arrested Charles Penn, but Ellie could not identify whether he was the killer as she insisted she followed the victim; the police believe that Ellie feared Charles would come after her so she refused to tell the truth. In spite of Ellie's inability to point to Charles as the killer, he is convicted of murder. Ellie, owner of the Hungry Eyes Bookstore in Toussaint, Louisiana learns that Charles has escaped from incarceration and that another woman was killed using the same ice pick modus operendi used in the Gray case. Besides her belief that her life is in peril, but not necessarily from Charles, Ellie fears that her past will surface. Local lawyer Joe Gable tries to protect her because he wants to get close to her, but also wonders why Ellie Byron has no history anywhere prior to five years ago. Meanwhile police see uncanny parallels between the homicides and mystery novels written by Sonja Elliot. This exhilarating romantic suspense is a tense thriller that grips the audience from the moment Charles escapes from prison; the plot keeps the attention of fans as the tension mounts and twists occur. The audience will wonder if Charles truly is the killer or is there is someone else perhaps from Ellie's shadowy past. Finally there is the link to the Elliot novels to muddy the bayous further in what is a sensational tale that keeps readers wondering whose doing what to whom. Harriet Klausner