Quiet as the Grave

Suzie and Mike were friends in school. Suzie was a bit of a rebel and Mike was the school heartthrob. Suzie always liked Mike, but when he had to marry Justine Millner because she was pregnant, they didn't see each other much for the next ten years. Mike and Justine had a terrible marriage that ended in divorce. Because of their son Gavin, they remained in close contact. After Justine and Mike fight one night and Mike leaves her, Justine goes missing. Two years later her body is found. The authorities and Justine's father think Mike killed her and they are relentless in trying to prove it. Suzie is back in town and after a confrontation with Justine's dad she warns Mike. Soon their old friendship is back. Mike should stay away from Suzie though. The last thing he needs is a new woman in his life when his every move is being watched, but Suzie decides to stay and help prove Mike's innocence. Slowly, pieces of the puzzle fall in to place and a frightening picture is forming. Justine was involved in something depraved and proving that Mike is innocent is difficult when they don't know who they can trust. When others are killed, Mike and Suzie realize that someone wants to keep Justine's games a secret and those who know about it end up dead. Mike is an awesome dad and a really sexy guy. It's a killer combination. Suzie is delightful. She's pretty, smart and she has a huge heart. Quiet As The Grave is very suspenseful. Trying to figure out what is happening and who is involved consumed me. The plot is disclosed in drips until the whole creepy story is revealed. Suzie, Mike and Gavin go through hell but survive it. The last few pages of the book have some fun extras. It's a nice finishing touch. Quiet As The Grave is the perfect book for those who enjoy a little 'twisted' with their romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Nannette Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I have only one point to add to Harriet's review. As one who read all four Firefly Glen books and followed the lives of teenagers Mike Frome, Suzie Strickland and Justine Miller, minor characters running through that series, I was delighted to finally have the stories of these three concluded although the events take place ten years later. The mystery was good and the ending which brings together the two teens (Mike and Suzie) whose growing attraction to one another came abruptly to an end in the last few pages of the final Firefly Glen title, One Safe Place, when Mike was revealed to be the father of Justin's illegitimate son and a hurt Suzie left town to pursue an art career was satisfying. But to my thinking that one point brings the rating up to a more appropriate five stars.

When Justine Milner vanished in Firefly Glen, everyone assumed foul play but no evidence not even a corpse surfaced. Still most residents believe that her ex-husband Michael Frome killed her probably out of passion or perhaps over custody of their son Gavin. Two years later, the body of Justine is found and Michael is arrested for her murder. He is convicted in the public opinion poll with only portrait artist Suzie Strickland believing he is innocent. She remembers what a SOB Justine was in high school ten years ago when they competed for Mike's affection and Justine coldly manipulated the game so that she won the prize. However, Suzie feels the solution to who killed nasty Justine lies with the enigmatic Mulligan Club, who play dark deadly games of seduction; Justine was a member who fit in nicely until someone felt otherwise. As Suzie digs deeper into the club, she risks her life to prove Mike's innocence. Mike and Suzie first appeared as teens in FIREFLY GLEN (I have not read), but though that tale might give a reader insight into their relationship back in high school, that is not a necessity to enjoy this fine romantic suspense. Suzie is a terrific heroine trying to prove that her beloved did not kill his former wife, but the evidence contradicts her belief. Mike is the beleaguered lead male protagonist who has lived for two years under a cloud of suspicion that now has turned into a torrential storm. Readers will appreciate this solid amateur sleuth romantic thriller though the mysterious Mulligan Club seems a bit over the edge albeit a suspenseful intriguing edge. Harriet Klausner