Undertow

Maria returns to her family home near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina after her father?s death, discovers it occupied by a lease-holder who refuses to leave, then finds herself falling in love with him as, together, they try to solve a crime.An entertaining mystery romance.

After being away from her family home for eight years, Mariah returns to Henry Island, North Carolina to spread the ashes of her deceased father all over the isle. However, when she reaches the Outer Banks Island, she finds widower Gray Hallowell using the home she inherited from her father. He has a lease so she moves to one of the other cottages, but her odious extended family occupies all the rooms except that normally used by the cook.Gray is surprised that he is attracted to Mariah because he has been woman dead since his beloved spouse died from cancer while carrying his unborn child, who also died with her. Though everybody wants him to leave, Gray refuses as he promised Mariah's dad that he would investigate the boating accident that killed the man's wife. He refuses to quit because he cannot believe how nasty his deceased client's relatives are. As he and Mariah fall in love, he revises his quest to keep her safe from a nasty ex-husband and thugs who covet the sale of the island to pay for the debts run up by the heroine's cousin.Though the extended family is too eccentrically nasty and incredibly selfish so that no one will like any of the adults, fans will be fond of the rest of the cast. Dixie Browning is a fantastic romance writer and UNDERTOW, her first single title release will not be her last as she shows great talent for writing the longer and deeper books. Her characters ring true, her pacing is on target and the story line is fascinating. What more can one ask from a book?Harriet Klausner

I loved UNDERTOW. Dixie Browning juggles two mysteries, one a generation old, the other contemporary, while building attraction and sexual tension between the two main characters, Mariah Henry and Gray Hollowell. Mariah is one of the Henrys of Henry Island, near Cape Hatteras, NC. She returns to her family's island home after many years away to scatter her father's ashes. Her relatives have secrets that threaten her life, her beliefs, and her future. Gray Hollowell, a cold-case detective with an SBI background, is investigating the death of Mariah's mother 27 years earlier. He must keep Mariah alive while he solves both mysteries, past and present. These two people have each overcome extreme personal losses, and have a strength and maturity in their growing relationship. The character development in this book was exceptional, for primary, as well as secondary characters. Orestes, the old man of the island, came to life for me, as did several of the family members. I love the setting of this book, and I believe that most people could relate to it. I give it my full recommendation.

Undertow is the perfect beach book--and if you can't get to the beach, it's almost as good as the trip. The subtle suspense grabs you on page one and won't let you go until the end. Great atmosphere. Look for romance and a mixture of characters, good and bad, but each so real they'll stick in your mind long after you finish this book. This one rates 5 stars in my book! From a reader in North Carolina.