MY REVIEW:
In “A Stranger’s Secret” the rugged coast of Cornwall is the perfect backdrop for a story filled with mystery and intrigue. Between the dire deeds of the local wreckers, a mysterious stranger, and multiple attempts on his life, this novel held my attention and wouldn’t let go.
The second novel in Eakes’ Cliffs of Cornwall series, “A Stranger’s Secret” features Morwenna, a young widow who played a minor role in the first novel of the series. Determined to preserve her young son’s heritage by preserving her late husband’s estate, Morwenna refuses to accept help from her grandparents, who she fears will try to control her and her son. When she rescues a nearly dead stranger in the aftermath of a shipwreck on her estate, Morwenna finds herself pulled into a deadly mystery and learns that her life is linked to the life of the stranger in more ways than one.
With well-rounded characters, a perfectly Gothic mood, and a plot with many twists and surprises, “A Stranger’s Secret” was the kind of novel I love to read. Morwenna’s regrets over her past actions and determination to be a good mother were admirable but unforgiveness toward her grandparents and her absent parents prevented her true happiness. The transformation of her attitude was gratifying to watch unfold and I loved how her grandparents turned out to treat her much different than she expected.
All in all, “A Stranger’s Secret” was a very satisfying novel and I look forward to more books by this author.
This book was provided for review by the BookLook Blogger
Program of Harper Collins Christian Publishing.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
As a grieving widow, Morwenna only wants to make a life for herself and her young son at her murdered husband’s estate. Until an unconscious man washes up on her shore, entangling her in a web of mysteries that threatens everything she holds dear.
Still grieving the loss of her husband, Morwenna Penvenan fills her days preserving her son’s heritage: the dilapidated estate his father left them. But all attempts at restoration are thwarted when she is accused of deliberately causing ships to crash on her shore in order to steal their cargo. While seeking clues to the true culprits, she finds an unconscious man wearing a medallion with the Penvenan crest enameled upon it.
Upon learning of his father’s death, David pursues answers to the many questions left in his father’s wake: Why was his father in Cornwall when he said he would be in Scotland? Why did he die in possession of a medallion belonging to a prominent Cornwall family? Why did his father take money from the family’s ship-building business? And why did someone kill him? Only after waking up at the Penvenan estate under Morwenna’s care do the pieces start falling together.
As David recovers in Morwenna’s house, they grow to care about one another, while knowing each have reasons to distrust the other. The closer they work together, the more they learn how their lives—and mysteries—are entwined. As the past continues to intrude on their lives, they must learn to ask the Lord and others for help or risk losing each other and maybe even losing their lives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Recipient of the National Readers Choice Award, Laurie Alice Eakes is the author of nine books and a novella, with four more books and two novellas scheduled for release. She is a writing teacher and speaker and has her master’s degree in creative writing. She also writes articles on writing, including “Writing from the Heart While Writing for the Market” for The ACFW Journal. Visit her website at Facebook: authorlauriealiceeakes Twitter: @LaurieAEakes
