Divorced, old thirty Vicki DeVine, is seeking a new life. Hoping to find it, she begins operating the Jumble, a Lake Silence resort in a human town that is controlled by the Others with laws unlike those designed by humans. Who are they? Vampires, shape-shifters and paranormal creatures even more dangerous. Most fearful are the Elders who have, in the past, shown humans who is in charge in a dreadful permanent manner. Yes, humans know they share the land with the Others who control much of the land and all water but who has ever seen one of them? They will soon understand that tere are no boundaries in the Sproing community.
All proceeds according to Vicki's plan when Aggie Crowe, who rents from her, finds a body. Reporting the discovery, Vicki realizes the detectives believe that she was responsible as they ignore evidence that no human could have murdered the man. Vicki must rally new found friends to prove otherwise. Wayne Grimshaw, a human Highway Patrol officer, heads the investigation and team with an old friend, Julian Farrow, who owns and operates LetUs Read bookstore. The two work to find the truth. Ilya Sanguinaty, Vicky's unexpected vampire attorney and owner of much of the town along with Aggie of the Crowgard and the Sproingers provide humor and strength to this story. The outcome hinges on uncovering the murderer and why the man died.
Vicky's dedication to restoring the resort and working with the community earns her respect and friends. She carefully follows guidelines for operating and restoring The Jumble. However, there is a greedy group wanting to driver her away to expand and develop a luxurious resort that far exceeds guidelines set by Others. With a complex plot and fascinating characters, this well written story is so compelling one that readers of the series will not want to miss.
All proceeds according to Vicki's plan when Aggie Crowe, who rents from her, finds a body. Reporting the discovery, Vicki realizes the detectives believe that she was responsible as they ignore evidence that no human could have murdered the man. Vicki must rally new found friends to prove otherwise. Wayne Grimshaw, a human Highway Patrol officer, heads the investigation and team with an old friend, Julian Farrow, who owns and operates LetUs Read bookstore. The two work to find the truth. Ilya Sanguinaty, Vicky's unexpected vampire attorney and owner of much of the town along with Aggie of the Crowgard and the Sproingers provide humor and strength to this story. The outcome hinges on uncovering the murderer and why the man died.
Vicky's dedication to restoring the resort and working with the community earns her respect and friends. She carefully follows guidelines for operating and restoring The Jumble. However, there is a greedy group wanting to driver her away to expand and develop a luxurious resort that far exceeds guidelines set by Others. With a complex plot and fascinating characters, this well written story is so compelling one that readers of the series will not want to miss.
I do like the world of the Others, but the formula needs a shakeup. Youngish woman, battered from life or otherwise needing assistance, settles in a town with the Others. They immediately take to her and will protect her from any harm. In this one I'm left wondering what exactly she did that makes her special. There's some yadda-yadda about the lodge being a place for both humans and Others, but really...why do the Elementals care so much if that succeeeds? We aren't given a really good reason for it. And the villains are just too stupid to live. The Elementals have wiped out thousands of humans and any number of human towns for transgressing their rules, but do these guys take any warning of it? Nooooo they don't. The plot needs for them to do what they do, so they do, but there's no logic to it.
