How do you rate this book?

LANDLOCKED
MARILYN BARON
ISBN#: 9781509202966 / 9781509202973
September 2, 2015
The Wild Rose Press
www.thewildrosepress.com
E-book/Paperback
$3.99/$13.99
202 Pages
Romantic Comedy, Mystery Suspense
Rating: 4 Cups

When the elderly Katherine Rushing begins to show signs of Alzheimer’s she calls in her granddaughter, newly-licenced real estate agent Amelia, to sell her isolated mountaintop in North Carolina. The property has not been visited in forty years by the Rushings, and Amelia needs to get it sold before her grandmother’s memory fades completely. Not terribly enthusiastic about the prospect of travelling to North Carolina from Florida, Amelia nevertheless makes the journey, bringing along her prejudices about “back woods” people and places, as well as an acute and irrational phobia of inclement weather.

Turns out that selling the property is not going to be easy. The first person she runs into upon reaching the town of Confrontation is sexy lawyer Alec Brady. Not only does he tell her that the property is landlocked, meaning there is no access to it from any public roads, but also that his family owns all the surrounding area, and are not likely to grant an easement. Without that, the property is almost worthless.

With an immediate attraction evident between the pair, Amelia strong-arms Alec into helping her. But the more time she spends in Confrontation, the more she discovers about a tragic disappearance, a serial killer on the loose, and the reason her grandmother has not returned to her land in over four decades. And Alec, it would appear, is at the centre of this mystery.

Landlocked is a well-researched, well written story. The author knew what she was talking about with regards to property laws in the United States, and worked them into the story so that they were clearly explained, but not in so much detail that it slowed down the pace. I really liked Alec; I liked his grace and loyalty to his family. And I came around to Amelia, too, even though she and I got off to a rough start. The only thing I wish is that the plot, which was very involved, was a little more fleshed out. Overall, though, a solid and fun book. Well worth the read!

Veronica
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance and More