The Bitter End - Linda Hall

5 stars!

ABOUT THE BOOK - (Em Ridge Mystery Series Book 2)

Em Ridge is a boat captain. People hire her when they want their boats delivered from Point A to Point B, or when they personally want to go from Point A to Point B. In The Bitter End, Em is hired by a slightly wacky TV conspiracy theorist to take him all around the Bermuda Triangle on a huge powerboat. For 12 days she’s listened to dozens of bizarre stories about the Bermuda Triangle. Trouble is, Em has sailed these waters lots and knows all the stories to be false. 

Until…

They come across an abandoned sailboat, a "ghost sailboat." The salon is set neatly for supper, wine in the glasses, pots on the stove, bread on the table and not a soul aboard. Worse, she knows this boat. When a black cat slinks noiselessly around her feet, Em’s alarm hikes up to horror. Has someone purposely set this boat out here? Is it a warning? To her? Finding this boat plunges Em into a decades old mystery that threatens not only her, but her entire family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -

Most of my novels have something to do with the sea. I grew up near the ocean and my love of the ocean was born when I was a child. When I was a little girl I remember sitting on the shore and watching the waves and contemplating what was beyond. I could do that for hours.

One of the things my husband and I enjoy is sailing. In the summer we basically move aboard our 34' sailboat aptly named - Mystery.

Both my husband Rik and I have achieved the rank of Senior Navigator, the highest rank possible in CPS. The U.S. sister organization is the U.S.P.S. My Senior Navigator diploma hangs proudly on my office wall.
What this all means is that I know how to use a sextant and can 'theoretically' find my way home by looking at the stars.  

Visit her website - HERE 

MY THOUGHTS -

Wow it feels so good to be reading Linda's books again, I have missed her! Linda always puts out a good suspense novel and this was no exception.

I had no trouble getting into this one right away. I like Em much better in this book because we spent the whole first book slowly getting to know each other. You know... come to think of it, there are a lot of characters to get to know, which normally I don't like, but I didn't mind them here. I was never confused and never got the characters mixed up or forgot who did what. I totally give Linda credit for doing such a great job developing them!

This one kept me guessing. There were a lot of twists and a couple real shockers.I love the way there are lots of little offshoots but everything comes back together to wrap it all up in the end. 

And of course - the setting. Ahhh again the ocean, the boats, the beach, the island - everywhere I want to be (well except for the boat - not a boat person, but I love reading about them). Again Linda does a great job of making you feel like you are right there! If you have never been on a boat before, if you have never been to the ocean - you will feel like you have been after reading this. 

I also love when there is a personal connection to the story.

"Where was this murder? South America?"

"Pennsylvania."

"What? I stood up suddenly. "Pennsylvania? Where in Pennsylvania?"

"A town called Mount Joy, near Harrisburg."

I put a hand to my forehead and swept my hair behind my ears. How could my Uncle be wanted for murder in  Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is nowhere near the ocean.

I live in PA! One of  my good friends lives in Harrisburg - I know right where Mount Joy is! That's so cool, I love when that happens. It makes it so much personal.

I love the cover of this book! I did ask Linda about the covers like I said I would. This is what she replied -

~ These were done by two different cover artists. Dawn Charles of Book Graphics did the cover for Night Watch. Here is here website: https://bookgraphics.net

She was unavailable to do the cover for The Bitter End, and so I hired Elaine York of Allusion Graphics to design that one. I wanted them to be similar. Here is her website: http://www.allusiongraphics.com

Very cool websites, both of them! Check them out!

Thanks again Linda for sending me your books for my honest review!

It was so great connecting with you! And I honestly can't wait to read the next one!

Order your copy of The Bitter End - HERE 

And in case you missed it.

Check out my review of  Night Watch ( Em Ridge Mystery Series Book 1) - HERE