Romantic pulp fiction has been around for ages, dating back to the hardboiled detective pulp. Back in the day, Harlequin actually published some pretty hard-nosed pulp fiction, which might be surprising to many readers. Harlequin Mills & Boon, are like a second cousin to pulp, even in their softer and more modern form. The Mills & Boon Intrigue stories offer a pulp style updating of crime and romance, usually with at least one steamy scene — that’s what Missing in the Glades has — and are simply romantic escapism. The intrigue and action fuel the romance of two people thrown together — known as the H&H ( hero and heroine) — by circumstance. That’s what Missing in the Glades is, and I found it a fun read that accomplishes very nicely everything it sets out to do in the sub-genre.

Often the downside to the Intrigue series is the unevenness of the writing from book to book, due to various authors. It was the same many decades ago with the various forms of pulp (noir/romance/weird menace/science fiction). Just like then, when you run across the well-written and entertaining stuff, it can be rewarding, and that was the case here. Lena Diaz has written a very fun and enjoyable story that holds your interest, and puts a smile on your face at the end. That ending is wonderfully sappy and romantic. If you don’t like that, or you prefer no sex at all in your romance, this one isn’t for you. This one does have one steamy scene, but it isn’t vulgar, and fairly tastefully rendered by the author. The rest is just a good story of intrigue and romance blooming in a great location — here it is the Florida Everglades. Not the real Glades, of course, but the Glades of pulp, just like the danger and intrigue is the pulp rendition of danger.

Jake Young is an official detective who has teamed up with his pal Dex Lassiter to test the waters of private investigations. To that end the tall and capable Young is out on I-95, known an Alligator Alley, searching for a man they’ve been hired to find by an FBI agent (don’t think too hard about it, it’s pulp). A lot can happen out in the swampy Glades, where snakes, gators, and even a panther roam about, but they’re nothing compared to quirky but beautiful Faye Star. She lives in Mystic Glades, a place Deputy Holder hasn’t even been to, it’s so deep in the Glades. The first time Jake meets Faye she’s pointing a rifle at his Dodge Charger.

I don’t want to ruin this one for the reader, but Faye has a mysterious tie to the man Jake’s after. The hero and heroine reluctantly lie to one another while they fall in love as they are chasing and being chased through the Glades. The panther is Faye’s — not a real spoiler — and there’s a very sweet — but of course implausible story behind it. Faye is a slightly mystic-new-age kind of girl, but not over the top silly, nor is she so spunky that it’s more unrealistic than even the avid pulp reader can take. In fact, the chemistry of the couple, and the story, is quite good. The story-line has some twists and turns handled very nicely by author Lena Diaz. I don’t know if this is her water level, as musician Herb Alpert calls it, and she’s found her calling, or whether this is just a stepping stone, but it is very fun stuff.

There are some good supporting characters from Mystic Glades, and even an unexpected twist before the romantic ending Mills & Boon Intrigue is noted for. This reads as a good solid updating of romance/intrigue pulp and is great fun for those who read in this genre. There are three or four in the Marshland Justice mini-series from Lena Diaz, of which this is the first. If you enjoy romantic escapism blended with crime, written as a modern updating of pulp, you’ll have great fun reading this one. It’s been at least a couple of decades since I tackled one of these — maybe longer — and I got lucky right off the bat, because this was near perfection within its self-imposed perimeters. Highly recommended for fans of the sub-genre! ( )

Police detective Jake Young is taking a break from police work and is working his first job as a Private Investigator trying to locate missing person, Calvin Gillette. His search takes him to the Florida Everglades where he runs into a pixie-ish gypsy-like girl Faye Star. She too, is looking for the same man. Since she knows the swamps well, they decide to work together to locate Calvin, though both are keeping their real reasons as to why they want to find Calvin secret from each other. The attraction is there from the start between Jake and Faye, but will it fade when each discovers the other’s secret. Or will they find themselves growing closer together as they fight for their lives from yet another, and more dangerous, person on Calvin’s trail.

This was an enjoyable romantic suspense story made even better by the interesting setting in the Everglades and the quirky, almost hidden from sight small-town of Mystic Glades. I really enjoyed the searches through the swamps and the marshlands. The chemistry between Jake and Faye was hot. I thought Faye was an interesting character with her gypsy-like style, her store where she sold potions, and her “pet” black panther. I liked how she was able to fend for herself and was pretty crafty in dangerous situations. I liked Jake for the most part, but there were a few times he did act like a jerk, but not enough to ruin the story. There was lots of suspense and danger, some including alligators, and many twists and turns in this fast-paced and entertaining read. ( )

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by this author so I went in with few expectations. I figured it would be Romance: check; Action/Suspense: check; HEA: check. It fulfilled all my usual expectations and then some. Jake, a Florida cop on leave, was trying out life as a partner in a private investigation firm with his wealthy buddy, Dex. His first case was to locate and apprehend Calvin Gillette for Quinn Fugate, a soon to be retired FBI agent whose career is marred by one unsolved case. Following a lead, Jake ends up in Alligator Alley when he finds Calvin's car off the road in the swamp. This is where he first meets Faye, Calvin's foster sister. From the beginning they experience an immediate, almost visceral attraction that they both find difficult not to act upon. To gain Faye's confidence, he lies about why he's searching for Calvin telling her he's trying to reunite him with an unknown long lost brother. Faye is a new age spiritual type who sells potions and lotions in Mystic Glades, a small community in the swamp and has her own share of secrets to keep from Jake. Free spirit that she is, Faye enjoys loosening up the tightly wound Jake to the point that they can hardly keep their hands off of each other by the end of the book. Their secrets are slowly revealed to one another fueling mutual suspicions. There were plot twists at the end, one I kind of suspected but the other not so much. I enjoyed the interaction between the main characters as well as the quirky characters of Mystic Glades. In fact, I look forward to the next Marshland Justice book coming out next month which picks up Dex's story. ( )

Good book with lots of action, a bit of romance, and a couple of interesting twists. Jake has left his job as a cop to become a private investigator. His first case involves finding a man who is missing in the Everglades. When he finds the man's car, but not the man, he also encounters beautiful Faye Star, who also appears to be looking for the same man. They join forces, but it's soon apparent that there is more to the story than Jake knew.

I loved the first meeting between Jake and Faye. He is definitely a city guy and really skittish in the swamp areas. His reaction when Faye starts shooting is priceless. He doesn't come out on top in that encounter, but when he realizes that she's looking for the same man he is, he's determined to find her again. I loved the way he did it, and then convinced her to help him. One problem that he didn't foresee was the attraction that flares between the two of them.

Jake tries hard to resist the attraction because there are things about him and his mission there that she doesn't know. He's sure that once she finds out, she'll be too mad at him to want anything more to do with him. Faye is just as attracted to him and quite willing to pursue it. She senses that he's a good man, and feels a bit guilty about some of the things she hasn't told him. As they join forces for the search the secrets weigh on them, but they can't help getting closer. I loved seeing their differing outlooks adapt and adjust. Jake is a practical and logical man, and tends to look askance at her "woo-woo science", but can't deny its effectiveness when it's needed. Faye is more trusting and emotional, but very happy to have Jake's protection when things start to go bad. When their secrets are exposed, both of them have to decide what it means to their futures. I loved seeing Jake's "aha" moment, and what he did to show Faye how he felt. What she did in return was a great way to circle their relationship back to its beginning.

The suspense of the story was very good and kept me hooked. I had a feeling from the start that there was more to the story than was initially apparent. The search for the missing man was terrific, and I loved all the bits about life in the Everglades. What happened when they found him was partially expected, but other parts were a surprise. I felt a bit better about Faye when she came back for Jake, but there were still a lot of unanswered questions. As Jake pursued those answers, and Faye, a second twist in the story made its presence known. This one wasn't a complete surprise, but it added to the intensity of what Jake and Faye needed to do. Fighting the swamp and the bad guys as they tried to get to safety kept the stress level high. The final confrontation was really intense, especially once the alligators got involved. There were still some loose ends to wrap up, some of them involving Faye. I was a bit disappointed in Jake's actions there, but he made up for it in the end. ( )