This was a different tale about greed, betrayal, and love with surprising plot twists and suspense. Usually, I am not fond of stories where the writer goes back and forth between time periods. In this case, it is only a few months and it seemed to work well. The Mystery builds piece by piece and the characters and locations have the reader feeling like they are there. Overall, a very good mystery. ( )

What's It About?
Ana Bacon, a beautiful young wife and mother, tumbled off a cruise ship into dark and deadly waters. Ana is gone--leaving behind her wealthy husband and adorable daughter--but not everything about her disappearance adds up. What secrets did she leave behind?

Investigator Ryan Monahan is a numbers man. So when his company sends him the Bacon case, which could net a ten-million-dollar payout, Monahan doubts that her death is just a tragic accident. But the husband has a substantial alibi and a number of witnesses claim to have seen Ana fall, and the official ruling seems to hold up. Still, the more Monahan uncovers about Ana's life, the more he realizes how many people would kill to keep her secrets hidden. And the closer he gets to the truth, the greater the odds grow that he, too, will take a fatal fall.

What Did I Think?
I really liked the character of Ryan Monahan. He was determined, clever and not an easy man to fool... which was Tom Bacon's dogged intentions in order to collect the five million dollar insurance payment from the policy he talked his wife, and mother of his 3 year old child, into purchasing just prior to the cruise. There were a couple of things that I found impossible to believe that brought down the rating but overall it was an enjoyable read with several "I didn't see that coming moments. ( )

Ana Bacon, a young housewife and mother to a three-year-old, has fallen off a cruise ship into the dark and deadly water below and it's up to Ryan Monahan to find out exactly what happened to her. Ryan's an investigator and when he finds out that Ana's death could net a huge payout, he's skeptical that what happened was an accident. But her husband has an alibi and the security tape shows Ana falling. And yet Ryan keeps digging and the more he uncovers about Ana's life, the more reason he has to believe it was murder.

We alternate between Ana and Ryan and learn more about Ana's husband, Tom - a drunk who has lost his job. The writing was good. The book was fast-paced and suspenseful. It's full of twists and turns that kept me guessing. But I lost interest after I found out what happened. Also, there were too many things happening all at once towards the end of the book. ( )

Once you start this book it’s not likely to sit on your night table for very long, you won’t want to put it down. As I read, echoing in my mind was the famous quote “Oh! What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” It starts with financial troubles for an out of work trader, used to living large; a million dollar home, luxury cars and whimsical spending. He made a mistake and is forever considered not employable. He and his wife are now in danger of losing everything. They need a lot of money and fast. In desperation, they decide on insurance fraud. As their scheme to bilk millions from the insurance industry rolls out, complications set in. I suspected a few of the twists early on, but I was so wrapped up in the characters, it didn’t matter. Recommend.

Review previously posted at: www.princetonbookreview.com

Find us on
Face book https://www.facebook.com/princetonbookreview/
Find us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PBR_BookReview
Find us on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pbrbookreview/ ( )

This was a page turner -- just when you think you know what happened another twist. Ana has returned to work because her husband has lost his job and their lavish lifestyle is going into foreclosure. Ana is niave about her husband and trusts him completely. The cover of the book gives you a hint on what's about to happen. The story is told from two points of view -- Ana's and the insurance investigator who is charged with finding a reason to not payout the 2 million dollar policy. Four stars instead of five because the ending was a little far-fetched. ( )