Marta Perry's A~Land's End~Reviewed

Land's End
By Marta Perry
Published by Steeple Hill, June, 2006
ISBN 0373873727

Confused and angry, Dr. Sarah Wainwright returned to the Georgia island of St. James in search of answers to her husband's mysterious death—in an apparent lovers' tryst with the wife of wealthy industrialist Trent Donner. Anger seemed to be the only edge Sarah had – Trent's control of the island and his protectiveness for his young daughter were enough to drive even this scandal back into the shadows.

A man whose life depending on keeping his secrets; a woman whose future depended on learning the truth—could her quest set them free, or would it destroy them all?

My favorite moments in Land's End were spent living in Marta's fictional world. The beautiful and lush part anyway. Some sinister and creepy moods also loomed a little too realistically in her narrative. Her word tapestry transported me to the deep south.

I won't give away any plot by sharing the following word weaving.

" A dolphin lifted from the water in a perfect silver arc, and her breath caught in her throat...Sunlight was warm on her shoulders, accentuating the golden haze that gleamed from the sand and sea oats. No wonder these were called the Golden Isles."

"The drapery of Spanish moss seemed to stir at her passing and then swing down, hiding Land's End from view, like Brigadoon vanishing into the mist."

"The rocker squeaked slightly, and a breeze off the ocean lifted her hair and bent the golden sea oats on the dunes. Bougainvillea rioted over the latticework that marked the end of the veranda, and sunlight danced on the water. Only the humans were miserable."

"Evening hadn't brought much coolness to the air once she'd gotten away from the shore. It clung to her, heavy and oppressive, as if she wore a wet, wool blanket.

With enough twists and creepiness to keep the suspense lovers happy, Land's End also offers a sweet love thread that is of course satisfying to the very end. Maybe similar to the southern version of iced tea -- sweet tea.

So if you like your sweet tea with lemon or your romance with a twist of suspense, this should go down real easy. Curl up with Land's End in your favorite rocking chair, on your wraparound porch, next to the climbing roses - just don't do it after dark.

Reviewed by Kelly Klepfer
http://kellyklepfer.blogspot.com/
kelly.klepfer@gmail.com