Review #28: Whiskey Beach, by Nora Roberts

Whenever I read a Nora Roberts book, I always wish that I lived in a small coastal town where everyone knows everyone else, where I could be the local independent bookstore owner, or the girl who runs the coffee shop, or the centered yoga instructor with a devoted following of old folks. Sometimes I wish that I could be the florist or antique shop owner. Then I remember that independent bookstores are closing every day, I hate the smell of coffee, and I fall over when I try to do yoga. Also, plants commit suicide when they see me, and I would never be able to part with my treasures.

But that's the point of a book sometimes: to escape reality, and Nora always lets me do that. Whiskey Beach is vintage Nora Roberts, complete with mysteries, a couple of murders, some secret passageways in a really awesome house, a best friend, a police officer buddy, a fun and rich grandmother, and of course, a smelly dog with a crazy name.

Eli Landon comes to Bluff House, his family home on Whiskey Beach, to escape the stress of the last year, during which he found himself the subject of the police investigation in to his estranged wife's murder. Eli is hoping for solitude, but soon finds himself embroiled in another mystery. It appears someone is after Eli and his family's fortune, and he is still contending with the lead detective on his wife's murder case, a man who is convinced Eli is guilty. Abra Walsh is the town's resident yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and Bluff House's housekeeper. Roberts weaves their lives together with the right blend of mystery, sadness, hope, and romance, and wraps it all up with a nice bow.