EMILIA'S SECRET

Meet Waverly Aiken, a 27 year-old transplant from Reno, NV looking for a fresh start. Unfortunately she witnesses a murder during one of her first days in town. Before dying, Emilia Cramer, the murder victim, passes a green Chinese silk purse to Waverly asking the unknown woman to keep it from "his" hands. His? Who is he? Waverly promises as Emilia lays dying in her arms. Waverly also promises the victim she'll look out for her five year old daughter, Bonnie. Just how she'll accomplish that feat is unknown to the journalist.

Enter Joshua Pratt, the local police officer who is the first to respond to the emergency call. Gentleman he is, he assists Waverly when she passes out from the trauma. However, Waverly does not tell of the silk purse deciding to keep it to herself for the time being. After leaving the scene and when checking the contents of the purse, a strange shaped key slips out. Wondering what it hides, Waverly at first decides to keep the key believing it could lead to Emilia's murderer. She later hands it over to Police Chief Remington hoping for the best. 

Bonnie, the five year old daughter of the murder victim, has been placed with a foster family in Cinders, the Martin's. However, Lois Greco, Waverley's boss at the Cinders Dispatch, believes Waverly should apply to be a foster parent and do as Emilia asked to take care of the daughter. Will Waverly go ahead with that plan? What clues have the police garnered to find the murderer? Is Waverly in jeopardy because she witnessed the aftermath of the killing and can possibly identify him? You'll have to wait to find out.

I was intrigued by the way Lynne handled the foster program. How lucky little Bonnie was that the heroine, Waverly, followed through on Emilia’s request to care for her daughter—they appear to be a match made in heaven. I also enjoyed revisiting characters from Dany’s Whispers. This book had a fresh spin on murder. So much so, it could have happened in reality. I highly recommend this story.

—Barb Lunsford

A good happy ending: Waverly and Bonnie finding that special connection. It made my heart happy. This book probed many different aspects of life: living away from close family and friends, taking on a new job in a new city, and finding a calling, of sorts. I appreciated the way Lynne chose to challenge her main character throughout it all. Nicely written. 

—Mary Christensen

I truly enjoyed reading Emilia’s Secret. I wanted to take little Bonne and hold her, hug her, and tell her everything would be okay. Thanks to the intrepid Waverly, she will be loved again. You did keep me guessing about what the mysterious key would turn up. The murderer, as described, was not very smart but isn’t that true of most crooks? Loved the story.

—Bernie Christensen

Another murder! Thanks for continuing the story in Cinders too. Seems like a respectable little Arizona town. I enjoyed the way you wove some of the characters from your previous book into this one. Keep the stories coming.

—Pam Francisco

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