"Cliff Hanger" By Mary Feliz: Review/Giveaway

by Cynthia Chow

Details on how to win either an ebook or print copy of this book at the end of the review and a link to purchase it.

Professional organizer Maggie McDonald should have known that a “working vacation” in Santa Cruz County was too good to be true. Hired by Renee Alvarez to organize the condo association manager’s office and record keeping system, Maggie was to receive a stipend as well as the free use of a luxurious beach resort condo for her family. The signs that this may not be the perfect vacation occur immediately, when Renee goes incommunicado and their promised housing not available.

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Image Source Lyrical Press

As Maggie was busy checking out what she hoped would not be their home for the next few months, she received a frantic call from teenaged sons. The pilot of an Ultralight engine-powered hang glider headed into the beach cliffs, and Brian and David were desperately trying to help him despite the sketchy cell phone service. After First Responders take the young man to the hospital, word quickly spread throughout the small beach town of the teenaged boys’ heroism. The sentiment turned just as quickly when Jake Peterson does not survive, and his distraught parents look for someone to blame. Faced with a lawsuit and even possible criminal charges, Maggie was determined to protect her family and discover the truth behind the promising young man’s death.

The last words uttered by Jake to the boys had them suspicious that his glider may have been tampered with, and they wondered if his flights above the coastal lands may have allowed him to see something he shouldn’t have. Threats texted to Maggie’s phone alarm her husband back home in Orchard View, and soon the cavalry would arrive in the form of their family friends Stephen Laird and Jason Mueller. The married men have vast amounts of military and police experience between them, and their skills will help protect the McDonald family while also tracking down a cowardly killer.

Each chapter is headed by organizing and vacation planning advice from the Notebook of Maggie’s Organizing Services, and her logistical skills prove instrumental in solving yet another criminal puzzle faced by the family. The realistic depiction of the McDonald family is one of the highlights of this series, and despite the occasional bickering one never doubts the love and support they have for one another. It’s easy to see that the teenaged boys will eventually grow into becoming admirable men, especially if they follow the role models of their caring parents. Raising two boys has given Maggie the ability to roll with the punches and battle chaos with humor, two traits she uses daily as she practices her job helping her overwhelmed and defeated clients. The timely topics of environmental preservation and immigration are tackled in empathetic and even-handed manners, with the fallout shown to affect so many lives. This fifth in the series explores not just the relationships of the McDonald family, but the unique challenges and traits of Northern California. While this feels like the conclusion of an entertaining and compelling mystery series, readers will be secure in knowing that wherever the future takes them, the McDonald family will be together.

To enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Cliff Hanger, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "cliff,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 31, 2019. U.S. residents only. If entering via comment please include your email address. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, we will not use your address for any other reason. BE SURE TO STATE WHETHER YOU WANT PRINT OR EBOOK. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast featuring mystery short stories and first chapters read by actors.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.