In the summer of 1940, Tara Madison, a woman disillusioned with her life as the daughter of a mean-spirited father and a crippled mother, stumbles across Tommy Bentley, an escaped convict hiding on a tiny island in Tampa Bay. Tara finds herself overwhelmed by an inexplicable desire to assist in proving him innocent of the murder of his father, secretly hoping to escape memories of her own family’s tragic past. In order to help him, however, Tara must contend with Jacques Lubeck, a Frenchman with a hostile streak when it comes to letting her become a fellow accomplice. But try as he might, Jacques can’t get rid of the presumptuous woman, and so the three work together to thwart the police and clear Tommy’s name. When Tara discovers that the terrible truth behind the unsolved murder has an ironic bearing on her own life, she is faced with a monumental decision: take vengeance on the one who has robbed her of so much, or allow the forgiveness of God to heal her wounded heart and start her down a new path of freedom and love.
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Editorial Reviews
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A truly remarkable story with many twists, turns, and surprises that is sure to keep you reading until the end. -- The Write Stuff Book Reviews, April 30, 2002, www.geocities.com/illinoiswriterus/bookreviews.html
From the Author
If you enjoy fast-paced reads that hook you to the end, you'll love "The Island of Refuge," an inspirational mystery/romance that will draw you in to the mystique of the deep south on the eve of World War II in Florida.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Tale of Gripping Drama,
By Bonnie Toews "Heart Tugs ... at the crossroad... (Newcastle, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
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This review is from: The Island of Refuge (Paperback)
After reading "The Island of Refuge," I understand why so many reviewers have awarded it five stars. This is a story like "To Kill A Mocking Bird," a classic conflict of good versus evil in the guise of human weakness and deceit. The plot unravels a murder mystery, and the truth wreaks devastating results. There is everything here: abuse, moral corruption, twisted sanity, but most of all there are memorable characters who capture our hearts in their struggle to achieve human dignity and respect, and ultimately to find love. This is a story that reflects any age any time and would make an unforgettable movie worthy of an Oscar for the right cast.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery and suspense in 1940's Florida,
By
This review is from: The Island of Refuge (Paperback)
As a child Tara Madison has been given her own island in Tampa Bay. Over the years the island is her refuge, a place to escape the tirades of her abusive father, and the sorrow of watching her invalid mother waist away. One night when Tara is a young woman, she heads out for her island in hopes of finding solitude. Instead she faces the unimaginable. It is the eve of WWII and intrique is everywhere, and has now invaded her private world. She discovers Tommy Bentley, an escaped convict hiding in her island hut. Instead of reporting Tommy to the authorities, Tara insists on helping him prove his innocence. While reading Island of Refuge, I was reminded of those 1940's Hemmingway novels made into movies such as Key Lago and To Have and Have Not that, to this day, glue you to your seat. Island of Refuge is a tightly woven suspense mystery. It keeps you questioning with every turn of the page. You suspect that the book is about uncovering Tommy's innocence, but it is much more than that. Tara discovers the truth that sets her free. I enjoyed this novel very much and highly recommend it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No woman is an island...,
By Lynn Barry (Lynn Barry, author of "Puddles" and "Bjoyfl") - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Island of Refuge (Paperback)
In this thoughtfully crafted Christian genre tale of finding self and finding out a lot more, author Parks hits the mark. This description-laden book paints many portraits with words and leaves the reader with a real sense of what the author seems to be trying to convey; not everyone has it easy, but there is hope. A troubled young woman caught in a dangerously complex triangle between her and her parents runs the gamut of emotions in The Island of Refuge and discovers more than she bargained for, for sure. To spill the beans and report on every plotline would spoil the read, so suffice it to say that if you are in the mood for a wonderfully wordy, thought provoking mysteriously kind of romantic story you'd be foolish to pass up this book.Good job, Parks!
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