Mangroves and Monsters [Paperback]

Sharon Cupp Pennington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2009

Charlie Cooper, reluctant teacher by day and broken-hearted wanderer by night, is a man desperately in love with a dead woman.

But is Angeline St. Cyr really dead?

The supermodel fell victim to an auto-pedestrian accident in New Orleans. Police reports and medical records substantiate the severity of her injuries. Cosmetics mogul Mathieu Fournier, her former boss, orchestrated a cremation and memorial service. The paparazzi swarmed celebrity attendees. Fans mourned.

Call it gut instinct, but Cooper is convinced Angeline's death was an elaborate scheme that Fournier sold to the world. But Cooper isn't buying it, nor is his heart.

A tenuous lead draws him to the Caribbean island of Jacqueme Dominique. Only Cooper isn't alone in his quest. By chasing his dream of rekindled love, he becomes embroiled in murder, treachery, and abduction at the hands of his old nemesis Willem Voorhees...a merciless killer.

For five long years Cooper's love survived while he searched for Angeline. Will finding her cost him his life?

Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: Draumr Publishing (November 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933157313
• ISBN-13: 978-1933157313
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.7 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,180,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Like most writers, I always had a head bursting with scenarios and a...drawer, shoebox, folder...of unfinished manuscripts. My first short story, "McTammany's Bed of Roses," appeared online in The Emporium Gazette, Issue 46, February 2003. With that sale, I earned enough to buy a novel in the paperback section at Wal-Mart or a couple of trade-ins at the local paperback swap-n-shop.

But I was a published author at age 54--and I was flying!

Why did I wait so long? I grew up during a time when parents believed daughters should take typing and shorthand, master a keypunch machine, become competent fodder for the secretarial pool. You can't make a living as a writer, you know.

So I worked in office and museum and university settings, where I typed words dictated by others. I became a file clerk, an executive secretary, an office manager. I married my favorite protag--no regrets there--raised three most excellent children, who later blessed us with five most excellent grandchildren.

But in my head and heart, the dream still simmered. And my favorite protag knew this. When I left my last job, he said enough, and threw his full support behind me.

Now my short stories have appeared in numerous online and print venues, with anthology contributions to The Rocking Chair Reader in the Coming Home edition (2004) and Family Gatherings (2005), A Cup of Comfort for Weddings: Something Old, Something New (2007) and Good Old Days Magazine (March, 2007). Finally, after years of rewrites and the unwavering patience of my "do or die" critique group (Writing Well), my debut novel Hoodoo Money was released by Draumr Publishing in 2008.

One of my earliest fiction heroines was Nancy Drew. I couldn't get enough of her. Nancy was self-confident and clever and always, ALWAYS eyeball deep in trouble. Oddly, she was the direct opposite of me. Hoodoo Money is the kind of romantic suspense novel I loved to read then, and still do. Hopefully, I've succeeded in filling its pages with enough mystery to spark the imagination and ample romance to stir the heart. With a dose of sizzle thrown in for good measure.

My novels are set in contemporary Louisiana and Texas, so there's plenty of southern culture and visits to local "hot spots."

For a change of pace, I cooked up Caribbean love and adventure in the second installment of this series, Mangroves and Monsters (released November 6, 2009). The third installment is my current WIP, tentatively titled Reparation.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read. November 10, 2009

By Jake Steele

Format:Paperback

Sharon Pennington's newest novel whisks the reader to a tropical paradise where the hunt for lost love and a maniacal killer races to a page turning climax. Old love rekindles, new love sparks, and ever-present danger lurks in the shadows. Well developed characters and palpable tension make Mangroves and Monsters a must read.

5.0 out of 5 stars A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ August 1, 2011

By Richard S. Friedman

Format:Paperback

What a wonderful book- such well written characters,plots and locations- this is everything one would want in a book- truly a winner!!

Rick Friedman

4.0 out of 5 stars New book from a great author February 25, 2010

By A. Jacobs VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This is the second book I have read by this author. Her first book was titled Hoodoo Money.

Charlie finally finds his wife after believing she has been dead for 5 years. The author takes you to a getaway to a tropical paradise and involves mystery, suspense and action. The book does move a little slow for my taste in the beginning, but picks up about halfway through. It has a wonderful mystery in the plot that keeps you guessing until the end. It also has rekindled love that you will find touching. If you like mysteries, then this is an excellent book to read. The author made it flow nicely and knows how to write.

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