Love Me If You Must (Patricia Amble Mystery Series #1) [Kindle Edition]

Nicole Young (Author)

Book Description

Professional renovator Tish Amble decided long ago that staying in one place is about as exciting as peeling wallpaper from plaster. So before the paint in each newly transformed home is dry, Tish is researching her next move. This time she chooses a small town in Michigan with a dilapidated Victorian that challenges her imagination.
But Tish's idyllic small-town dream fizzles when she finds more in the creepy basement than what was revealed on the seller's disclosure-what looks like traces of foul play. With a hovering police officer living next door and a possible love interest just two doors down, Tish has her hands full. Will she discover the truth before it's too late?

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A run-down Victorian to renovate, a past to leave behind--who has time for romance...or murder? Patricia Amble, Tish to her friends, has gotten her life together. She's renovating an old, rambling Victorian house in a small town outside of Detroit, and the fixer-upper should net her a big profit when she resells. Romance is right next door, with two attractive neighbors vying for her affection. But even their persistent attentions can't dispel the sense of unease Tish feels. Voices whisper out of nowhere . . . and something odd is going on in the basement. Soon, Tish begins to question her decision to buy the old house. When a dead body turns up her own dark secrets make her a prime suspect in the current chaos. And is either of her attractive neighbors really who he says he is? What is going on just under the surface of this sleepy small town? Find out in this engaging debut of the Patricia Amble Mystery series. Nicole Young has a degree in communications and has earned several awards for speechwriting and presentation. In 2004 she won the Noble Award for the Best First Chapter from the American Christian Romance Writers. Nicole lives with her family in Michigan. This is her first novel.

About the Author

Nicole Young has a degree in communications and has earned several awards for speechwriting and presentation. In 2004 she won the Noble Award for the Best First Chapter from the American Christian Romance Writers. Nicole lives with her family in Garden, Michigan. This is her first novel.

Product Details

• File Size: 2085 KB
• Print Length: 379 pages
• Publisher: Revell (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0046LU0KY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,518 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

187 of 204 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Downhill From the Beginning May 14, 2009

By KLR

Format:Paperback

The story started strong in the beginning with good suspense and a quirky, fun main character but it all went downhill from there. It was absurd at times. Some things I don't get:

1) The book summary leads you to believe this could be a paranormal story, however, there are no voices, apparitions or anything that led me to believe the house was haunted.

2) Throughout the story, all we hear is how she's convinced there's a body down in the cistern yet she doesn't go down to invesigate herself until the very end of the book.

3) It is absurd to me that she'd be immediately arrested and thrown in jail upon the discovery of Martin's body in the basement without evidence. And when she's released two days later, she returns to the house as if nothing happened. Wouldn't they still be investigating the scene? Would they allow her back so quickly? I doubt it.

4) She wants to join the Historical Committee in town immediately upon Martin's death? She goes around asking for votes and campaigning? Why? Only so she can get rid of her cistern? This is ridiculous to me.

5) She's at a restaurant with one neighbor, Brad, one night and begins fascinating that she's married to him. The very next day her other neighbor, David, proposes and she accepts and goes to tell him her decision. Huh??

6) Even after discovering that David could be deported, she is still considering marrying him even though she suspects he proposed only to stay in the states. Huh??!

57 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I see Dead People in My Basement May 6, 2007

By Deborah VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Tish Amble has moved to the small town of Rawlings with the intent of renovating an old Victorian house. Her plans are thwarted though when she sees a dead body buried in a cistern in her basement. However to her disbelief, no one believes her and worse no one will help her try to get started in the renovations. A cast of supporting characters help to fill out the story including the cute British neighbor who's getting over a divorce from his high profile wife and the cute cop who seems to be everywhere Tish is. With a past that keeps haunting her, Tish is determined to find out why there is a body in her home, why other dead bodies keep popping up, who is behind all this, and how to let go of her past.

I thought this was an excellent debut for Nicole Young. This book got me hooked from the very beginning. Tish was such a complex character, yet because the book is written in first person the reader sympathizes with her. She's a very headstrong woman who is very suspicious of everyone because of her past. It makes it hard for her to trust people. Thus she has problems at first with trusting her neighbors especially Brad, the policeman. Tish's past is told throughout the story, intertwining with the current events. It's very heart wrenching to read about what she had to go through. The mystery itself is played out really well. There are very spine-tingling scenes that will make you want to read this book in the daylight. She's really brave to stay in the house even after other people have told her it was haunted. I also liked learning about the renovation plans Tish had for the house. It's interesting to think about how one can make something old and decrepit into new and worthy. The ending caught me by surprise and really makes me look forward to reading the next book. This book is a great start for a new author.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars I Wanted To Like This Book... January 31, 2012

By Sweet Diva Reader (SDR) Marla

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

But in the end I never really did. The lead female character was just not very likable, in fact she was ditzy (and not in an endearing way) and I thought her behavior was more suited to a 16 yr old near child then the 32 yr old adult she was. The cast of characters that surrounded her were hard to warm up to as well.

The bones for a very good plot were here and the writing itself was quite good, but the characters just were not suited to it and failed to carry that idea off. If this author has other works that don't have this particular grouping of characters in them, I would try them but I am finished with this particular series.

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