Customer Reviews

The Return

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Kentucky hills run red with the flow of blood from the victims of the deadly Blair-Joslin feud. A witch stands aloof as the savagery of the clan warfare leaves devastating results in its wake. Herbalist Annie Fane's life dramatically changes when a dying Fancy Joslin pleads with her to take her infant daughter Catherine away from the violence. Annie agrees to Fancy's deathbed wish. The Blairs set their dogs on Fancy, finally killing her. Her now insane husband, Tanner Blair murders his brothers and severely injures his father for what they did to his wife. Annie and Catherine leave town. They do not return until Catherine comes back to bury her grandmother Annie at Pulpit Rock where most of the massacre occurred years ago.

Though she knows that her ties to Annie are by love not blood, Catherine refuses to allow anyone to denigrate her "grandmother." Her return stirs up the fears of the townsfolk who believe that Catherine is a witch who has come to town to take revenge on the townsfolk who reviled Annie. As someone stalks Catherine, Sheriff Luke DePriest is determined that no one will get hurt, especially the woman he now loves.

THE RETURN is a poignant work of romantic suspense that tugs on the heartstrings of the reader. The lyrical prose gives the audience a feel of a ballad rather than just another suspenseful plot. The lead protagonist is a delightful combination of strong independence and charming vulnerability. Catherine fights for what she believes in even if it seems to her that Don Quixote had better odds of winning. This steamy tale will have fans returning to the bookstores seeking other works by Dinah McCall.

Harriet Klausner

Years ago a girl and a boy from feuding families fall in love. Tragically they are not to be together. The girl gave birth to a baby girl and with her dying breath handed the baby to a "witch" to love and raise as her own. Twenty some odd years later the girl returns to bury her grandma, whom the town claims to be a witch. the girl Catherine takes the town by storm and has a town wake up and face their bigotry and ignorance. A beautiful story.

I thought this book was very good. In fact, it was so good, that I went out and bought other Dinah McCall books. I also love her writings as Sharon Sala. Believe me, if you buy this book, you WON'T be sorry. It is excellent.

I absolutely could not put the book down. I started reading it about 1pm in the Dr.s Office and I finished it that night before I went to sleep. I could NOT go to sleep until I had finished! It was an easy read - kept my intrest and I just loved it. I am a huge Sharon Sala fan!

This was my first Dinah McCall book, but it sure won't be my last. I loved the book, was unable to put it down. I thought the story was great and the romance was totally uplifting. There were parts of tears in the beginning, but the outline of the story made it all worth while. A five star for sure, and I'm going to buy more Dinah McCall books right away, they would have to be good to beat this one.

This book is quite interesting. The story is original and the book is highly readable. However, characters are not developed enogh to really show the struggle the few main characters have gone through.

In "The Return", Dinah McCall just misses in giving her readers a satisfying story. Somehow, the plot just lacks that certain McCall magic.

Set in the hills of Kentucky, we read about, Catherine, who returns to her city of birth. Trials & tribulations over mean-spirited people almost overwhelm her. There is not much intrigue or fully developed characters. I do commend the authors message of how hurtful gossip & such can be.

When romance writing is at it's best.... we expect rich, full, textural images and characters that make our hearts soar. Hopefully Ms. McCall will "return" with one soon.

I was really enjoying the book as it started out. I enjoyed the story behind the baby's life. But later I lost interest. I didn't like the way Preacher and his wife were portrayed, or the old woman's confession. I felt it could've been written better. It lacked something but I'm not a writer so I can't really pinpoint what it lacked. I didn't see a point in the pack rat or the snake, or of the man who suddenly appeared and shot Catherine. All the "coincidental" curses seemed sorta far fetched that they would happen all at the same time. I knew from the start who the "hunter" was so I don't know why the author made such a secret of who he was. Where it talks about the footprint, the author didn't eleaborate on it and the sheriff didn't pursue it at all. It served no purpose to the story. The book did have a good beginning and good ending. The middle just needed "something". I have enjoyed a few of her other books much better written under the name of Sharon Sala.

This book caught my interest from the first page. I found it hard to put down till I finished it. I'm normally a slow reader or have trouble getting started with a new book. But this was a page turner for me and I couldn't wait to see how the mystery would all turn out. I highly recommend this book!

Catherine, spelled Katherine on the back cover, Fane travels to the hills of Kentucky to bury the woman who raised her as her mother. The hometown folk called her a witch. Catherine wasn't prepared for the hash judgments still in the hearts of the locals, even years later.

Sheriff Luke DePriest is a fairly new resident. He hasn't been poisoned by the long time feud between bloodlines and the attraction is almost immediate between the two. He struggles to keep her safe and his town from turning ugly. Little did anyone know that the hatred had more to do with a lie that began out of jealousy than the blood feud.

This is the third book I've read by Sharon Sala (a.k.a Dinah McCall). THE HEALER was the first, which was really good, followed by THE WARRIOR. With this book, I felt that this story was too much like THE HEALER. The small town, part of the plot, the characters' personalities was close to the same. For that reason, I thought it was just okay. I would have liked it much better if it had stood out from her other books.