Customer Reviews

Fatal Image (The Secrets of Stoneley, Book 1) (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #38)

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Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

If readers are looking for an inspirational tale with plenty of suspense and a gothic feel, then Fatal Image is for them.

Bianca Blanchard has returned to her family home in Stoneley for her beloved Aunt Winnie's 60th birthday when she receives a photo that challenges all her beliefs. Her mother, Trudy, died when she was a young girl and her father, Ronald, forbids anyone to talk about it. When Leo Santiago, right hand man at her father's business Blanchard Fabrics, gifts Bianca with a photograph of their mothers together, Bianca discovers a surprise. The photo was taken a week after her mother died!

Full of questions about what really happened to Trudy, Bianca, with Leo's help, begins an investigation into the supposed death. But her search only leads to more mysteries and when the PI she hired uncovers some interesting facts, Bianca grows even more determined to get to the bottom of what really happened. She must count on Leo's aid and her newly discovered faith in God to find the strength to continue her search.

Bianca has let her faith in God become less of a priority as she got older, but the shocking revelations about her mother serve to guide her back to God, with a little help from Leo of whom she is growing ever more fond. This new strength she finds in her faith becomes important to her, giving her the courage to take a stand against her father's wishes and continue her search for answers. It also gives her the courage to go after her heart's desire... Leo.

Leo is torn between his long time affection for Bianca and the commitments he made to Ronald as an employee of Blanchard Fabrics. As his attraction for Bianca grows and he discovers more and more mystery surrounding Trudy's supposed death, he begins to discover Ronald may not be the man he always thought he was. This forces him to make a choice to continue on the path he'd set, or to create a new one with Bianca.

Fatal Image sets up the premise for the Secrets of Stoneley miniseries quite nicely, hooking me from the first sentence. Immediately I want to know what happened to Trudy all those years ago and why Ronald forbids anyone from even mentioning her name. Bianca is confused about everything she knows upon her shocking discovery and takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of things. The mood is immediately set for us when Bianca returns home to the huge imposing manor house she grew up in and we meet her siblings and the rest of her family.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2007. All rights reserved.

Fatal Image by Lenora Worth
Love Inspired Suspense # 38 - Jan 2007
The Secrets of Stoneley - Book 1 of 6

Returning to Stoneley, Maine is the last thing Bianca Blanchard wants to do. But it's her Aunt Winnie's 60th birthday, and it's been ages since all six of the Blanchard sisters had been home at the same time. Bianca's heart skips when she sees her father's right-hand man, Leo Santiago. She's always felt very aware of Leo and had looked forward to their light flirting. Leo's mother had recently passed away, and he found a photograph of his mother with Bianca's that he thought she would like to have. When Bianca later shows the photograph to her Aunt and sisters, they are shocked to read that date on the back; it was taken a week after her mother's death. Bianca has always felt there were secrets surrounding her mother, and now with this photo she's determined to find the truth. Leo insists that she let him help her, and as they dig into details of her mother's accident, they unearth information that suggests her mother may be alive. Bianca's confused. How involved is her father in her mother's disappearance? And can she trust Leo, he's always done her father's bidding, is he really falling in love with her like he says? And was the death of the private investigator she hired truly an accident?

This was a wonderful launch to this series. The tone is rather gothic, as the Blanchard Mansion seems to have its own personality; steeped in intrigue and secrets. Bianca is a determined woman and she's not afraid to tackle her father to get to the answers. Leo had a brief battle over where his loyalties lay; with Bianca or with her father, his employer. Good hero that he is, he chose wisely. I liked the two conflicts to this story; the ongoing mystery of Trudy Blanchard, and the romantic conflict with Leo's own secrets from Bianca. The romance was sweet and resolved nicely. I'm very much looking forward to the next instalment in this series.

The Secrets of Stoneley
Fatal Image by Lenora Worth - Love Inspired Suspense # 38 - January 2007
Little Girl Lost by Shirlee McCoy - Love Inspired Suspense # 40 ~ February 2007
Beloved Enemy by Terri Reed - Love Inspired Suspense #44 ~ March 2007
The Sound of Secrets by Irene Brand - Love Inspired Suspense #49 ~ April 2007
Deadly Payoff by Valerie Hansen - Love Inspired Suspense #52 ~ May 2007
Where Truth Lies by Lynn Bullock - Love Inspired Suspense #56 ~ June 2007

Book was received in good condition. Was okay, but not one I would continue to follow to book 2, etc.

I throughly enjoyed this book and cant wait to get into the next one. I enjoyed the mystery, but yet the underlying faith of the main characters. Even though the times can be difficult, God is still there for them.

This books was a mystery - but mild enough to not scare at all. The story line was flowing and easy to stick with, as well as want to know the outcome. Pretty good!