Tropical Warnings (Five Star First Edition Mystery) [Hardcover]

April Star (Author)

Book Description

Series: Five Star First Edition Mystery | Publication Date: November 2006

Laura Madison, the general manager of a Florida Keys camping resort is the perfect businesswoman. Slippery, an anonymous stalker, is making death threats against Laura’s campers, employees, and family-anyone whom he believes stands in the way of their happiness; happiness which is to begin on Valentine’s Day-the resort’s biggest dance and dinner of the season.

David Jennings, semi-retired martial arts instructor turned Private Investigator, is the only one willing to help the sensuous Laura, though his methods leave her trembling with a mixture of hidden desire and obvious annoyance. He insists on posing as Laura’s boyfriend to draw out the madman-a role he relishes with Laura as his woman. Never leaving her side nor keeping his hands-or mouth-off her, Laura’s defenses begin to break down as she finds herself feeling liberated, like a real woman, as well as safe and protected. This only serves to incite Slippery the Stalker.

When the stalker’s threats of violence and vandalism become reality, David is forced to take stronger, more aggressive strategies in pulling this psycho out of the shadows and restoring peace within the campground.

Tropical Warnings is a mystery full of intrigue, unexpected pleasures, and dangers. It’s also a non-stop love story.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 253 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME) (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594144796
• ISBN-13: 978-1594144790
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,191,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I guess you could say I took an unusual route to a writing career. Traveling the roads of America for 16 years with my husband, Jerry, I began to write on the road as a means of expressing all I was experiencing. Jerry's work in the construction trade brought us to every 'where-in-the-hell-is' place on the map. I filled my days writing journals about people, places, and oh'the countless 'things' that happen on the road and in campgrounds. Many campers through the years would ask me over and over why I didn't write a book. I did. A non-fiction account of all the journals titled, LIFE THROUGH A REAR VIEW MIRROR. It was distributed to family and friends only. Shortly after writing that very large volume, I discovered my real niche was in the mystery genre.
In 1992, shortly after hurricane Andrew devastated the Homestead, Florida area, Jerry and I rolled our 32 ft. Avion into a camping resort (which, at the time, appeared to be more of a MASH unit).
In an attempt to keep my sanity, I took a job in the office where I soon discovered INSANITY bred! A year later I became assistant manager and marketing director and in 1996 Jerry joined me in the office as we agreed upon the offer of campground managers. There we stayed and there is where the REAL stories and characters emerged for what is now a reality'the Wanderlust Mystery Series. My amateur sleuths travel America's highways in their Bluebird Wanderlodge motorhome finding murder and mayhem at every camping resort they roll into. The Wanderlust Mysteries are taken from both views of the full-time RVer'the ever increasing world of the RV wanderluster as well as the villains'otherwise known as 'THE Managers.' Currently I live in Sebring, Florida and again working and managing a residential mobile home park with an RV section. You can take the girl out of the campground but you can't take the camping and adventure out of the girl.
I'm an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Sisters In Crime, The International Thriller Writers and The Authors Guild. I'm also a member of the American College of Forensic Examiners International.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprised and pleased, January 29, 2010

By 

apple "bookworm" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tropical Warnings (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

I am a librarian and am always looking for new authors to recommend to our patrons. I am not a reader of romance and so when I pick that genre up I usually go through them quickly. This was such a wonderful surprise! I loved the characters...full of fun. It is a book I will recommend to my readers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Edge of your seat THRILL ride!, March 10, 2009

By 

Laura "Laura" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tropical Warnings (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

Tropical Warnings by April Star will have you turning pages into the wee hours of the morning! It is so captivating with fun, loveable and interesting characters like Laura, David and Slippery! For readers who love mystery and enjoy some romantic escapades as well, this is a must read! Can't wait for the next adventure in The Wanderlust series! Kudos to Author April Star for taking us on the RV ride of a lifetime!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cautionary romantic suspense thriller, November 19, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tropical Warnings (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

Laura Madison runs Big Pine Key RV Resort campsite in the Florida Keys. Last year an unknown individual began sending her gifts and leaving her notes. Recently the individual has become increasingly graphic with clear threats to kill her family, employees, and family so they can be together on Valentine's Day. Urged by her friend, the only other person aware of "Slippery", Laura visits private investigator David Jennings, who feels he has met the woman he will marry.

She does not like his humor or come-ons until he describes exactly her problem. He explains that an erotomaniac stalker distorts reality; he knows first hand as he was the victim of one, who eventually committed suicide. He tells her he will fight dirty to keep her safe, but that they must pretend to be a loving couple to get Slippery out of the shadows. His plans work almost too well when an apparently outraged Slippery angrily tries to burn his beloved and her lover to death. Thus the first salvo in the war has been fired.

The cat and mouse fight takes a backseat to the frightening lucid description of an erotomaniac stalker; bluntly this is good to know, but scary as hell. The story line contains two strong protagonists with David's humorous inner thoughts serving as tension abating asides; however he is very serious when it comes to keeping the woman he loves at first sight safe from a psycho. The efforts to uncover and stop the stalker are action-packed, but once again TROPICAL WARNINGS is a cautionary romantic suspense thriller that pulls no punches when it comes to stalking.

Harriet Klausner