Love Me If You Must (Patricia Amble Mystery Series #1) (Paperback)

by Nicole Young (Author)
Key Phrases: coffee girl, waterproofing project, cistern wall, Martin Dietz, Officer Brad, Historical Committee (more...)

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

• Paperback: 379 pages
• Publisher: Revell (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800731573
• ISBN-13: 978-0800731571
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #485,282 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Deborah "Books, movies, and Chinese Food" (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining first entry in series with intriguing characters, June 28, 2007

By	Christina Lockstein "http://christysbookblog.... (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Love Me If You Must by Nicole Young is an intriguing first entry in the Patricia Amble mystery series. Patricia, Tish, has moved to Rawlings, a suburb of Detroit, to renovate a rambling Victorian home before selling it and moving on to the next house. She quickly meets her two handsome next door neighbors: one a British computer expert, the other a hunky cop. But things quickly take a turn for the unsettling when she thinks there's a body in the basement, several women are missing in town, she's accused of murder, and everyone looks like a suspect. Young takes the classic Gothic romance and turns it on its ear. Tish is an unusual lead character with something to hide. At first she only gives hints of her hidden past to the reader, but when the truth erupts, she's forced to come clean about her crimes. Tish's narration is fascinating as she bounces from one throught to the next with hardly a transition. Her feelings for the two men could cause whiplash, but for all of her indecision, Tish makes for good reading. She's not afraid to tackle a problem head-on. The culprit is almost as surprising as the way Tish finally buries her past. I was a little sad at the ending, but it leaves hope for an entertaining next book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A debut novel well worth reading., April 28, 2007

By	Rel Mollet "RelzReviewz" (Australia) - See all my reviews

A run down Victorian house, a town with many secrets and a young woman searching for a future while trying to elude her past collide in this debut novel by writer and musician, Nicole Young.

Tish Amble is renovating her newly purchased home, hoping to sell it for a profit and move on to the next project. She is slowly drawn to the inhabitants in the small town of Rawlings, none more so than her attractive neighbour, David and his to die for British accent! When Tish starts hearing voices and faints dead away at a startling vision in her creepy basement, another neighbour reaches out to her, Brad Walters, but his occupation is enough to make Tish supremely suspicious of his motives.

When a man is murdered, as the newcomer in town, Tish quickly becomes the police's number one suspect. Compelled by an inquisitive and imaginative mind Tish begins her own investigation with staggering results!

Nicole Young has perfected Tish's first person voice, creating an appealing and vivacious character whose search for truth, regarding the eerie death and her own spiritual journey, is enthralling and compelling. The book is filled with humour, intrigue and some good old-fashioned hiding under the bed sheets moments! David and Brad are a study in contrasts, both attractive and charismatic yet their inner qualities put them poles apart. The dilemma this creates for Tish is genuine and revealing, enabling the reader to connect even more to Tish's emotions. The ending is surprising, yet wonderfully refreshing.

Love Me If You Must is a fabulous debut and I look forward to reading more of Tish's adventures soon!