Present Day Burlington, Vermont

Marylee Simson’s Aunt Rose has always cautioned her against the dangers of Burlington, and even on her death bed, she begged Marylee to stay in Oregon where she is safe. Of course, that would not do, because Marylee has so many unanswered questions about her parents, who were they, and did they really die in a car accident? Marylee believes the truth about her parents lies in Burlington, Vermont. Marylee knows the Lord will keep her safe, so she takes a leap of faith and moves to Burlington. She purchases a craft shop with a small apartment overhead, and begins her quest. But things do not go as they should. It seems nobody has ever heard of her parents; there are no records of them, or the car accident. Marylee has only one picture of her parents, and as she shows the photo to her craft class, she gets the feeling somebody knows something. Perhaps the photo is a clue. With encouragement from her best friend, Johanna, Marylee takes the photo to the local photo shop. But fate can be tricky; she discovers that the owner of the photography store is Evan Baxter, the same handsome man she has been mildly flirting with at the coffee shop. Evan is also the person who dumped her best friend after only two dates. Whatever, the sparks fly between these two.

Evan Baxter is not only handsome, with beautiful eyes that makes Marylee’s heart beat fast, but he is a professional photographer who sometimes works as a forensics consultant for the police. When Evan offers to help Marylee, she accepts and prays that he can help her. Can Marylee listen to her heart, or will she turn away from Evan? Strange things start happening to her; she feels as if she is being stalked. Her apartment is burglarized and her patio chair is taken, but why would anyone do this? How could somebody break into her home? Who put the security camera in her apartment? Who is Evan Baxter; is he who he says he is, and why does he leave town so abruptly? Does somebody want her dead?

SHADOWS IN THE MIRROR is a riveting story full of inadvertent twists and turns, and with a strong romantic story line. Both Marylee and Evan come from broken relationships, and are commitment shy; they need to learn to trust in each other. Even though Marylee is strong in her faith, she needs to learn that God has a plan for her; nobody is ever a mistake. Evan is just the person to help her. The love that grows between these two, even with the surrounding danger, will warm your heart. The secondary characters are vibrant and strong, and I hope to see more of them in the future novels. Johanna is a quirky free spirit, even though she never wears matching socks or earrings, she has learned long ago to trust in God.

Linda Hall has done an outstanding job. The tension and suspense will engage you from the first page. The fast pace and even flow of the story will keep you turning the pages. I recommend you read this novel to find out the dramatic ending. I look forward to reading the second in this series, SHADOWS AT THE WINDOW.

Deborah C Jackson