Silver Sparks by Starr Ambrose
- Pub. Date: November 2011
- Publisher: Pocket Books
- Format: Mass Market Paperback , 400pp
- ISBN-13: 9781451623635
- ISBN: 1451623631
- ARC from Publisher for Review
When Maggie Larkin resists the come-ons of a sleazy actor in town to shoot a film, she pisses off more than a pretty boy and his manager. Turns out that Rafe DeLuca isn’t just a movie star…he’s possibly a killer, and Maggie’s landed herself in more trouble than she could imagine. Enter Cal Drummond, cop extraordinaire, who’s been trailing DeLuca himself for weeks, convinced that his recently murdered sister is one of Rafe’s victims. He’s determined not to let another woman be victimized by the dangerous Rafe, and if that means sticking like glue to Maggie, so be it.
Maggie and Cal seem like perfect opposites, but as we all know…opposites attract!
My Thoughts:
Maggie Larkin grew up in a town where her family has been know as the town screw-ups, herself included in her younger days but she has done everything possible to turn that around and be model citizens. That is until today when at the local Alpine Sky Resort she hauled off and punches Rafe DeLuca, a reality TV star from the Trust Fund Brats, after he refused to take no for an answer after he buys her a drink in the bar, knowing about her reputation. An out of town cop, Cal Drummond, witnesses the exchange along with seeing Rafe’s bodyguard draw a gun as Maggie is still yelling. Cal is able to get her out of the situation but she is less than thankful.
Cal has taken a leave of absence from his department to investigate Rafe who he believes is a serial killer who murdered and tortured his half-sister Julie. Cal tries to explain to Maggie that Rafe is going to have the media on his side and will stop at nothing to be sure that she is ruined if she takes her claim any further. Maggie continues to push the issue as more trouble unfold for the both of them with Rafe controlling every move. Cal makes it his mission to be at Maggie’s side until they see this through.
Starr Ambrose does a wonderful job with the three most important parts of a story for me and those are location development, character development and plot development. When putting all of these areas together she provides a story that reminds me of what I loved about Nora Robert’s books when I started reading them, I felt like I was sat right down in the location and I was experiencing the story like I was right there as it was happening. There are very few authors that have been able to recreate that feeling for me, kudos to Ms. Ambrose for giving me this pleasure every time I sit down to read a book she has written!
Silver Sparks is a fast paced book with romance sprinkled in naturally. I also enjoyed that there was an opportunity here to explore something new to me – caving. That is just one of this things that I love in a book and that when I learn something out of a pleasure read. A great story that has left me wanting to know more about the Larkin Family and just what might happen next.
My Rating:
A quick witted and interesting story that left me wanting more!
A romance story that provided mystery and challenges that I was never expecting.
A book that fondly reminds me of the writing style that brought me to love Nora Roberts but with some extra twists and mystery that drew me into deeper understanding for the characters.