Caper Magic by Veronica Lynch "This attraction: Is it complete madness -- or sheer magic?"

Caper Magic

by: Veronica Lynch

Page Count: 60

Rating: Sweet (G-PG)

P.I. Nick Forrester comes to Cape Brendan ostensibly to assist with Caper Madness, a month-long celebration of everything Halloween. In reality he is tracking a woman on the run. Within days he is confronted by Annunciata Doyle, a vivid reminder of a pain-filled past.

After retreating to Cape Brendan in defeat and humiliation, Nunie Doyle's only hope was to make the best of forced retirement. There, in this quaint tourist town on the shores of Lake Ontario, she earned the love and respect of new friends and neighbors—and put her talent for helping women to good use.

With the mutual goal of making Caper Madness the best ever, Nicke and Nunie fight tooth and nail on the personal level, each discovering a new side to the other, sides that make them consider making drastic changes for the rest of their lives.

This attraction: Is it complete madness -- or sheer magic?

Excerpt:

Hank opened his mouth, then let out a holler just before a huge toothy grin stretched the corners of his gaunt cheeks. “Top o’ the marnin’ to ye, Missus!” he cackled to someone exiting the front door of the stone cottage next door.

Taking the concrete steps to the sidewalk in two lithe moves, a woman in a slinky dress the color of ripe tomatoes glanced their way and responded in a distinct Irish brogue. “And the ass end of the day to ye, Mistur Pierpont.”

Intrigued by the rich tone of her voice, Nick craned his neck and found one of the witches from yesterday’s parade—minus the droopy velvet hat—passing within steps of Hank’s porch. A bulging garment bag hung over one arm; she looked headed in the direction of the pier at the end of Vincentian Lane. Damned if right then a wind didn’t jump up off the lake and mold the filmy length of scarlet against each curve of her body. Long black hair—and there seemed to be a good ten pounds of it—flowed over her shoulders, caressing her body like a lover as she marched toward Dingle Pier. As his heart bumped into a trip hammer beat, Nick reminded himself to breathe.

“Ferget yer broom, Missus?” Hank called out to her retreating back.

“In the repair shop,” she replied over one shoulder, winging that glorious onyx hair away from lips painted to match her dress. “Gettin’ fitted with a couple of those fancy turbo boosters, it is.”

Review from Long and Short Reviews

By LAS Reviewer on June 2, 2015

He’s only going back to stay with his uncle while his sister goes on vacation. He never intended to run into someone he hated right next door…

Ms. Lynch writes a smooth flowing story with lyrical sentences. She has put an Irish brogue in this story and you can almost feel the burr on your tongue as you read the lines. The town she’s created sounds like a lot of fun. The people living there are “capers” and it’s quaint and small. What other town would have a Halloween celebration all month with lots of activities? Then there’s the dancing witches…

When Nick meets the woman who caused his cop partner to commit suicide there, he’s determined to ignore her. That can be hard to do when she lives next door and is attractive.

The love story is sweet, he finds out he had some wrong assumptions on that case he was angry about, and there’s child sex abuse involved. It’s a lot like life: each person has their own view and makes judgements based on what they know. The problem is they may not know everything. This story points that out in more than one way and it’s a good lesson for all.

This is a very good read even though it’s short. It’s thought-provoking and the problems fictionalized are present in today’s world. The message here seems to be do something about it, and that’s a good way to live. This one is a keeper for me. The ending is great.

~~~originally posted at long and short reviews