Review: The Salisbury Key
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 3, 2012
Committing suicide is a cowardly act. While it may end the suffering of the person that dies, it's just the beginning of unspeakable anguish for those left behind. In Harper Fox's book, 'The Sailsbury Key', Archeologist Daniel Logan is faced with having to pick up the pieces of his life after his lover kills himself, but he's also faced with the meaning of a mystery map Jason left to him. Jason's obsession with the parcel of land on the map, among other things, may have been what caused him to take his life, so Daniel feels obligated to pursue it. In doing so, he quickly comes to realize that things are seldom as they seem.Written in first person, Daniel's anguish is even more poignant. Not only does he have to cope with the pain of losing someone he dearly loved, he also has to deal with the guilt of wondering why he didn't see it coming. He is tortured by the thought that he may have done or not done something to cause it and is distraught because he was unable to prevent it. He painstakingly sifts through every moment of every day that he and Jason were together, frantically searching for clues that would solve the mystery, but he is lost inside of himself. He is numb one minute, feeling empty and alone, angry, or in the depths of despair the next. It is only after meeting Rayne, that things start to become clearer. Through the turmoil, Rayne becomes his touchstone and, eventually, Daniel becomes his. Neither man has any idea just how intricately their pasts and presents are entwined and how essential it is for both of them that they find the Key associated with the map.Lt. Summer Rayne is also suffering from the tragedy of losing someone. A soldier under Rayne's protection had been killed. Filled with guilt and self doubt, he tortures himself about how his death could have been prevented. When Rayne meets Daniel, they both sense an undeniable attraction, but are in such personal turmoil that they initially repel each other. They eventually accept their feelings for each other and realize they are on the same quest.'The Salisbury Key' had me captivated from beginning to end with its brilliant story of adventure, intrigue, and passion. I immensely enjoyed Harper's writing style. It's explicitness stimulated my senses and drew me into the story making me not only see, but feel what was occurring. After reading 'The Salisbury Key' I felt as if I knew Daniel and Rayne and had traveled with them on their emotional journey to cut through the tangled web of confusion toward the truth of their past, present and future. I highly recommend 'The Salisbury Key' to anyone who appreciates a love story that's perhaps a bit more complex, but very satisfying.