Review: A great romantic suspense trilogy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 15, 2013
4 1/2 starsDana Marton has a deft hand at writing intriguing romantic suspense.  I had the pleasure of reading her 'Broslin Creek' series which includes Deathscape, Deathtrap, and Deathwatch and I am under the impression that the next title (Deathblow) should be released in December (yay!).  These tales artfully combine thrilling adventures with a enhancing element of paranormal that adds to the chills up one's spine (perfect for this time of the year!).Reviews for individual titles:Deathwatch:“Deathwatch” by Dana Marton is part of the mesmerizing “Broslin Creek” romantic suspense series. Katherine Concord is an unexpected tenant who Murph Dolan discovers when he returns from his fateful deployment. He is surprised to realize that she has almost as many scars as he does and she certainly has plenty of secrets. Their mutual distrust and dislike does not create an auspicious beginning but they soon learn that each can offer the other an unexpected benefit...but the question becomes, will they survive long enough to explore their unwilling attraction to each other?This is another action-packed suspenseful tale that gives a glimpse of the lives of a woman who has survived multiple traumatic events in her life and a man who bears survivor’s guilt and other unseen scars to go with his physical ones. The tension continues to ratchet up as danger threatens and the author’s ability to create a compelling yet succinct tale is demonstrated once again. I really enjoy this series because the interconnecting threads link the stories yet each stands alone and is unique. The heroines in these stories are always proactive and manage to overcome sometimes very horrific experiences by never giving up and through being willing to learn and adapt which makes them wonderful protagonists and they demonstrate a wonderful blend of strength, compassion and vulnerability. The eerie allusion to psychic powers only adds to the allure of the story which provides a gripping and enjoyable read and I anxiously await more additions to the series.Deathtrap:“Deathtrap” by Dana Marton is the enthralling romantic suspense title that takes place in the same town as “Deathscape” and is part of the exciting ‘Broslin Creek’ series. Broslin Police Captain Ethan Bing is presented with a homicide case on the two-year anniversary of his wife’s murder. He does not expect to be distracted from his guilt and frustration by the timid woman, Sophie Curtis, who is forcing herself to face her many fears, including distrust of dogs, which is being challenged by the stray who seems to have adopted her. The unexpected discovery of a potential connection between the two unsolved cases is balanced by the emotional impact of Sophie on his life but subsequent revelations by each of them may abort any chance of them developing any kind of meaningful relationship, a tragedy for each of them.This mesmerizing romantic suspense title is an excellent sequel to the first title in the series but is perfectly capable of being appreciated as a stand-alone title. The eerie connections that are gradually revealed make this story like an onion, with multiple layers that must be peeled back to get to the basic truth. I enjoyed watching the very repressed Sophie convince herself of her various mantras which allow her to gradually take control of her life, despite the questionably well-meaning efforts of those who seek to shelter her. The little acts of defiance that allow her to take pride in her life struck a chord with me and I found myself cheering for her accomplishments and saddened when she had a setback. The chilling theories of body memory add an eerie aspect to the story and I was delighted to learn more about the tortured Captain Bing as clues were sprinkled through the story. It was great to get small glimpses of the characters introduced in “Deathscape” and there are undoubtedly plenty of other stories that can be told about this interesting town, I hope there is a new one in the works soon!Deathscape:“Deathscape” by Dana Marton is the mesmerizing paranormal romantic suspense tale featuring an artist named Ashley Price who is recovering from a tragic accident that resulted in her developing agoraphobia and losing custody of her beloved young daughter.  Her talent has also been affected and there is the frightening side effect that she is sporadically compelled to paint very disturbing pictures, but she never expects to become drawn into an open investigation of a serial killer.  Detective Jack Sullivan has made it his professional obsession to bring the murderer to justice but never expects to be rescued by a fragile woman who seems terrified of everything.  The two of them will need to overcome their emotional handicaps and get past preconceived notions if they are going to survive long enough to catch the killer.This was a chilling but fascinating contemporary romantic suspense tale that had paranormal elements.  I really enjoyed the way things were gradually revealed and it was entertaining to watch Jack's skepticism morph into an appreciation for what an unexpected resource Ashley provides.  The tension mounts and the suspects multiply as the eerie events add to the clues being provided.  It was delightful to see the hard-bitten Jack interact with Ashley's young daughter and the events leading up to the initial meeting between Jack and Ashley is very memorable.  This was a great example of a nicely developed and suspenseful novella. Night Owl ReviewsI received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.