Jan Sikes
Ghost Suspense / Contemporary Short Stories / Action & Adventure Romance
Publisher: RiJan Publishing
Date of Publication: November 28, 2023
Number of Pages: 126 pages
Brandon Miller has his dream job, financial security, and he’s madly in love. Only one thing is missing—a commitment.
Angela Cooper’s ex-husband left her with deep scars, souring her on the concept of marriage. She’s not interested in a do-over. Not with Brandon or anyone. Her heart is locked securely away behind a thick wall.
With a ring in his pocket and hope in his heart, Brandon arranges a romantic getaway to the historic Harbor Pointe Inn, where he plans to pop the question.
Before they reach the inn, Angela’s got her camera in hand and ghosts on her mind. But they arrive to find a much more tangible horror.
Accident or foul play?
Someone is up to no good, and Angela is the next target. When suspects can be worldly or otherworldly, danger and secrets lurk everywhere.
Poised at the perilous edge of too late, Angela and Brandon face the fight of their lives
Brandon has everything he could want – except the hand of the woman he loves. Angela doesn’t deny her feelings for Brandon, but a previous bad experience with marriage has left her leery of another commitment. But Brandon is nothing if not persistent, and he invites Angela to come away for a weekend at the atmospheric Harbor Pointe Inn intent on persuading her to say yes.
The atmosphere at the inn is both romantic and creepy. The cover portrays it wonderfully, and Sikes creates the setting that you’d expect from an inn on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The innkeeper is courteous, sure, but you get the distinct feeling he’s not being forthright. He seems to be dodging the question of what happened to bring first responders out just as Brandon and Angela are checking in. His answer about an unfortunate accident doesn’t ring true, and you wonder along with our main characters what he might be hiding. A walk in the forest sounds peaceful, but even as Brandon and Angela are enjoying each other’s company, I found myself waiting tensely, peeking over my figurative shoulder, waiting to see what evil lurked among the trees. Suspense simmered just beneath the idyllic surface of the inn and its surroundings, and it was fantastic.
The story intensifies slowly at first, but when the penny drops, it drops quickly. The resolution of the mystery wasn’t as much of a surprise as it could have been, given the actions of some of the characters in the book. But there was still the tension of seeing how everything would play out, and whether Brandon and Angela would get a happy ending.
This was the first of Sikes’ books that I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last. She had me flipping those electronic pages as fast as I could to see what happened next! I strongly recommend her book for readers who like a little mystery and a touch of the paranormal with their romance.
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Jan Sikes writes compelling and creative stories from the heart.
She openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author. But she had a story to tell. Not just any story, but a true story that rivals any fiction creation. She brought the entertaining true story to life through fictitious characters in an intricately woven tale encompassing four books, accompanying music CDs, and a book of poetry and art.
And now, this author can’t find a way to put down the pen. She continues to write fiction and has published numerous award-winning short stories and novels.
Jan is an active blogger, an avid fan of Texas music, and a grandmother of five. She resides in North Texas.
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12/05/23 |
Excerpt |
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12/06/23 |
Review |
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12/06/23 |
BONUS Stop |
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12/07/23 |
Review |
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12/08/23 |
Review |
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12/08/23 |
Character Interview |
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12/09/23 |
Review |
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12/10/23 |
Review |
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12/11/23 |
Review |
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12/12/23 |
Review |
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12/12/23 |
Author Interview |
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12/13/23 |
Review |
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12/14/23 |
Review |
Great review! I agree that she really did a great job of fitting everything a reader needed into a compact novella. (But wouldn’t you love an extended version? More ghosts! More mystery! BRING IT!) Thanks for sharing!
Lol, Kristine. Thanks for the kind words!
Absolutely! Give me more!
Thank you for your wonderful review, Lisa! I am thrilled that you enjoyed the story.
Great review and story, Lisa 🙂 You can’t go wrong with any of Jan’s stories.
Thank you for the kind words and amazing support, Denise!
Thank you so much for the review! I’ve bought it and am looking forward to reading it 🙂
I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Thank you so much, Nicholas!
Lovely end to Jan’s book tour. Bravo and best of luck with this!
Thank you so much, Jacqui!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Lisa. I very much enjoyed the story as well. 😊
Thank you for adding your recommendation, Gwen!
It sounds great.
Thank you, Craig!
It’s on my TBR list. I am slowly working my way through this series. Congratulations, Jan.
You’re ahead of me. I jumped in here. Now I have to go back and catch up on the first four!
Thank you, Beem! I hope you enjoy the story when you get to it!
A lovely review of Jan’s latest book. Thank you for hosting her today.
Thank you, Robbie!