Romantic suspense
Two have disappeared...will Dana be the next?
My sister and I have always loved to explore historic homes, and in Colorado we came across many lovely houses called "Painted Ladies". The term "painted lady" has a double meaning. It is used to refer to "soiled doves" or fallen women of the Old West, who painted their faces as opposed to respectable women who did not use cosmetics. Though the terms are unrelated, houses of that same era which are painted in a multi-colored scheme, the showy peacocks of architecture, are also referred to as "Painted Ladies". Many of these historic homes throughout the United States have been remodeled and turned into bed and breakfasts. And most of them have a tragic tale or a ghost or two. This fictional tale set in Colorado centers around such a secret.
Dana Lawrence doesn't imagine when she buys the quaint Victorian house in the remote mountains of Colorado that her life will soon be in danger. She has heard the legend of Lelia Glenn and how she vanished in the 1800's, but no one told her about the more recent disappearance of Amy Walden two years ago.
On the night of her arrival, Dana spies someone digging on her land. The sheriff tells her that on the day Amy disappeared Glenndale's jewelry store was robbed. Amy's boyfriend, Donnie Thorpe, is still on the run, and his accomplice, Jed Hoyt, has just been released from prison. Bennett believes a third party masterminded the robbery--her handsome neighbor, Logan Rand.
While Dana tries to beat the thieves to the stolen goods, she uncovers a grave. Threats and attempts on her life follow in rapid succession. Dana must identify the killer before she becomes the next vanished lady.
In this story, the emphasis is on mystery and romantic attraction. As with our other romantic suspenses Path of the Jaguar and Nightmare in Morocco, the love scenes are sweet rather than steamy.