The Cross of St. Anne
By Gary Alan Ruse
ISBN# 9781105015281
Author’s Website:  http://www.garyalanruse.com/

Review brought to you by OBS reviewer Dawn

Synopsis:

A supernatural suspense novel. When New England antiques dealer Annie McCormick sells a religious relic to a new museum on Jarritt’s Island and its charming owner Curt Devereaux, she could not be happier. But when Annie learns the ghostly secret of the old mansion-turned-museum, her dream adventure becomes a nightmare that puts her life…her very soul…at risk!

Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cross of St. Anne. It held my interest but was a quick, fun read.

Annie McCormick needs to deliver a religious relic to Curt Devereaux, on Jarritt Island, but something happens and the cross is missing. Annie ends up staying at White Oak Manor while they investigate. Curt is very understanding of the situation, too much so, as if he’s trying too hard to be kind about a valuable item gone missing.

The descriptions of the island, White Oak Manner, and all of the museum pieces made me feel as if I were there experiencing it with Annie. I immediately knew something wasn’t right with Curt but I couldn’t tell you why, at first.

Annie meets Curt’s family and his business partner Monique as the investigation proceeds. There is an array of characters, the butler, Curt’s mother and cousin, a neighbor, the police officers etc… The only under-developed character was Curt but that was necessary to the plot. Annie’s intuition tells her something isn’t right but she’s not sure what it might be.

She sets out to investigate on her own when she realizes the police suspect her.

As she investigates the family secrets begin to spill out. There’s an old curse and lots of history on that island. I really enjoyed the history woven into the plot.

The story is solid and suspenseful. I was so engrossed that the time went by fast. That’s the sign of a good book – you just cannot put it down until you know how it ends.

It’s a great book to read while traveling. It’s appealing to men, women and teens. There are some scary parts, but I think it’s safe for teens to read.

Annie is a great character. She’s not bowled over by good looks and she knows her own mind. She is not easy to manipulate; she stands up for what is right. That’s a great lead character in my opinion and this was a great story.