Breakers Reef
by Terri Blackstock
Published by Zondervan
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Reviewed by Jackie Baumgarten
In Breakers Reef, the fourth in the Cape Refuge series, the body of a well-liked teenage girl from Cape Refuge is discovered by Chief Cades' rookie officer, Scott Crown. The body has been staged to look like a murder described in the novel written by an eccentric mystery writer who recently moved to town. Clues planted by the murderer's accomplice lead the Cape Refuge police (and the reader!) to false conclusions. Soon after the first murder, there is another, this time discovered by the Chief himself. As law enforcement struggles to find solid evidence and sort the real clues, three people go missing. It's a race to find them before one of them ends up dead.
Life can't wait for the satisfactory conclusion of a murder investigation; Chief Cades' romance with Blair Owens progresses, Blair's sister Morgan is nearing the end of a high-risk pregnancy, Sheila Caruso is facing a set back in her faith, not to mention her hard-earned freedom--and there's a new troubled teen in town.
The mystery is satisfying and complex enough to challenge the reader, but the real gems in this series are the characters, broken people who've struggled with demons and questioned God. They've faced their share of life's hard knocks but find healing and a second chance at Hanover House.
Armchair Interviews says: Returning to Cape Refuge in Breakers Reef is like going to Cabot Cove, Maine, with Jessica Fletcher. Only in Cape Refuge the characters find their redemption in Christ, not a middle-aged detective!