Southern Cross

Erin Solomon Pentalogy #3

by Jen Blood

The Four Horsemen are at the gate in Justice, Kentucky.

Reporters Daniel “Diggs” Diggins and Erin Solomon travel to Kentucky to look into the bizarre ritual murder of one of Diggs’ oldest friends. But that single death is hardly the only bizarre occurrence in Justice: soon, power outages, explosions, standoffs, and conspiracy rock the small town, and fundamentalist preacher Jesup T. Barnel claims he knows the reason for the madness: The end times are upon them, and judgment comes fast and furious as the clock winds down.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

329 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2013

About the author

Jen Blood is a professional editor and publishing consultant, and author of the bestselling Erin Solomon Mysteries. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing/Popular Fiction, with writing influences ranging from Emily Bronte to Dennis Lehane, and any number of genres and authors in between. Her work has earned accolades and awards including the AIA Seal of Quality and the B.R.A.G. Medallion for ALL THE BLUE-EYED ANGELS, and honorable mention for Best in Fiction from the New England Book Festival for her second novel, SINS OF THE FATHER. All four of her novels have reached the Amazon Bestseller list in Mystery, Suspense, and Women Sleuths.

Born and raised among the smaller fishing villages of midcoast Maine, Jen's writing is rich with the details and tone of that isolated, occasionally harsh landscape. Today, after spending several years traveling the country, Jen is once again living in midcoast Maine, busily working on the next installment in the Erin Solomon series.

Reviews

[Bev Youngberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow...!! When you think there’s no where else to go with the series, be prepared for this one! This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you can get past the violence and cult settings, it’s eye opening.

Look back to history and everything we know of cults. It’s a crazy but fascinating world. Jen highlights the extremists in book 3. We learn more about Diggs background, his childhood and what shaped him to become the man he is. Tension between Solomon, Diggs and Juarez is always welcomed. If you’ve read the first 2 books, number 3 will keep you very entertained and turning the pages.

[Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jen has done an outstanding job and this book is so far the best of the series. I absolutely adore this series. This book delved more into Diggins's past and was told from the POVs of Erin, Diggins and Danny (son of Diggin's childhood friend). It also shed light on Erin's and Diggin's past relationship. Different from book 2, Erin had become more subdued while Diggins was more irrational and impulsive. The countdown to the apocalypse in Justice, KY was suspenseful and nail-biting. Also want to compliment Jen for handling the love triangle very well and she has done a great job in getting me very vested in the characters and tiding me over to the next book release with her "Erin Solomon" blog. I am anxiously waiting for book 4.

[Ashley Capes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read - more tension and reveals around Erin's family and its past. Enjoyed the expanded points of view, such as seeing the story from Diggs' perspective, whose own past features prominently in this one. The series continues to effectively paint cults as a disturbing force. Onward to number four!

[Darcia Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much to love about Southern Cross. Jen Blood has a knack for storytelling. The characters are multidimensional, with depth to their emotions and secrets they'd rather not share. The plot moves along at a good speed throughout, never so fast that it forces us to take leaps and never lagging. Blood's writing style easily sucks us into her fictional world.

Unfortunately, for me the problem area overshadowed the quality of the writing. I have not read the first two books in this series, and Southern Cross does not work well as a stand-alone. A large thread of the plot here is drawn from the earlier books, to the degree that I never totally understood the point of what happened in this story. The author does her best to offer bits and pieces from the previous book(s), but it's not enough to grasp the concept in its entirety. I felt like something was always dangling just beyond my reach. Consequently, I didn't fully understand the characters or their motivations.

The way this book ended, it's obvious that the story will continue into book #4. We don't get closure with the plot.

If you read this series in order from start to finish, I have no doubt it could easily rate 5 stars. But I would not recommend reading this one on its own.

[Elisabeth Zguta · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Can't Stay Out Of Trouble...

Page turning suspense and heroics, Erin Solomon along with her dog Einstein, and her loves: Jack and Diggs, find themselves in the middle of an explosive mess again. Struggling to find answers, Diggs gets into trouble while trying to discover the reason his best friend was murdered. Erin goes to the extreme, resorting to pleading with the devil himself, in order to help Diggs. Everyone's actions reveal a lot. Okay, that's cryptic but without giving anything away, the plot intertwines with the overall trail that Erin has been trying to stay away from since their last pitfall. No can do - it all comes back and explodes in their faces.

This story is a fast paced, wild ride, keeping the reader at the edge of the seat - that's right a real page turner. Getting to know the locals is easy with the fluid descriptions and deep character development. Some great relationship building scenes, drawing the reader into Erin's world as well as the other characters space. So join their world and read the series... I definitely recommend this series- a true thriller all the way, with each story becoming more intense. Great job Jen Blood.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood constructs another page turning mystery. As with the first two novels in her Erin Solomon series, Southern Cross is fast-paced with a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

While the setting shifts from Maine to rural Kentucky in this installment, the characters are as vivid as ever, the overarching mystery from the series weaving into the picture when you least expect it. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the mysteries dovetailed together and the subtle ways that Blood reveals more and more about her characters with each interaction.

Definitely worth a read, if only to make us all start to consider our own top twenty-four.

[Jonne Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best of the Erin Soloman series yet. Erin, Diggs and Juarez find themselves in yet another suspenseful and thrilling investigation and of course the continuing Erins affections keep seesawing between the two men. What I especially liked about this book was that Erin's temperament has toned down a great deal. The obnoxious, grating personality is gone and has been replaced with a much more likeable character.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well the third book seals it, I am a Solomon fan. Mysteries are not my normal genre but this writer can spin a tale that keeps you guessing every minute. The writing itself is also top notch which helps me stay in the moment. The only downside is that now I have to wait until the next one is published to begin the next adventure. Two thumbs up for Jen Blood and the Erin Solomon series!

[Kelly Stine · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Jen Blood knocked this Erin Solomon mystery right out of the park!! I was on the edge of my seat thru the whole story, and read it straight thru in under 20 hours - I just couldn't put it down. I hadn't slept, and my eyes were burning and I just couldn't stop! In fact I was ready to move on the next book in the series, but I needed to get some sleep first and a lot eye drops.

First, let me ask you - if there were a countdown clock to the end of the world - what would be your top list of top 24 music albums of all time?? I mean, as that clock is ticking down, what albums you just need to hear one last time. This question ran thru my head the whole time I was reading this story. It starts with Diggs' friend Jake, who runs the local radio station, who decides to play all his top 24 albums during the countdown to Armageddon. This particular thought runs thru Diggs' mind a lot!

After a 6 month separation, Erin, Einstein and Diggs are back together on another story, but this time they're in Justice, Kentucky. Diggs' boyhood friend is murdered, and of course they begin to investigate why anyone would murder a back country veterinarian, who by all accounts is a good man. Along the way we learn about some of Diggs' earlier years, and even meet one of his ex-wives - the sister of his murdered friend.

Thru many twists and turns, the combined emotional turmoil between Erin and Diggs, and a backwoods cult that frankly just scared the hell out of me (remember Jonestown?) - we learn a little more about the "hooded man" from the first two books. Now we even have HIS NAME.

As an added twist, each chapter is told via the view points of either Erin, Diggs, or his nephew Danny, whom they are trying to rescue from the crazy cult people. But the really nerve wracking part was the apocalyptic countdown clock through the second half of the book. Like I said - I just couldn't stop reading!

I'm ready to move on to the next book in the series, but I have to wait a day to give my eyes the rest. It is driving me nuts ... Thank goodness I didn't start reading the series until I had all the books and could binge. If I had to wait for the next one to be written, I'd go insane.

So again I ask you, from the top down to your #1 - what would be your all time 24 albums to countdown to the end of the world as we know it? For me - I'm not sure of the order yet, but I'd imagine mine would include at the very least ... Iron Butterfly's IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA, at least one Led Zeppelin, probably IV or Song Remains the Same - Pink Floyd's THE WALL and Dark Side of the Moon (gotta have both of those) - at least one Fleetwood Mac, probably Rumors and/or Tusk -
Rod Stewart would be in there somewhere, and of course The Beatles White Album - Steve Miller's Book of Dreams - The Doors, LA Woman - .... well you try it - so many choices, so little time. I keep wishing I could discuss it with Diggs LOL.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

In most books, two guys in love with the same woman generally gets sorted out. In most series, the heroine may be bullheaded and stubborn some of the time, but generally gets over that by the end of the book. In this instance, neither happens, but where either or both could be grating, neither is. In fact, the chemistry between Diggs, Erin and Juarez contributes to the overall tension of this series, making book three another stellar read and one that was darn near impossible to put down. Nobody will ever accuse Jen Blood of sugarcoating a tight situation. The deeper into this series I get, the more ominous and overarching the baddies seem to be. Despite more answers, there are still plenty of pieces left to be cleared up in the last two books.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still love Jen Blood's writing style but this one dragged for me. And the constantly changing perspectives kind of got on my nerves and I found myself putting this novel down regularly so that I could read something else.

Not terrible, not at all. Just much slower than books 1 and 2.

[Lynne Price, RN, MS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Commentary

Awesome plot and characters. I didn’t like the way it switched from one person to the next, there’s gotta be a better way to do that. Twisty, never did figure it quite out til toward the end. Good read

[FERGUSSCOT · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great series. Wouldn't it be great if it was made into a tv series?

[Aljan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best one in the series thus far! I love Diggs.

[Shannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read!! I love Diggs & Sol! Sol isn't as annoying anymore lol I guess she had to see the light :)

[Lynxie Brat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, added more to the overall story arc of the mysterious organization that Erin's Dad belongs to, though it some inconsistancies...at the momet I don't remember what they are.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe I haven't reviewed this book before now - I read it for the first time almost 18 months ago and have re-read it a half dozen times since. Looking back, in reviewing Sins of the Father (the preceding book in the series) I commented that it is rare for the second book in a series to be as good, let alone better, than the first book, well Jen Blood has done it again. As good as All the Blue-Eyed Angels and Sins of the Father were, however, Southern Cross is simply that much better. In an amazing feat of authortorial prowess Jen Blood has managed to build on the success of the first two novels and take everything to the next level in this third installment of the series.

The first book, All the Blue-Eyed Angels, set the stage for us by introducing the principle characters and giving us the important back story about the Payson Church and the cult that grew up on that island off the Maine coast. The second book, Sins of the Father, took us further down the rabbit hole as an infuriatingly self absorbed Erin Solomon continued her dangerously reckless investigation into her father's life (and death) and the tragedy of the Payson Church in spite of being warned off in the first novel. Of course we all know how that turned out, and by the end of Sins poor Erin Solomon was a much chastened, much more sober, individual who was finally beginning to realize how dangerous her obsession was becoming. It is that same version of Erin we see appearing at the beginning of Southern Cross, and it is that same intra-series character constancy that makes these books so consistently readable - the characters may evolve within the story but between books there is no giant red reset button, their evolution as characters is constant and persistent and utterly believable.

Without revealing the plot or proffering too many spoilers, let me just say that Southern Cross is a roller coaster ride of mystery, suspense and yes, modern horror. Set against the backdrop of a rural Kentucky town we are soon drawn into a web of intrigue, murder and mysterious goings on that seem to be leading us down a garden path so commonly trod by mystery writers that instead of being mysterious at all it is in fact paved, well lit and appointed with little signs like "important fact" and "plot development here". That of course is the beauty of Jen Blood's writing style. She starts you off down that path, but you're no more than 100' in and you find the signs are misleadingly labeled, the lights have gone and so, for that matter, has the path. By the time you realize just how far down that garden path you've wandered you are hopelessly lost and the once welcoming woods are now menacingly dark, filled with the disconcerting sounds of hungry predators looking for their next meal. It's about that time you begin to think the extra rasher of bacon you had at breakfast was a mistake.

To put it another way Jen has managed to write yet another story that is at once incredibly complex and yet totally readable. The intricacy of the plot, the various sub-plots and all the little plot points that serve them are once again woven into a tapestry of mystery that tells a story both compelling and deeply disturbing in a good way. Erin Solomon is again the heroine of the story and her character, now much more reticent and mature following the events of the previous two novels, is much more palatable to this reader's tastes. Her partner, part-time paramour and occasional hero, Grayson Diggs, is returned as well equally changed. Always who makes the necessary sacrifices at the climactic . Add to that the wonderful character of FBI Agent Jack Juarez who's still carrying a torch for Erin while simultaneously holding down the fort in the midst of a near apocalypse and a new mysterious villain/ally who pops up at the most interesting times and you have a truly intriguing story that draws you and keeps your attention held tight for each and every spellbinding twist and turn.

[Tahlia Newland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jen Blood has done it again, come up with another terrific tale about Erin Solomon, her old friend Diggs and her lover, FBI man Juarez. The story starts six months after the horrific events of the last book where Diggs and Erin passed through 48 hrs of hell while being hunted in the woods by a homicidal maniac. They've not seen each other since then, following the advice of the man in the hood - stop looking for answers or I'll kill him, meaning Diggs. The unanswered questions are about Erin's father and his relationship to a string of murders that make up the first two books in this series.

This book begins with Erin and Diggs coming back together when Digg's best childhood friend is found murdered. Erin knows how hard it will be for her friend, so she wants to be by his side, with the blessing of Juarez, who's attitude to Erin's long term friendship with Diggs is very mature. Juarez is a great guy, but Diggs and Erin have a chemistry.

The murder of Digg's friend is just the tip of the iceberg. Things rapidly get worse, until the whole town is threatened with destruction by a crazy preacher. The dangerous cult theme continues in this book with the twisted beliefs and activities of the local preacher, reverent Barnel. What is perhaps most chilling are the people who believe this guy and let him brand their kids with a cross. Although this is fiction, like all good fiction, it is very real. This is the stuff of the Jonestown massacre.

Like the other Erin Solomon stories, the pace never lets up. The book grabs you at page one and keeps you turning. I'd starting reading this one early of you want to get to sleep.

Ms Blood does an impressive job of reminding you of the last story without the information being intrusive. She also deepens the characters, particularly that of Diggs, and develops the relationship between him and Erin, thus neatly continuing to move the series forward. Diggs shines in this story, and I found myself really getting to like this man despite his flaws. Thinking you're about to die does help people realise what is most important in their lives, and Ms Blood uses this fact to help cut through some of Digg's bluster so we and Erin can get to know the vulnerable guy beneath.

Make no mistake here, Ms Blood is an extremely talented author. The traditional publishing system lost out big time when she decided to go Indie. She tells a good story and writes it extremely well with engaging immediate prose, excellent pacing and a powerful plot.
If you like mysteries or thrillers, this is a must read, and if you rarely read those genres then this is one you should pick up anyway.
The ending leaves us with the distinct impression that there is something bigger behind the events in this book and it's linked to the question Erin is not supposed to ask.

There is another book to come in this series, and I am keen to know what Ms Blood has in store for Erin and Diggs, and whether Erin will finally find her answer. Each book just gets bigger and better, and it will be wonderful to finally unravel the connection between the web of events in the different books.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

With this third book I begin to see the similarities with books such as the Twilight series and the True Blood stories. Though this mystery-and-dark-past story is not about vampires, it is about a super-macha woman supposedly 33 years old with a lost father, an inaccessible mother, and a love triangle that is strong on the sexual tension but mostly interrupted moments with two hotties.

In this episode, the hardest thing to swallow was that the plot of the second book became entwined in the new mystery. From Maine to Kentucky, I just couldn't suspend disbelief. But the action is so wild that oh, why not?

Religious cults feature prominently
Characters pop up again in each book, sometimes rather incongruously
Two handsome intense men, one blonde, one dark
Wisecracking characters, mostly with the same voice. In this story there is actually another couple, teenagers, who act just like the main characters who are a generation older.
Lots of "what I thought" vs what is actually said.
Tough under physical pain, torture, etc.
Like many a tough cookie, this heroine is a magnet for disaster. Do not befriend her or even let her borrow your phone.

Interestingly, the main character is a reporter with no visible source of income, no deadlines, no editors... hmmmm


Gotta stick with it for episodes 4 and 5 now, ha.

[D.V. Berkom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Southern Cross, the third novel in the Erin Solomon mystery series, is a stellar addition to the story of Solomon, Diggs and Juarez. If you haven't yet picked up the first two I recommend you do so, now. Go ahead, I'll wait right here.

Done? Cool. Now you can read all three without having to wait, which is the HARDEST part about being hooked on this series. Power, corruption, murder, love and loyalty all make an appearance in this engaging mystery set in rural Kentucky. The characters are well-drawn, from the main protagonists and antagonists all the way to the secondary folks. Even though I have only driven through Kentucky and not spent much time there, Blood paints a vivid picture that creates a character of the area all its own. She draws you in and makes you feel like you're part of the family, not to mention the story itself. To me, that is the hallmark of a freakishly talented writer, and I can only assume the next installment, due in August, will trump this one. Count me a fan, Ms. Blood. And keep up the awesome work!

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erin is trying to keep her word and not look for any additional information about her father. This was a promise she made in order to keep her best friend, and on-again, off-again lover, journalist Daniel Diggs, out of harms way. She is now in a relationship with FBI agent Jack Juarez, and hasn't spoken to Diggs in six months when the wife of one of Diggs' childhood friends calls looking for Diggs after the murder of her husband. Erin learns Diggs has quit his job and left town. She tracks him down in Costa Rica and they meet up in Kentucky to try and solve the murder of his friend, Wyatt. From there the story gets complicated, people aren't who they seem, relationships (of the good and bad kind) come to light and Erin, Diggs, Juarez and FBI Agent Blaze set out on a course to try and save this small town from annihilation by a religious fanatic. This book will keep you reading long after you should have already gone to bed for the night. The Erin Solomon mysteries need to be read in order, and although some questions get answered, more questions arise.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kudos to Jen Blood for another fine installment in the Erin Solomon mystery series (which incidentally should be read in order). Southern Cross is largely Daniel Diggs' story, really deepening the development of his character. It made me want to go back and re-read the first two in light of what we now know about Diggs. Southern Cross has Diggs and Solomon investigating the death of his close friend, which appears to be connected to the religious cult that's taken hold in a small Kentucky town. There's also some connection, which we don't fully understand, to the mysterious hooded figure in the first two books. And we get more of the love triangle with Juarez. One thing I didn't like was alternating points of view among more than two characters. Especially when I'm reading on Kindle, it's easy to lose track of which person's story you're reading.
I'm really looking forward to Book 4 in the series.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Oops I somehow never got around to posting a review on this one so here goes...

Although the hooded man made another appearance, this book did not appear to have much to do with Erin's search for her father or the truth behind the Payson Isle fire. So it seemed like a bit of a diversion and I therefore didn't enjoy it as much as the first two. No doubt I will be proved wrong and events in this story could turn out to be pivotal in the whole saga (and, in hindsight I was).

Diggs goes to Kentucky to attend the funeral of an old friend who died in mysterious circumstances. Erin tags along. There is a deranged preacher, more murders, a missing teenager, claims that the end of the world is nigh, and a cult that is supposed to self destruct. Lots of action and Erin and Diggs are, of course, in the thick of it. So an interesting enough story, I just couldn't see (at the time) how it advanced the big picture.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third installment of the Erin Solomon Mysteries series is definitely my favorite so far. While it kept with the suspense, witty dialogue, and nail biting action that got me hooked on the series originally, I really appreciated getting to know the back story of one of the other characters (in this case Diggs) in lieu of just more Solomon. Not to say I've tired of Sol, in fact, the more her characters grows and develops, the more I've wanted to read about her.

It's hard for me to pick even a single thing I didn't enjoy about Southern Cross except maybe Danny's chapters but that was just due to me being greedy for more Diggs and Solomon. If you enjoy mystery, suspense, clever characters with sharp wit, wonderful writing, and a dash of romance, you definitely need to get into this series!

[Sherry Ledet · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jen Blood writes a series she never gets bogged down in repitition. Her characters stay fresh with new twists and turns to tell you more about them and keep you coming back for more. This book begins with the strong determined Erin Solomon now frightened into dropping her search for her father and ready to settle into life with her FBI agent and stay far away from Diggs for the safty of them both. When Diggs best friend from his childhood is found murdered he must go to find the killer and Erin's loyalty demands that she follow. As another story unfolds Diggs finds that he can't hide from his past and Erin is pulled into the mystery of why so many men and boys in Diggs home town have crosses branded to their chest, including Diggs.
Jen Blood's characters come more and more alive as each book unfolds, and now I have to wait for Aug 2013 for book 4.

[Jessica Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third installment of the Erin Solomon saga, Southern Cross, deepens the mystery surrounding Erin's family while focusing on her BFF (and more?) Diggs. I have become enthralled with these characters and their intimate, though infinitely flawed relationship. I want to know more about what makes them tick, both individually and together, though they're imperfect and not always likable. Diggs, for example, is a recovering drug-addict and alcoholic, who has a history of failed marriages and balking at his feelings for Erin. And yet, I absolutely adore him! Erin, too, often irks me and makes me want to shake her, but she's become one of my absolute favorite book heroines. The complexities of these characters and the mysteries surrounding them will keep me coming back for more again and again!

[Sheila Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another and probably my favorite of this book series, which follows Erin Solomon as she tries to unravel the truth of her childhood and its connection to a string of murders. My problem with the book is once again, I found myself more interested in the love triangle than the mystery. And secondly, Erin and Diggs seemed to have nine lives, pushing the boundaries of credibility. Although, I liked these characters, I did find myself frustrated with them. I am not a fan of series, for the most part and when I do read them, I like the story to be able to stand-alone. Sadly, none of these in this series can do that. Too many questions are left unanswered. I expected this book to finally answer the big questions of the mystery, but it did not. Southern Cross (Erin Solomon Pentalogy Book 3)

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately pleased and intrigued that the opening of this book was written from Diggs's point of view. This made so much sense as the premise of the book was investigating the death of one of his oldest friends. I liked that the book changed perspective; Diggs's, Erin's and Danny's to name a few.

This had a different feel to the first two novels in the series. This felt like a smaller community, and, almost like Agatha Christie's novels the guilty ones are hidden in plain sight all along.
This was linked to the first two novels but not too much so, until the conclusion. I found myself making comparisons between the Payson Church and the Church in this story. I found this a more gruesome and uncomfortable read than the first two novels.

[Jean Boobar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another well-written book with amazingly imaginative physically threatening situations popping up all throughout. This is the 3rd book in a series of 5 Erin Soloman stories, and it's good to read them in order because there are references to events that happened previously. In this, we learn more about Diggs's Kentucky childhood, but not about Juarez's "missing years." Erin feels her father is somehow involved in all the attacks on various people, but she cannot figure out how or why. I do think I'm a little tired of all the blood, broken bones and bruising, but expect I will proceed through the next two so I may learn the root of "all this evil."

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it says I read the paper back but they didn't have the kindle version on here and that's where I read it. Loved it! So far this is my favorite book of the series. I can't wait till August when the next book comes out. I hope all 3 main characters are back in the next book they make a great team. I can't wait to find out more of this mysterious group that Erin's father is tangled up with. What will happen next and will Cameron come to Erin's aid again even though he's one of the bad guys.