Book 2 in the Cornwall & Company Mystery Series....When the former Marigold Flowers is booted out of WitSec, suspected of orchestrating the attempted murder of a US Marshal, she finds sanctuary with the Cornwall brothers and their friends. But Jefferson Cornwall, best-selling thriller author and TV producer is hardly a pushover when it comes to taking on a woman with contract killers out to get her. Now that she's shed her old identity, the reborn Olivia Michaud is determined to prove her innocence. There's only one problem. All the evidence seems to indicate her guilt. Forced to flee with her new unofficial witness protection team, she's still tormented by the death of the man she planned to marry. Was it her fault Jared Spears was brutally murdered? With millions of dollars at stake, and a relentless and clever villain on her heels, Olivia is determined to figure out the secret Jared Spears took to the grave with him. But the prickly and demanding Jefferson Cornwall can't seem to make up his mind about her involvement in the crimes. Sparks fly between them, complicating the case, as they spar over the truth and their attraction to one another. Will he abandon her just when the mastermind of this convoluted plot gets close enough to destroy her?
Sara M. Barton is the author of several fast-paced cozy mysteries featuring lively characters: The Scarlet Wilson Mysteries, The Off the Books Mysteries, The International Killer Chefs Competition Mysteries (The first book in the new series is entitled "Frosted!")
She has also written hybrid "cozy thriller" series, offering likeable characters and wild twists: The Gabby Grimm Fairy Tale Mysteries, The Cornwall & Company Mysteries
She also has written dark and dangerous spy thrillers based on historical events dating back to the Cold War. Some of these touch on now-unclassified government-funded research programs examining the feasibility of psychic abilities: The Project Stargazer Thrillers, The Arden Woods Thrillers
Sara M. Barton offers helpful tips, information, and education for families providing care to a loved one on The Practical Caregiver Guides website and her blog. As a passionate advocate for improving the lives of cancer patients and others managing serious health challenges, she has written "The Practical Caregiver's Essential Guide: How to Help Someone You Love" and a short, free guide for caregivers providing end-of-life care called "The Practical Caregiver's Guide to Home Hospice".
She is also a classically trained artist who loves to paint landscapes, seascapes, and portraits.
I like that the main character is such a great gal, really full of integrity and gratitude. But both of the first two books are too much of the same thing. They're always hiding out from the bad guys and killing time indifferent hotels and resorts. The plot needs more variety. Also, the love affair with Jefferson is not very believable.
This was a really good fast paced story that kept me reading. I finally found out how the bad guys kept finding her, except when she was in Florida. SB is using a book within a book again to help the h figure things out. Not sure how I feel about that. I skipped through a lot of that just to get back to her thoughts. I'm on to the last of the three in this series.
In book two, our heroine, sorry she’s had so many names I lost track of which one she’s using now, is on the run with new friends and in search of answers. The characters are interesting, and fun. The story, well written. At this point in the story, we’re invested with this likable heroine. Still haven’t finish her story, so on to book three.
I really enjoyed reading In the Shadows of a Lie. It pulls you in and makes you want to know more. Not only this story but, the story within the story.