Remember Me?

by Barbara Petty

Thea Browne nearly died fighting off a crazed killer who kidnapped Thea’s Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother and Thea herself, and had viciously attacked Thea’s sister, after having murdered two other people. Thea was severely injured in the death match she was forced to fight, and, as she lay in a hospital bed recovering from her wounds, she had an unexpected visitor: Jerry Anderson, the lead detective, who had accused Thea’s mother of having pushed her husband and caretaker, George Prentice, off a cliff in an Alzheimer’s-induced rage.
But by the time he finds his way to Thea’s hospital room, Jerry Anderson is a changed man. He realizes that Thea is the person who solved the case and exposed the real killer—and nearly lost her life in doing so. His feelings about Thea have changed to the point that the only way he can express how he feels is to kiss her. And that kiss stays in Thea’s memory as she continues to recover.
Eventually, Thea and Jerry meet again, and this time their attraction is mutual and they begin seeing each other romantically. Jerry’s sister, Beth Anderson, is eager to get to know Thea because she recognizes Thea’s detective skills and her highly sensitive intuition might help solve the mysterious death of Beth’s former boss and lover, Hal Gray. Beth suspects Hal’s wife may have had something to do with her husband’s death, and when Thea looks into the case, she is inclined to go along with Beth.
But when Thea digs deeper, she discovers a diabolical plot that can never be brought to justice.

132 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2017

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a novella, a short book that fills in some development of the characters that appeared in the first Thea Browne book, What Has Mother Done? While it does deal with an unexpected death that Thea helps to explain, the book is less a mystery and more of a light romance. It does serve as a bridge between the first and second book in the series, Where’s the Body,? which was released shortly after the novella.

Thea is suffering the aftermath of a concussion, but has resumed care of her Alzheimers-afflicted mother with the help of her wise and caring Auntie D. Some memory lapses have Thea wondering if Detective Jerry Anderson had actually visited her in the hospital and if they had exchanged an unexpected kiss. As their budding relationship moves forward, Jerry introduces Thea to his sister Beth, a realtor whose boss suffered the aforementioned death.

I recommend this little book for achieving the purpose for which it was intended. It serves as a reminder to the reader of events in the first book (without revealing the murderer) and prepares the reader for the new life Thea is beginning in her hometown.