Dark Corners

Roman Cantrell-Nikki Holden Mystery #2

by Elaine Raco Chase

Exciting Explicit Extraterrestrial? All over south Florida people are seeing things - things that can't be real - or can they? Nikki Holden's boss gives her the most bizarre assignment of her career. More than 200 solid citizens have reported sightings and contacts with UFO's! Soon she's on the trail of the truth with help from the Univ. of Tenn. Space Insitute & the Air Force ! Roman Cantrell comes to the aide of an old Army buddy and finds himself with the most baflling case of his career. Did the US Army actually hijack an armored car? Or is his buddy feeding Roman a pack of lies? When their cases converge - Roman and Nikki become trapped in a plot that's stranger than science fiction but as real as death in Dark Corners.

278 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1988

About the author

Elaine Raco Chase is the award-winning author of seventeen paperback novels with over 3 million books in print. She is published in 25 countries and 15 languages.

As a romance writer, Chase has won two sales awards for top romance novels of the year, Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for romantic suspense, and the Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Award for writing excellence. Her non-fiction debut Amateur Detectives - A Writer's Guide was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Christie Award.

Elaine was past President of Sisters in Crime International, a charter member of Romance Writers of America and a registered lecturer for Poets and Writers.

She currently teaches a variety of writing courses.

Reviews

[Donna Fasano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story! This well-plotted, entertaining page-turner kept me riveted. Nikki is a vivacious redhead and Roman is just the top-dog kind of guy to take her on. The twists and turns in the book make it a really great read.

[Gaele · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, Nikki is now finally recovered from the beating she had taken, and is feeling a bit unsettled by her own indecision regarding leaving Roman’s house. She’s not interested (she thinks) in connections, doesn’t believe in romance, can’t find a reason why Roman would want her, and still doesn’t want to go. But she is B O R E D and restless, so the opportunity to debunk the journalistic disaster that is the bread and butter of her boss Matt’s new acquisition is too tempting and tasty.

UFO’s are being sighted all over south Florida, and a pairing with one of the tabloid’s ace ‘reporters’ brings her to a site with a boomerang-shaped imprint, chlorophyll-leached sugarcane, a 30 metre fissure, some strange rocks and a dead body. The body belongs to a guard who disappeared after an armored truck heist, working for a company that is a client of Roman’s security firm.

Oh the twists are big and broad in this one: with mysteries overlapping and connecting, an M1A1 Abrams tank, UFO’s, a commander at the local Air Force Base, Nikki’s Mafia-don protector and his interior-decorating henchman, the FBI, CIA, ATF and a series of serious scientists, sane and not.

With what I have come to see as Chase’s trademark wise-cracking interactive dialogue, Nikki becomes the center of the story as pieces start to fall into place and her determination to ‘get’ the story sends her off, curiosity piqued, into confirming her hunches. When you add in a completely brilliant and utterly bonkers antagonist, a tigress, several geeks with questionable morality and Roman’s take no prisoners approach to keeping Nikki in his life, the story is hard to walk away from. Real science and information is a highlight as the plot develops, and several passages may require a bit of second or third reading, but the seeming overload of technical detail does start to place Nikki’s thought process into the reader’s head, and you see how she arrives at, and decides to investigate her conclusions.

This isn’t a simple mystery with interconnected pieces, relationships and a bit of personal baggage thrown in to mix things up, but that just serves to add dimension and plausibility to the characters. While the mystery is solid and captivating, you want to read on because of Nikki and Roman, you become their cheerleader and partner.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
This review was originally posted on I am, Indeed

[Laura Yon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decades before Patricia Cornwell, Elaine Raco Chase was doing extensive research to put reality and cutting edge science and technology into her intrigues and excellently developed crime drama, with great dialog and story development. I discovered her romance comedies in the public library and ravenously sought every one of her titles. It was tragic to learn her writing was interrupted because of a serious accident and I was distraught to think new titles wouldn't be forthcoming. At that time I wasn't able to purchase the books, but whenever possible I'd re-read library copies whenever they were available. How delighted to discover -30 years later- that the titles have been reprinted, are available for Kindle and are just as delightful as I remember them! I still laugh out loud at the witty quipts and double entendres that flow so exquisitely in Elaine Raco Chase's books. Imagine combining Judith Kent and Patricia Cornwell; that's Elaine Raco Chase writing style. Make it a goal to own each of her books! I do!

[Linda Guiton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. This is the Book 2 with the characters of Roman Cantrell and Nikki Holden. If you enjoy a really puzzling mystery with some out of this world elements, this will not disappoint you. It has a little of everything, UFOs, robberies, strange, strange, strange characters and a little bit of romance. There are some very weird turns and a rather surprising and satisfying ending.

While this is a stand alone book, you might want to read Book 1, Dangerous Places, before this one. While the stories are different, you would get an understanding of the relationship between Roman and Nikki that will make book two even more enjoyable. I do not usually read mysteries, but have been totally engrossed in both of these books and truly enjoyed them.

[Jane Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. .Such details. .Romance. . Hot sex. . Mystery. .it has it all including a history lesson
And humorous lines that made me LAUGH.. Roman and Nikki still have a lot to learn about Each Other.. Life.....Crime ..... and UFO's. Along with their friends they have a Big MYSTERY to solve.. Do you believe in Aliens that fly UFO's... come along with Nikki and see what she and Roman learn , Get to know their friends.. and watch what happens to their enemies..

[Jan Murphree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!!!

OK funny romantic....mystery..suspense!!!!
Loved it!!! This'd is a great series!!!
I hope Elaine Rack Chase continues...
Could not put it down!!!
Buy it you will love it!!