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Cape Refuge #2

Southern Storm

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Sequel to the #1 best-selling Cape Refuge First a dead stranger. Now a missing Police Chief. Did Chief Cade run off to elope . . . or has he met with foul play? The body in the morgue had no ID. No one knew who he was or where he came from when he walked out in front of Cade’s car. And when Cade learns he had a gunshot wound before he was struck, finding his identity becomes even more urgent. Then Cade vanishes. Authorities discover the victim’s name, and the woman Cade was last seen with turns out to have been the dead man’s wife. Speculation abounds about Cade’s relationship to the woman and his part in the victim’s death. His disappearance makes him look even more suspicious. But Blair Owens doesn’t believe the rumors. Something has happened to Cade, and she’s determined to find him. Saving Cade’s life will take faith in a God whom Blair has always doubted—but he may be her only hope.

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2003

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About the author

Terri Blackstock

90 books5,552 followers
Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over seven million books sold worldwide.. She has had over thirty years of success as a novelist.

Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in a U.S. Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them that they’re valued by God and that their trials have a purpose.

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5 stars
3,901 (48%)
4 stars
2,780 (34%)
3 stars
1,177 (14%)
2 stars
164 (2%)
1 star
38 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
Profile Image for Hannah.
2,834 reviews1,437 followers
May 20, 2019
4/1/19
Another solid entry in the Cape Refuge series. Blair and Cade’s story began in the last book, and now they’re getting their own story. It’s got plenty of angst as it begins with a murder, follows that with a disappearance, and continues with kidnapping.

It gave me a lot of enjoyment, but I can’t quite bump it up to five stars because some of the characters’ actions just stretched reality for me at times, as well as one almost-swear and a “sanitized” swear that surprised me.
Profile Image for Lovely Day.
1,004 reviews169 followers
September 4, 2022
4⭐️

Detective Cade accidentally runs over a jaywalker in his police cruiser, only to later find out the man had been shot before he walked into traffic.

Now Detective Cade has gone missing.

At Hanover House, Morgan and Jonathan are raising Sadie, their teenage foster daughter who is hanging with the wrong crowd. Karen, a pregnant homeless woman moves into Hanover house and also meets tragedy after her baby is born.



I like this story, but don’t jive with the narrator 🤷🏼‍♀️
95 reviews
August 13, 2013
I always like Terri Blackstock as a writer, though this series is not among my most favorites. Blair and Morgan are sort of annoying. Two things about this particular book.

First, my only criticism is that the end was a bit over the top. I thought it could have been done a bit more realistically. Cade's reactions seemed a bit ridiculous. I will note that the writer's characters do tend to charge in without thought at times and I see that is her mo for driving the plot and creating drama. At times, a bit repetitive, but people doing stupid things in real life does create drama. That is real enough I guess.

Second, a praise. I had not ever heard too much about the scriptures on the cities of refuge (only vaguely familar and never had been developed for me). Very enlightening and beautiful; it adds so much to Christian fiction to teach me more about my faith and the object thereof: Jesus! Thank you Lord, for being our city of refuge, the one we can never lose.

Nicely done Ms. Blackstock. I will likely read the reast of the Cape Refuge books. They do keep me turning pages and what more do you want from a suspense book?
Profile Image for Audrey.
1,765 reviews81 followers
October 30, 2022
Cade accidently hit a man while driving his police cruiser who later died in the hospital. At first it was thought it was suicide until it was discovered that the man had been shot earlier. Few days after the incident Cade disappeared and immediately people thought the worst of him accusing him of crimes including being a participant in a baby kidnapping ring. Blair is the only one convinced of his innocence and suspects that he is in danger. She risks her own life in order to do everything in her power to find and rescue him.
2 reviews
November 20, 2015
I read the book “Southern Storm” by Terri Blackstock and I thought it was a good book. I thought the book Southern Storm was good because it leaves you on the edge of your seat. It has great details, and you can imagine it in your head and see everything that’s happening. It’s also an amazing thriller and has a little bit of mystery. I think this book is better than the first one in the series.

I feel this way about the book because they used a lot of details. An example is when Chad, a police officer, hit a man who ran out in front of him, and how he looked after wards. When I read this, I could picture it clearly in my head. I saw how he sat in the police station at his desk with his head in his hands. He was soaked because of all the rain and was staring at the ground with guilt. After wards he went to the hospital in his wet clothes to see if the man was still alive, but he wasn’t. Chad’s face looked pale like he was going to throw up.

This book leaves you on the edge of your seat by starting to tell you where people are then it throws a twist about them missing. When Chad ran over a man, he interviews people and then goes missing after being seen with one of the interviewers. No one believes he’s missing till one of his friends says something. Did one of the suspects take him and hurt him or has he just disappeared for a while to get away.
Profile Image for Nancy.
2,577 reviews65 followers
August 12, 2018
Nice cover and good title for this suspenseful story as there is a storm at the start and end of this tale.
Blair is the one to watch in this story. She has a razor tongue and dogged determination to find Cade and clear his name.
Profile Image for Joleen.
2,657 reviews1,227 followers
March 22, 2024
Southern Storm: by Terri Blackstock
Main Characters:
Matthew Cade: Cape Refuge Police Chief
Blair Owens: Librarian searching for Cade
Morgan & Jonathan: Blair's sister and brother-in-law
Sadie: Hanover house teen resident

The title of the book threw me. I was expecting serious weather. Instead there’s a storm of serious events that are true page-turners.

Whew. A lot to take in but the suspense and story are enjoyable.

Nice to finally read how Blair and Cade become an item. It’s clear in this book how much she loves and believes in him.

This was an audiobook. I'd suggest reading it. The narrator was good, but for the suspenseful parts (and there were a lot). You might want to read it for your own enjoyment.

Faith issues were a bit eye-rolly at times, but a number of characters were sincere about their faith and were influential to others, something I appreciat.

Over all it was a good book.

3.5 stars
Profile Image for Heather Harshman.
88 reviews6 followers
January 5, 2013
Terri Blackstock effectively weaves a number of mysteries into one so you are continually trying to piece things together. She does so while keeping the pace moving. Not a chapter goes by without learning or wondering something.

This book is even slightly better than the first one in this series because the mystery is more complex. I found myself more intrigued and engaged by the characters.

While the reading is easy and the story line is not complex, it is still entertaining and realistic. It's a nice book for commuting or short bits of time here and there because it can easily be put down for a few days or read a chapter or two at a time without having to catch up by rereading pages.
Profile Image for Lauren Walker.
83 reviews4 followers
May 30, 2016
I have to warn you, once I started reading this series I could NOT put it down. So please forgive me if I give details of book three in this series as well. It is not intentional but very possible.

So were back in the island town of Cape Refuge. After a couple of murders and mysteries have been resolved, all is going well. Until a storm rolls in... Chief Cade is trying to get to an area for traffic control when someone walks out in front of him. Cade is devastated until he learns the man was shot before being ran over. Could this have anything to do with the other crazy stuff that's been happening close by?

After the man is identified his grieving wife becomes a suspect when Chief Cade disappears. Too bad its only Blair that's really believing her involvement in all this. Blair and Cade have become close over the last couple months, so she really doesn't believe the note that comes in the mail. It details Cade running away to marry some secret girlfriend. Do you know Cade? He would NEVER do that!!!

Around the same time of Cade disappearing a woman extremely pregnant shows up on the doorsteps of Hanover House. Karen was about to burst, which made Morgan and Jonathon accept her without the usual hassles to get into the program. When she finally goes into labor (which isn't really that long) everyone is happy and excited to watch the new mom and baby grow together. Until a nurse comes into the room saying they needed to run some tests on the baby, that nurse and the baby never come back into the room.

With Cade missing, everyone starts to believe he has something to do with it except for Blair. She would spend very few hours at her job running the library and practically every waking hour looking for Cade. Cade in the meantime is being held and drugged into doing what the captors want. It isn't until Blair gets brave and breaks into the woman's house that we get all the answers we were waiting for.

The baby is eventually returned, and all is well that ends well. Or so they think...


I really regret not talking more about Blair with the first book. She has really become one of my favorite characters in this book. Blair and Cade have there own love story developing, and honestly that surprised me. Blair is no longer working for the library, she ended up quitting when they threatened to find someone else if she kept closing early or not even opening. But don't worry, she will be fine. I also left out in the first one that Morgan and Jonathon had gotten legal custody of Sadie and her baby brother until their mom is released from prison. Again, please forgive me if I'm intertwining books, but if you are reading them you will understand!! Enjoy :)
Profile Image for Elaine.
2,258 reviews2 followers
January 30, 2010
Cade hits a person with his vehicle and the man dies. Cade is now missing and Blair is really worried. He's last seen with a mysterious woman. Jonathan starts to become concerned.

Newborns are disappearing from hospitals and Karen from Hanover House is in the hospital after just delivering a boy.

Even though the believability aspect is questionable, there's something about this book that I like. It's got some excitement to it. Blair's got guts but what's up with the scar angle. She has scars. We get that. But why keep bringing it up? It's like every emotion Blair has, those facial scars flare up along with the emotion. Big whoop! She's the hothead in the group and won't take "NO" for an answer. If others aren't going to do anything, she will!

There's Sadie who the girls at school are talking behind her back about and what's up with the popular guy at school?

There's Morgan and Jonathan who are in the middle of it all. Morgan is Blair's sister and married to Jonathan. Jonathan and Cade are good friends. For Morgan to help Blair, she really can't tell Jonathan what she's up to. For Sadie to tell what she knows, she has to tell what she's been up to.

There's mystery here but only for a time for the reader. The mystery is for the characters in the book to piece together. There's plenty "Don't do it. I wouldn't do that if I were you" in here.
Profile Image for Wendy Sparkes.
Author 3 books24 followers
September 19, 2015
#2 Cape Refuge

Really enjoyed my return to Cape Refuge, and meeting up with familiar characters from #1. I loved the Cities of Refuge theme from the Bible. That was well done and nicely incorporated into the story ~ I don't think I've read that theme in another fiction book. It was definitely a unique touch that had added so much to the story.

A series I recommend reading in order, as a lot of the background of this story happens in #1.

Cape Refuge Series
#1 Cape Refuge (Cape Refuge, #1) by Terri Blackstock #2 Southern Storm (Cape Refuge, #2) by Terri Blackstock #3 River's Edge (Cape Refuge Series, #3) by Terri Blackstock #4 Breaker's Reef (Cape Refuge, #4) by Terri Blackstock
Profile Image for Gina Hott.
742 reviews70 followers
April 27, 2014
They think Cade ran away and got married without telling anyone?
Why on earth would people believe something like that? Well, yeas, there was a letter from Cade saying that he ran away to marry some girl he never had introduced anyone to. Who would believe that? All of the cops. The FBI. Just not Blair so she sets off to find out who that woman was that he was last seen with.

Then Karen, one of the residents of Hanover House, hands her baby to a nurse in the hospital. Only it wasn't really a nurse - it was a kidnapper - and now her baby is missing.

And Sadie, poor Sadie, can't make friends. The only person who ever speaks to her at school Morgan & Jonathan don't want her to socialize with. So what is a seventeen year old to do? She sneaks out.
This is really an enthralling book. It is very interesting and watching their trust for God grow and change is encompassing. It's definitely worth the read - I couldn't put it down!
Profile Image for Sarita.
1,508 reviews654 followers
April 8, 2015
I still have to read a book by Terri Blackstock I don't like. This book kept me up way past my bedtime to finish it.

The suspense was a page turner, and the story-line was realistic, well except for the letter. I had some early on suspicions on what is going on and who was involved, but not until the scene with the bloody bandage did I truly believe I knew who the accomplice was. I liked that the story-line kept me guessing right up till the end.

The Christian message of God being your ultimate refuge was well included in the story-line and lives of the characters.

If you like Christian suspense, definitely recommend you pick up this series or anything else by Terri Blackstock.
Profile Image for Crystal.
364 reviews34 followers
April 25, 2023
I really enjoyed this one! Even more than the first. I was delighted that this second book was a continuation of the first book in the series. I love series that continue on with the same characters and new storyline! This one focused more on Blair and Cade. Cade goes missing and Blair sets out to find him.

It’s definitely a suspense and mystery, and the suspense had me screaming at one point lol.

It’s clean and faith based. I’m looking forward to the third book in this four part series!
Profile Image for Caryl.
1,926 reviews24 followers
December 18, 2023
Blackstock has crafted an edge of your seat suspense. I was immediately immersed into the drama. Twists and turns kept me turning the pages. I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series.

The one thing I didn't like about this novel is that a character we met in book one had his name changed. Every time I read the name I thought of the one in book one.

Recommend to readers who enjoy suspense novels.

I borrowed a copy from the library. I've expressed my honest view.
Profile Image for Kristina.
310 reviews
March 16, 2010
This is the second book in the Cape Refuge series by Terri Blackstock. It was an entertaining and enjoyable read. I do have a hard time wondering just how realistic such a small town having so much large scale crime like murder, kidnapping, infant snatching, loan sharking, etc really is... But if you can use your imagination and get past that it is a pretty entertaining series to read.
Profile Image for Beth Brekke.
169 reviews35 followers
June 17, 2019
Every bit as good as the first book in this series. Terri Blackstock writes another intriguing Christian mystery novel in the Cape Refuge series that entertains and focuses on Christ as our refuge and strength. It occasionally crosses the lines of unbelievability and preachiness and the ending was a little flat, but overall, a very enjoyable book and I look forward to the next.
Profile Image for SaraEmma.
41 reviews13 followers
August 22, 2022
Outstanding sequel! It was hard to get anything done due to not wanting to put this book down.
The plot moved at a speedy but appropriate pace and the characters were extremely enjoyable.
I loved that the chapters were super short. Typically, 3-5 pages long. It made me feel productive in that I was reading three chapters in the time I usually read one. 😄
Profile Image for Blaky.
8 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2011
This book was okay. I solved all but one part of the mystery, pretty early in the book. I think i prefer a little more crime solving and a little less drama. However, the casserole scene made the whole thing worth reading. You have to love the use of meals ministry in crime solving!:-)
Profile Image for Cindy.
164 reviews6 followers
December 26, 2019
Terri Blackstock, you've redeemed yourself in my eyes! The first book in this series in my humble opinion, was not the page turner until more than half way thru it I expect it to be however, book #2 kept me up late every night I had the time to read!!! Loved it!!!
Profile Image for Danica is Booked.
1,975 reviews58 followers
July 19, 2010
I like Blackstock's style. I really like books by Henderson, Blackstock, Peterson, and other authors who blend an intriguing tale while including a Christian element. I liked this book a lot.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
486 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2019
A great mystery kept me guessing to the end. Heart beating fast couldn’t wait to get to thrilling ending. Christian fiction at its best. Really like this author. Thanks carol for recommending
Profile Image for Janet.
3,330 reviews24 followers
September 19, 2019
This is another wonderful addition to the series. I couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews

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