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Dark Seas #1
Siren's Secret
In Debbie Herbert's debut novel, there are two secrets, each one with a deadly consequence….
Shelly Connors's worlds—on land and in the sea—are turned upside down when an evening swim turns into a nightmare. On a sweltering night deep in the bayou, the mystical mermaid witnesses a horrifying act. With a monstrous killer now hot on her trail, her life and the lives of her kin are in jeopardy.
Terrified of becoming the next victim, Shelly has no choice but to turn to Sheriff Tillman Angier. Tillman has had his intense gray eyes on the sultry honey-haired beauty for a while. The feelings are mutual …and impossible to ignore. But he's determined to solve the murders, and he knows Shelly's hiding something. Can she trust him with her deepest secret?
Shelly Connors's worlds—on land and in the sea—are turned upside down when an evening swim turns into a nightmare. On a sweltering night deep in the bayou, the mystical mermaid witnesses a horrifying act. With a monstrous killer now hot on her trail, her life and the lives of her kin are in jeopardy.
Terrified of becoming the next victim, Shelly has no choice but to turn to Sheriff Tillman Angier. Tillman has had his intense gray eyes on the sultry honey-haired beauty for a while. The feelings are mutual …and impossible to ignore. But he's determined to solve the murders, and he knows Shelly's hiding something. Can she trust him with her deepest secret?
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
36 people are currently reading
1456 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Herbert
76 books683 followersDebbie Herbert, a USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestselling writer, pens Psychological Suspense, romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels. She’s always been fascinated by magic, romance and Gothic stories.
Married and living in Alabama, she roots for the Crimson Tide football team. When not working on her upcoming books, Debbie enjoys recumbent bicycling and jet skiing with her husband.
2017 RITA® Finalist for Paranormal Romance in the national contest sponsored by the Romance Writers of America® Debbie has a degree in English (Berry College, GA) and a master’s in Library Studies (University of Alabama).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
April 15, 2018
I had some trouble getting into this book. The first 25% or so just felt awkward--the writing seemed stilted, the characters were wooden, and I was having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that our heroine is a mermaid who (almost) painlessly transitions from one form to another depending on whether or not she's in the ocean. Yeah, I knew this was a mermaid book, but it was weird.
Somewhere around the 30% mark, though, I started to get into the story. Shelly, our half-mermaid heroine, has witnessed a serial killer dropping a dead body into the ocean, and now she's in line to be the next victim. Her full-mermaid cousins, Lily and Jet, want her to keep it secret so they exact "mermaid justice" on the killer, but Shelly wants to follow the proper legal channels, which is weird (again) because the mermaids have totally tampered with the evidence and are keeping half of what they know a secret AND Shelly's dating the sheriff, Tillman Angiers.
The secret to enjoying this siren tale is to disengage one's critical faculties and just enjoy it for what it is: a cheesy romantic suspense paranormal novel. With mermaids. Who act too stupid to live for most of the story, but eh, I guess that's okay because they can just jump in the ocean and swim away from everything if it gets too much to handle. Even with my critical faculties switched into "off" mode, I still didn't like the romance. Tillman was awfully rude and heavy-handed with Shelly for most of the story, and the sex scenes weren't anywhere near hot enough to make me forget it.
My favorite character was the serial killer's dog, Rebel, a hairless Chinese crested. And the killer was totally devoted to his dog, which made me feel sorry for him, being a messed-up serial killer, because honestly, the way he was presented, I don't think he had a choice. And just in case anyone is concerned, don't worry, the dog lives. Otherwise, I would have removed all the stars.
Recommended if you are in the mood for something silly and different in the paranormal romance field. It was better than I thought it was going to be!
Read for What is Life Without Books group theme read: mermaids.
Somewhere around the 30% mark, though, I started to get into the story. Shelly, our half-mermaid heroine, has witnessed a serial killer dropping a dead body into the ocean, and now she's in line to be the next victim. Her full-mermaid cousins, Lily and Jet, want her to keep it secret so they exact "mermaid justice" on the killer, but Shelly wants to follow the proper legal channels, which is weird (again) because the mermaids have totally tampered with the evidence and are keeping half of what they know a secret AND Shelly's dating the sheriff, Tillman Angiers.
The secret to enjoying this siren tale is to disengage one's critical faculties and just enjoy it for what it is: a cheesy romantic suspense paranormal novel. With mermaids. Who act too stupid to live for most of the story, but eh, I guess that's okay because they can just jump in the ocean and swim away from everything if it gets too much to handle. Even with my critical faculties switched into "off" mode, I still didn't like the romance. Tillman was awfully rude and heavy-handed with Shelly for most of the story, and the sex scenes weren't anywhere near hot enough to make me forget it.
My favorite character was the serial killer's dog, Rebel, a hairless Chinese crested. And the killer was totally devoted to his dog, which made me feel sorry for him, being a messed-up serial killer, because honestly, the way he was presented, I don't think he had a choice. And just in case anyone is concerned, don't worry, the dog lives. Otherwise, I would have removed all the stars.
Recommended if you are in the mood for something silly and different in the paranormal romance field. It was better than I thought it was going to be!
Read for What is Life Without Books group theme read: mermaids.
January 4, 2014
Seriously now how many girls have not at one time or another pretended to be a mermaid in the tub? So a book about a mermaid was enough to draw me in but there is so much more.
A mermaid, a sheriff and a serial killer. And with adding that last element this became a real page turner.
While out for a swim Shelly encounters the serial killer. He tries to kill her as she dives away but ends up only stabbing her in the fin. This sets the story of him trying to kill her, her trying to help the sheriff, that she is so attracted to but cant tell she is a mermaid, and oh yes let's throw in some relatives that are mermaids and a very interesting family for the sheriff to tie it all together.
This story flows smoothly and each of the characters are so well developed that I could actually picture them. Give this book a try. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
A mermaid, a sheriff and a serial killer. And with adding that last element this became a real page turner.
While out for a swim Shelly encounters the serial killer. He tries to kill her as she dives away but ends up only stabbing her in the fin. This sets the story of him trying to kill her, her trying to help the sheriff, that she is so attracted to but cant tell she is a mermaid, and oh yes let's throw in some relatives that are mermaids and a very interesting family for the sheriff to tie it all together.
This story flows smoothly and each of the characters are so well developed that I could actually picture them. Give this book a try. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
November 16, 2015
3.5 stars
It was a good surprise. A light romance and lots of suspense involving a mermaid and her two cousins, a sheriff, and a serial killer targeting women.
It was a good surprise. A light romance and lots of suspense involving a mermaid and her two cousins, a sheriff, and a serial killer targeting women.
November 1, 2015
There were so many things I loved about this book. First off, the cover... Gorgeous! The second, and probably most important thing I loved, was that this novel took me completely by surprise. I don't really know what I was expecting, what with this being my first mermaid book, but I wasn't expecting this. Okay, maybe I do know what I was expecting... something a little more Disney but what I got was something a little more gritty.
Sorry for the intentional rhyming... on with the review.
Herbert gives you story from the first page. As a bookworm, I appreciate that. It starts with Shelly, a totally sweet and lovable hybrid (half mermaid, half human) witnessing a guy dumping a body into the ocean. The bad guy of the story, Melkie (weird name, huh? Almost as weird as the guy himself) sees her and stabs her in the tail fin with his knife. Shelly then rushes home where she tells her cousins, Jet (a bad ass, no nonsense mermaid) and Lily (an irresistable siren, who is a bit of a player) what happened. Shelly wants to go to the police, but her cousins convince her not to in order to preserve their mermaid secret.
Trying to steer the police toward the killer without exposing her secret grows all the more complicated when Tillman, the sheriff and her love interest, starts asking hard questions that she can't answer. Despite the fact that he knows she's hiding something, a romance blooms between the two, and boy is it hot. There are times that I wanted to strangle Tillman, but the fact is I could understand where he was coming from, and in the end, he did the right thing.
My favorite character was Eddie, Tillman's autistic brother. I loved him because I've always been fascinated with autism, and the character was perfectly drawn by the author. Not only that, Eddie helps Tillman realize something very important after he finds out Shelly is a mermaid. Cooler still is that he does it with two words.
"Like me?"
Yes, Tillman got schooled. You'll have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about.
I also thought the villain was well crafted and thought out. He's completely creepy and psychotic, and yet there are times that you feel bad for and even relate to him. I like my villains with layers because "just doing bad things for reasons," is so boring.
Another thing I loved about this book, and something I want in my own personal life... Mermaid hair! Yes, their hair grows like an inch a week, which would probably get annoying after awhile, but think of all the style options! Also, I wouldn't mind having some of that cool night vision.
Herbert's world is enchanting, magical, and romantic. I polished it off in less than two days so I'm glad it's only the first of a series. And yes, I will be reading the rest.
Sorry for the intentional rhyming... on with the review.
Herbert gives you story from the first page. As a bookworm, I appreciate that. It starts with Shelly, a totally sweet and lovable hybrid (half mermaid, half human) witnessing a guy dumping a body into the ocean. The bad guy of the story, Melkie (weird name, huh? Almost as weird as the guy himself) sees her and stabs her in the tail fin with his knife. Shelly then rushes home where she tells her cousins, Jet (a bad ass, no nonsense mermaid) and Lily (an irresistable siren, who is a bit of a player) what happened. Shelly wants to go to the police, but her cousins convince her not to in order to preserve their mermaid secret.
Trying to steer the police toward the killer without exposing her secret grows all the more complicated when Tillman, the sheriff and her love interest, starts asking hard questions that she can't answer. Despite the fact that he knows she's hiding something, a romance blooms between the two, and boy is it hot. There are times that I wanted to strangle Tillman, but the fact is I could understand where he was coming from, and in the end, he did the right thing.
My favorite character was Eddie, Tillman's autistic brother. I loved him because I've always been fascinated with autism, and the character was perfectly drawn by the author. Not only that, Eddie helps Tillman realize something very important after he finds out Shelly is a mermaid. Cooler still is that he does it with two words.
"Like me?"
Yes, Tillman got schooled. You'll have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about.
I also thought the villain was well crafted and thought out. He's completely creepy and psychotic, and yet there are times that you feel bad for and even relate to him. I like my villains with layers because "just doing bad things for reasons," is so boring.
Another thing I loved about this book, and something I want in my own personal life... Mermaid hair! Yes, their hair grows like an inch a week, which would probably get annoying after awhile, but think of all the style options! Also, I wouldn't mind having some of that cool night vision.
Herbert's world is enchanting, magical, and romantic. I polished it off in less than two days so I'm glad it's only the first of a series. And yes, I will be reading the rest.
dnf
December 22, 2017I got maybe halfway through this book and then just couldn't take it anymore.
I listed to this as part of the Audible Romance Package, narrated by Stephanie Bentley. The narration was ok, despite some strange stylistic decisions on what I thought were odd words to place emphasis on. Except - EXCEPT! - the narrator takes these gasping breaths between sentences and it just grated. on. my. nerves. This was at least 50% of my decision to DNF this book, as if I listened to her take one more gaspy breath I was going to rip my hair out. It brought the performance rating from a solid 3 stars down to 1 right quick.
As for the book itself... meh. Shelly is a half-blood mermaid who is an aquatics therapist, and Tillman is the sexy detective older brother of one of her clients. (What the heck kind of name is "Tillman"?) I thought Shelly's occupation was a cool one for a mermaid - using water to help people with physical and mental disabilities to improve both their physical and mental health - and who doesn't love a hot, brooding detective? Only they're both super hot for each other and have been for a while, and once they start trying to hook up it's like playing old school Donkey Kong. You know, where you have to climb that level of ladders and platforms while Donkey Kong throws barrels at you and knocks you down? Just like that. Every time Tillman and Shelly get close to connecting (or have just connected and things might be going smoothly for five minutes), Donkey Kong throws another barrel and they're forced apart again by some misunderstanding, issue between Tillman and one of Shelly's cousins, anonymous note sent to the sheriff's station accusing Shelly's cousin of being the murderer... It was either the 3rd or 4th time this happened (a letter Tillman received just 30 minutes before he's supposed to meet Shelley for their make-up lunch) that I finally threw my hands in the there and pressed the one-star-DNF button on this thing.
I listed to this as part of the Audible Romance Package, narrated by Stephanie Bentley. The narration was ok, despite some strange stylistic decisions on what I thought were odd words to place emphasis on. Except - EXCEPT! - the narrator takes these gasping breaths between sentences and it just grated. on. my. nerves. This was at least 50% of my decision to DNF this book, as if I listened to her take one more gaspy breath I was going to rip my hair out. It brought the performance rating from a solid 3 stars down to 1 right quick.
As for the book itself... meh. Shelly is a half-blood mermaid who is an aquatics therapist, and Tillman is the sexy detective older brother of one of her clients. (What the heck kind of name is "Tillman"?) I thought Shelly's occupation was a cool one for a mermaid - using water to help people with physical and mental disabilities to improve both their physical and mental health - and who doesn't love a hot, brooding detective? Only they're both super hot for each other and have been for a while, and once they start trying to hook up it's like playing old school Donkey Kong. You know, where you have to climb that level of ladders and platforms while Donkey Kong throws barrels at you and knocks you down? Just like that. Every time Tillman and Shelly get close to connecting (or have just connected and things might be going smoothly for five minutes), Donkey Kong throws another barrel and they're forced apart again by some misunderstanding, issue between Tillman and one of Shelly's cousins, anonymous note sent to the sheriff's station accusing Shelly's cousin of being the murderer... It was either the 3rd or 4th time this happened (a letter Tillman received just 30 minutes before he's supposed to meet Shelley for their make-up lunch) that I finally threw my hands in the there and pressed the one-star-DNF button on this thing.
April 8, 2015
This was a great first novel for Debbie Herbert! I was so excited to have this mermaid book show up on my doorstep and it did not disappoint!
March 19, 2015
The first 50% were good.
July 11, 2014
http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2014/07/bo...
At first glance, Shelly Connors looks just like any other normal beautiful female except that she is unlike any other normal woman. She is a mermaid!
Hiding in plain sight and caught between two worlds, the human world and the under water mermaid world, Shelly's life is turned upside down when she witnesses a killer disposing a body and is in turn seen by him.
"Under autumn's moon-blood red
Beneath a foam-tipped wave
The unseen mermaid spies the dead
Sink to a watery grave."
Afraid that her secret is now known by a vicious killer and that she is now no longer safe, Shelly is at her wits end. She has to save herself as well as her species' secret while also get this serial killer apprehended.
Can she go to Sheriff Tillman Angier?
How will she explain her knowledge and how will she save her heart from falling for the tall and handsome Sheriff with intense eyes?
Can a mermaid have a future with a human?
I had never read mermaid romances so when I came across Debbie's book, I was intrigued. After spending my childhood watching Ariel, Disney's mermaid cartoon series named "The Little Mermaid", I have always been fascinated my these mystical beings.
Debbie expertly creates her world of humans and mermaids.I could visualize Shelly and her cousins under water as mermaids and on land living as normal humans. The plot is meticulously conceived and executed. A bayou, a sexy Sheriff, a dangerous serial killer, mystical mermaids living among humans and the thrill of hidden secrets, an engulfing chase and an intense romance. My day was made with this book!
"A mermaid- really? Can this be?
A creature of part land, part sea..."
The writing style of the author is simple and engaging. I specially loved the beautiful lyrical lines at the start of each chapter which give a brief preview to each chapter.
"Inside the heart of Happy Hollows
Resides the bleakness of the gallows
Broken houses with broken dreams
Rotted by sighs and tears and screams"
I loved the characterization. The characters are expertly sketched and no where do they seem unreal. I was charmed by the indepth thought the author has given to the mermaid angle and brought these creatures to life in her book. Now I will seriously look for possible mermaid signs among all the people I come across! Shelly and her cousins, Jet and Lilly are beautifully developed and Debbie incorporates the myth of mermaid beauty to the practicality of humans beautifully here. Sheriff Angier is a strong character with a deep sense of responsibility. He is dedicated to his family and leaves everything behind to care for them. The insight we get into people with autism through his brother, Eddie is soul touching and the message the author gives to people to handle such people with love and patience is not lost to the reader. The characterization of the killer is another strong point of the book. He is a man who has lost his sense of righteousness and a man with a past so dark that it drives his life of darkness. A good writer is one who makes her readers feel both for the protagonist and the antagonist and Debbie made me feel both for Shelly and for the killer. Hats off to her. This being her debut novel, she has done a splendid job of writing a story that touches our heart as well as brings great entertainment to the readers.
I was also very amused with "Chai Tea" that Shelly and her cousins drink. Now the word "Chai" in itself means Tea in Hindi language, so "Chai Tea" means Tea Tea! :)
I googled for this term and came to know that the chai that we Indians drink is the same as "Chai Tea". "Chai Tea" is just another term coined in the foreign countries. :)
The romance between Shelly and Tillman is intense and sensuous. I felt connected to these two and fervently hoped for a happily-ever-after for them. While I was engulfed in feeling the light and breezy felling of first love, I was also amply scared and frightened by the author through her killer who is hell bent on making Shelly his next target.
"In my truck, the killing jar,
You wont be going very far.
Don't think that you can get away,
I'm the hunter, you're my prey."
The author sets the stage for upcoming novels in this book and I look forward to reading the subsequent books in this series. I would love to know the story of Jet and Lilly. :)
All in all, a very entertaining paranormal romance that takes us to a beautiful bayou with cool ocean, scenic full moon and mystical mermaids who swim at night in all their glory. I really liked the book and give it a 4 out of 5 and strongly recommend it to everyone. Go read and enjoy this very entertaining novel from a very talented new author. I wish her the best and hope to read more from her in the future.
I received the book from the author and I am very thankful to her. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
"Who can you trust
What do you believe
When faith turns to dust
And love becomes need."
"Words as weapons
Syllables as shots
And in the cold pauses
I know he loves me not."
At first glance, Shelly Connors looks just like any other normal beautiful female except that she is unlike any other normal woman. She is a mermaid!
Hiding in plain sight and caught between two worlds, the human world and the under water mermaid world, Shelly's life is turned upside down when she witnesses a killer disposing a body and is in turn seen by him.
"Under autumn's moon-blood red
Beneath a foam-tipped wave
The unseen mermaid spies the dead
Sink to a watery grave."
Afraid that her secret is now known by a vicious killer and that she is now no longer safe, Shelly is at her wits end. She has to save herself as well as her species' secret while also get this serial killer apprehended.
Can she go to Sheriff Tillman Angier?
How will she explain her knowledge and how will she save her heart from falling for the tall and handsome Sheriff with intense eyes?
Can a mermaid have a future with a human?
I had never read mermaid romances so when I came across Debbie's book, I was intrigued. After spending my childhood watching Ariel, Disney's mermaid cartoon series named "The Little Mermaid", I have always been fascinated my these mystical beings.
Debbie expertly creates her world of humans and mermaids.I could visualize Shelly and her cousins under water as mermaids and on land living as normal humans. The plot is meticulously conceived and executed. A bayou, a sexy Sheriff, a dangerous serial killer, mystical mermaids living among humans and the thrill of hidden secrets, an engulfing chase and an intense romance. My day was made with this book!
"A mermaid- really? Can this be?
A creature of part land, part sea..."
The writing style of the author is simple and engaging. I specially loved the beautiful lyrical lines at the start of each chapter which give a brief preview to each chapter.
"Inside the heart of Happy Hollows
Resides the bleakness of the gallows
Broken houses with broken dreams
Rotted by sighs and tears and screams"
I loved the characterization. The characters are expertly sketched and no where do they seem unreal. I was charmed by the indepth thought the author has given to the mermaid angle and brought these creatures to life in her book. Now I will seriously look for possible mermaid signs among all the people I come across! Shelly and her cousins, Jet and Lilly are beautifully developed and Debbie incorporates the myth of mermaid beauty to the practicality of humans beautifully here. Sheriff Angier is a strong character with a deep sense of responsibility. He is dedicated to his family and leaves everything behind to care for them. The insight we get into people with autism through his brother, Eddie is soul touching and the message the author gives to people to handle such people with love and patience is not lost to the reader. The characterization of the killer is another strong point of the book. He is a man who has lost his sense of righteousness and a man with a past so dark that it drives his life of darkness. A good writer is one who makes her readers feel both for the protagonist and the antagonist and Debbie made me feel both for Shelly and for the killer. Hats off to her. This being her debut novel, she has done a splendid job of writing a story that touches our heart as well as brings great entertainment to the readers.
I was also very amused with "Chai Tea" that Shelly and her cousins drink. Now the word "Chai" in itself means Tea in Hindi language, so "Chai Tea" means Tea Tea! :)
I googled for this term and came to know that the chai that we Indians drink is the same as "Chai Tea". "Chai Tea" is just another term coined in the foreign countries. :)
The romance between Shelly and Tillman is intense and sensuous. I felt connected to these two and fervently hoped for a happily-ever-after for them. While I was engulfed in feeling the light and breezy felling of first love, I was also amply scared and frightened by the author through her killer who is hell bent on making Shelly his next target.
"In my truck, the killing jar,
You wont be going very far.
Don't think that you can get away,
I'm the hunter, you're my prey."
The author sets the stage for upcoming novels in this book and I look forward to reading the subsequent books in this series. I would love to know the story of Jet and Lilly. :)
All in all, a very entertaining paranormal romance that takes us to a beautiful bayou with cool ocean, scenic full moon and mystical mermaids who swim at night in all their glory. I really liked the book and give it a 4 out of 5 and strongly recommend it to everyone. Go read and enjoy this very entertaining novel from a very talented new author. I wish her the best and hope to read more from her in the future.
I received the book from the author and I am very thankful to her. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
"Who can you trust
What do you believe
When faith turns to dust
And love becomes need."
"Words as weapons
Syllables as shots
And in the cold pauses
I know he loves me not."
Want to read
September 16, 20179/15/17 - $1.99 on Kindle
May 12, 2016
I enjoy reading debut novels. Particularly when I find the writer engages my attention and interest with a little extra in her writing that tugs me into reading another of her books. We all know that the first of everything is always the hardest and writing is a talent that grows as the writer writes.
I didn’t spill any tears in this read, but indeed got my thrills! This was a suspense thriller that kept me reading. Debbie Herbert knows how to ratchet up a story that grips the reader’s mind, creating a protagonist that is just plain scary. I love when from the first page, I'm drawn in. In this case, it was into the swirling water, along with Shelly Connors, trying to escape with my life. Shelly sees the kind of man Melkie is, when he dumps a body into the bayou. The body was wrapped in a plastic bag tied with a rope, a brick dangled from its end. The body dropped to the bottom of the bayou. Melkie spots her – he has a witness to his crime and will search her out, killing her, too. When Shelly dives into the sea to escape him, her tail fin is exposed. Melkie throws his knife, hoping to kill her. The knife gets embedded into her fin. But Melkie doesn’t know who he saw. A woman? A fish?
Melkie, although evil in this story, did have reasons why he acted the way he did. He was terribly good to his dog, Rebel, giving him the cheeseburger while he drank the shake when they stopped at the local fast food joint. He fiercely protected the dog against the neighbor’s cat and kid gangs in the neighborhood. Rebel was old, missing teeth, just plain ugly. He was a crested Chinese dog (see picture of the species). Melkie could have been a different sort of person if he hadn’t had the childhood he had.
Shelly, half mermaid, her mother marrying a human, lives with her two cousins, full-fledged mermaids. As a mermaid they are able to change to human form or mermaid form. She joined them after her mother and father were killed in an accident. Along with that heartache, Shelly was also dumped by her boyfriend once he found out all the ‘tricks’ she was able to do when in water. Jet and her sister, Lily, opened their home to her and gave her a family which she was immensely grateful.
When Sheriff Tillman Angier caught her eye, she watched him for months to make sure he was the kind of person she would like to get to know. And it seems that the sheriff had also been checking her out. The sheriff’s brother, Eddie, took therapy classes with Shelly at the local swimming pool and even though he had severe autism, she was making headway with him. They finally meet there when Tillman comes to pick Eddie up.
Eddie’s mother had problems with drinking, an embarrassment to Tillman, but I enjoyed the way he treated her. In fact, Tillman was kind to everyone. Quite the gentleman. He loved his mother, but knew she needed help. Portia Angier was not completely fleshed out, since she was only a secondary character in this story. I’m not sure if she’ll appear in the rest of the series. I hope she does, because she probably has secrets of her own that led her to drinking in the first place.
Shelly is a lovable character. She lives between two worlds. She’s neither totally comfortable on land or sea. She has a heart of gold. We see how she interacts with Eddie, his mother, her cousins and various people in the community. She’s different from her cousins, softer, more compassionate. She and Tillman sizzle when they’re together. Each are drawn to the other. Tillman tries to protect her from the stalker she says is after her, but knows she’s not telling the complete truth which frustrates him. He is a person who knows detail is vital to understanding the situation. Could she be the one doing the killing? Can the killer be one of her cousins? He questions everything, including his attraction to Shelly.
Some of the story was surprising, twists that I never anticipated. The biggest surprise I can’t share for it would spoil the story for you. Secondary characters are to be watched! I thought this fantasy read fun and entertaining, just enough loose threads hanging making book two a must-read for me.
I didn’t spill any tears in this read, but indeed got my thrills! This was a suspense thriller that kept me reading. Debbie Herbert knows how to ratchet up a story that grips the reader’s mind, creating a protagonist that is just plain scary. I love when from the first page, I'm drawn in. In this case, it was into the swirling water, along with Shelly Connors, trying to escape with my life. Shelly sees the kind of man Melkie is, when he dumps a body into the bayou. The body was wrapped in a plastic bag tied with a rope, a brick dangled from its end. The body dropped to the bottom of the bayou. Melkie spots her – he has a witness to his crime and will search her out, killing her, too. When Shelly dives into the sea to escape him, her tail fin is exposed. Melkie throws his knife, hoping to kill her. The knife gets embedded into her fin. But Melkie doesn’t know who he saw. A woman? A fish?
Melkie, although evil in this story, did have reasons why he acted the way he did. He was terribly good to his dog, Rebel, giving him the cheeseburger while he drank the shake when they stopped at the local fast food joint. He fiercely protected the dog against the neighbor’s cat and kid gangs in the neighborhood. Rebel was old, missing teeth, just plain ugly. He was a crested Chinese dog (see picture of the species). Melkie could have been a different sort of person if he hadn’t had the childhood he had.
Shelly, half mermaid, her mother marrying a human, lives with her two cousins, full-fledged mermaids. As a mermaid they are able to change to human form or mermaid form. She joined them after her mother and father were killed in an accident. Along with that heartache, Shelly was also dumped by her boyfriend once he found out all the ‘tricks’ she was able to do when in water. Jet and her sister, Lily, opened their home to her and gave her a family which she was immensely grateful.
When Sheriff Tillman Angier caught her eye, she watched him for months to make sure he was the kind of person she would like to get to know. And it seems that the sheriff had also been checking her out. The sheriff’s brother, Eddie, took therapy classes with Shelly at the local swimming pool and even though he had severe autism, she was making headway with him. They finally meet there when Tillman comes to pick Eddie up.
Eddie’s mother had problems with drinking, an embarrassment to Tillman, but I enjoyed the way he treated her. In fact, Tillman was kind to everyone. Quite the gentleman. He loved his mother, but knew she needed help. Portia Angier was not completely fleshed out, since she was only a secondary character in this story. I’m not sure if she’ll appear in the rest of the series. I hope she does, because she probably has secrets of her own that led her to drinking in the first place.
Shelly is a lovable character. She lives between two worlds. She’s neither totally comfortable on land or sea. She has a heart of gold. We see how she interacts with Eddie, his mother, her cousins and various people in the community. She’s different from her cousins, softer, more compassionate. She and Tillman sizzle when they’re together. Each are drawn to the other. Tillman tries to protect her from the stalker she says is after her, but knows she’s not telling the complete truth which frustrates him. He is a person who knows detail is vital to understanding the situation. Could she be the one doing the killing? Can the killer be one of her cousins? He questions everything, including his attraction to Shelly.
Some of the story was surprising, twists that I never anticipated. The biggest surprise I can’t share for it would spoil the story for you. Secondary characters are to be watched! I thought this fantasy read fun and entertaining, just enough loose threads hanging making book two a must-read for me.
August 31, 2014
I was really excited when this arrived. There aren't nearly enough mermaid paranormal romances in the world.
It starts off brilliantly too - we have a mermaid witness a serial killer dumping the body of a prostitute he's just murdered. He catches sight of our heroine, stabs her in the tail and determines that she will be his next victim. Name one other mermaid thriller because I certainly can't off the top of my head!
Shelley our heroine turns to Tillman, the local sheriff she's always been secretly in love with, much against the wishes of her two cousins who are desperate to maintain their mermaid secret. With an autistic brother and an alcoholic mother Tillman has serious trust issues which put a spanner in the works of their growing romance.
Absolutely adored the story, the mythology and the bayou setting. What I hated were the characters. I actively disliked the hero and thought he behaved abominably to poor Shelley. Hated his mother. Disliked Shelley's cousins and wasn't even particularly enamoured of too nice and honest its not true Shelley. The killer was a walking cliché with his childhood trauma and the most interesting character was probably the secondary villain? Who is likely a set up for any subsequent books in the series which would likely follow the cousins quests for true love.
I didn't feel convinced by the romance. Its not until somewhere in the 200+ page mark that we get a paragraph detailing how Shelley has been half in love with Tillman all along, and then we're told not shown. His behaviour was erratic and down right rude throughout the story.
The author also has a clear bias towards people with severe autism. Tillman's special brother Eddie takes up a great deal of the story, which I felt could be better spent on building the emotional connection between our lovers instead. I've nothing against his brother having autism and appreciate that it made Tillman have difficulties with relationships, but what I wanted was a paranormal romance, not a family saga.
I've got quite mixed feelings about this novel as a whole. As a mermaid thriller its original and the story concept is superb. As a romance its not so good. Didn't find it particularly sexy either. The two sex scenes are fairly brief (and uninventive - human form all the way) and I personally didn't feel the physical attraction, we're told its there, but I wanted more somehow.
If you want a mermaid romance where the heroine has a proper fish tail, by all means check this out, its not bad, it's just not nearly as good as it could have been.
It starts off brilliantly too - we have a mermaid witness a serial killer dumping the body of a prostitute he's just murdered. He catches sight of our heroine, stabs her in the tail and determines that she will be his next victim. Name one other mermaid thriller because I certainly can't off the top of my head!
Shelley our heroine turns to Tillman, the local sheriff she's always been secretly in love with, much against the wishes of her two cousins who are desperate to maintain their mermaid secret. With an autistic brother and an alcoholic mother Tillman has serious trust issues which put a spanner in the works of their growing romance.
Absolutely adored the story, the mythology and the bayou setting. What I hated were the characters. I actively disliked the hero and thought he behaved abominably to poor Shelley. Hated his mother. Disliked Shelley's cousins and wasn't even particularly enamoured of too nice and honest its not true Shelley. The killer was a walking cliché with his childhood trauma and the most interesting character was probably the secondary villain? Who is likely a set up for any subsequent books in the series which would likely follow the cousins quests for true love.
I didn't feel convinced by the romance. Its not until somewhere in the 200+ page mark that we get a paragraph detailing how Shelley has been half in love with Tillman all along, and then we're told not shown. His behaviour was erratic and down right rude throughout the story.
The author also has a clear bias towards people with severe autism. Tillman's special brother Eddie takes up a great deal of the story, which I felt could be better spent on building the emotional connection between our lovers instead. I've nothing against his brother having autism and appreciate that it made Tillman have difficulties with relationships, but what I wanted was a paranormal romance, not a family saga.
I've got quite mixed feelings about this novel as a whole. As a mermaid thriller its original and the story concept is superb. As a romance its not so good. Didn't find it particularly sexy either. The two sex scenes are fairly brief (and uninventive - human form all the way) and I personally didn't feel the physical attraction, we're told its there, but I wanted more somehow.
If you want a mermaid romance where the heroine has a proper fish tail, by all means check this out, its not bad, it's just not nearly as good as it could have been.
July 7, 2014
I read this in ebook format on my kindle.
Congrats to Debbie Herbert for a very enjoyable read! A modern murder mystery AND merfolk is NOT your everyday combination!
This tale is set in a modern time scene in the Alabama bayou country, along the coast. The main character is Shelly, a young woman working as an aquatic therapist. She lives with her 2 cousins in an ancestral home by the sea. She is also a half-breed doing her best to live in 2 worlds, human and mermaid. She is drawn to both, yet fits perfectly in neither. While enjoying a night as a mermaid, she is witness to a horrible HUMAN act. Her good nature will not let her ignore it or turn away from what she feels is right. All of this happens just when she is getting to know a man she has admired and daydreamed about, Tillman, the local sheriff. What she has witnessed requires including Tillman, so he may do his job to enforce the law and protect the public. Shelly's struggle is that humans are not supposed to see or know about mermaids. It is all that protects them, that human belief that merfolk are a myth.
I truly was taken in by this tale! It started out intense and mysterious right away. The author used very good imagery and her character development was very believable. Melkie...very good job on him! Super creepers with that dude! Some things I was able to see coming or I guessed correctly the path the story would take. Then a few things really threw me, I liked that! The only reason I do not give this one a 5 star rating is that there were a few minor edit errors, and I felt that parts of the tale were glossed over. Like certain things could have been more detailed or had a better back story. Something to involve the reader more heavily. I do see where so much more can be done with this tale. I really hope that the author is planning to continue with more tales for Shelly's cousins. Specifically Jet....I am VERY interested in her story!!
Congrats to Debbie Herbert for a very enjoyable read! A modern murder mystery AND merfolk is NOT your everyday combination!
This tale is set in a modern time scene in the Alabama bayou country, along the coast. The main character is Shelly, a young woman working as an aquatic therapist. She lives with her 2 cousins in an ancestral home by the sea. She is also a half-breed doing her best to live in 2 worlds, human and mermaid. She is drawn to both, yet fits perfectly in neither. While enjoying a night as a mermaid, she is witness to a horrible HUMAN act. Her good nature will not let her ignore it or turn away from what she feels is right. All of this happens just when she is getting to know a man she has admired and daydreamed about, Tillman, the local sheriff. What she has witnessed requires including Tillman, so he may do his job to enforce the law and protect the public. Shelly's struggle is that humans are not supposed to see or know about mermaids. It is all that protects them, that human belief that merfolk are a myth.
I truly was taken in by this tale! It started out intense and mysterious right away. The author used very good imagery and her character development was very believable. Melkie...very good job on him! Super creepers with that dude! Some things I was able to see coming or I guessed correctly the path the story would take. Then a few things really threw me, I liked that! The only reason I do not give this one a 5 star rating is that there were a few minor edit errors, and I felt that parts of the tale were glossed over. Like certain things could have been more detailed or had a better back story. Something to involve the reader more heavily. I do see where so much more can be done with this tale. I really hope that the author is planning to continue with more tales for Shelly's cousins. Specifically Jet....I am VERY interested in her story!!
September 7, 2016
During one of her swims, Shelly witnesses the dumping of a body by the murderer famous for gouging out the eyes of his victims. Now a killer is after her, determined to silence the only voice that can identify him. Not only did he see her face, he saw what she really is - a mermaid. Terrified for her life and for the lives of the merfolk, she turns to Sheriff Tillman Angier for help. She decides to plant evidence that would lead Tillman to the murderer, but things get complicated once feelings quickly develop between herself and Tillman.
Details about the merworld were interesting. I don't read many novels about mermaids so I enjoyed many of the imaginative ideas Herbert thought of, including the Poseidon Games, physical descriptions, and special abilities. Looks like another book may be in the works, hopefully there will be a heavier focus on the underwater world. I think that would be really fun to read about.
It was rather surprising Tillman was able to remain quite rational throughout the book. Though he admittedly had feelings for Shelly, every time something would come up that would make Shelly more suspicious, Tillman would immediately become distant and completely professional. How he was able to put aside his feelings entirely was kind of odd. Because of this, he sometimes came off as a jerk. He redeemed himself in the end though. ;)
Jet and Lily's concerns were completely justified. Despite Shelly's good intentions, her decisions were putting them and the merfolk at risk. Their attitudes toward Tillman were reasonable given the situation. Lily's most daring move was pretty brutal though. It made me cringe just reading about it.
The second victim is described as a Vietnamese woman named China Wang. Please note, Wang is NOT a Vietnamese last name. Additionally, not many Vietnamese people would name their child China.
Many thanks to Debbie Herbert for providing me a copy.
Details about the merworld were interesting. I don't read many novels about mermaids so I enjoyed many of the imaginative ideas Herbert thought of, including the Poseidon Games, physical descriptions, and special abilities. Looks like another book may be in the works, hopefully there will be a heavier focus on the underwater world. I think that would be really fun to read about.
It was rather surprising Tillman was able to remain quite rational throughout the book. Though he admittedly had feelings for Shelly, every time something would come up that would make Shelly more suspicious, Tillman would immediately become distant and completely professional. How he was able to put aside his feelings entirely was kind of odd. Because of this, he sometimes came off as a jerk. He redeemed himself in the end though. ;)
Jet and Lily's concerns were completely justified. Despite Shelly's good intentions, her decisions were putting them and the merfolk at risk. Their attitudes toward Tillman were reasonable given the situation. Lily's most daring move was pretty brutal though. It made me cringe just reading about it.
The second victim is described as a Vietnamese woman named China Wang. Please note, Wang is NOT a Vietnamese last name. Additionally, not many Vietnamese people would name their child China.
Many thanks to Debbie Herbert for providing me a copy.
March 23, 2014
Well, the premise was interesting, the plot promising. The characters though…
Lessee… first off, did you know collecting insects makes you a potential killer? No; neither did I. I mean; I don't have massive collections of pinned butterflies or anything but neither would I think anything of someone else having them. Also find the fact that the crazy guy has a dog who he's very fond of interesting.
Then there's… the 26 year old brother of the H - he has autism. And…apparently is incapable of functioning on his own. In any fashion. See, I would understand his behavior if he were say, 6. At some point… Let's just say that my nearly 26 year old autistic son doesn't wig out and bang his head over little things.
The mother. As many women out there who're managing with all manner of disabled offspring, this one crawls into a bottle -and it's ok? Right. I feel insulted.
The h - doofus. She finds a body, fumbles around with it to such an extent that I don't know what she was actually trying to do with it, and hangs around long enough for the nut job to see what she is and throw a knife at her. D'oh. Dive stupid!
The H - jerk. Invites her on a date, spends at least half the time answering his phone, goes to her house, sees rare coins lying around, takes pictures of them, and runs a background check as well as looking the items up on the web. Also, *after* he knows what she and her cousins are, threatens them with requesting DNA samples to see how involved they are in the murder.
And h is… well, let's put it this way, he apologizes and she just… Ok, let's start over. Uh. No. Sorry dude; you investigate my family because you saw a sparkly on my coffee table *and* you threaten to insist on DNA samples when anyone with a brain would realize that would land me in a hidden lab somewhere…
Lessee… first off, did you know collecting insects makes you a potential killer? No; neither did I. I mean; I don't have massive collections of pinned butterflies or anything but neither would I think anything of someone else having them. Also find the fact that the crazy guy has a dog who he's very fond of interesting.
Then there's… the 26 year old brother of the H - he has autism. And…apparently is incapable of functioning on his own. In any fashion. See, I would understand his behavior if he were say, 6. At some point… Let's just say that my nearly 26 year old autistic son doesn't wig out and bang his head over little things.
The mother. As many women out there who're managing with all manner of disabled offspring, this one crawls into a bottle -and it's ok? Right. I feel insulted.
The h - doofus. She finds a body, fumbles around with it to such an extent that I don't know what she was actually trying to do with it, and hangs around long enough for the nut job to see what she is and throw a knife at her. D'oh. Dive stupid!
The H - jerk. Invites her on a date, spends at least half the time answering his phone, goes to her house, sees rare coins lying around, takes pictures of them, and runs a background check as well as looking the items up on the web. Also, *after* he knows what she and her cousins are, threatens them with requesting DNA samples to see how involved they are in the murder.
And h is… well, let's put it this way, he apologizes and she just… Ok, let's start over. Uh. No. Sorry dude; you investigate my family because you saw a sparkly on my coffee table *and* you threaten to insist on DNA samples when anyone with a brain would realize that would land me in a hidden lab somewhere…
July 8, 2017
Mermaid book!!!! I was excited to pick this up and am happy I enjoyed it so much!
Shelly's mother was a mermaid, her dad human. After their deaths, she goes to live with her cousins, Jet and Lily. Jet and Lily are full blooded mermaids. Mating with a human is a no-no and Shelly has some baggage from her parents relationship. Tillman moved back home and took over his dad's position as sheriff when he died. His mother is an alcoholic and his younger brother is severely developmentally disabled.
Shelly, while out for a swim, unwittingly meets a serial killer. This added some suspense to the plot. There are some things she should have done, but oh well. Tillman's brother, Eddie, adds to the plot and makes him realize when he's being an unfair asshole.
I love mermaids and there's not many books featuring them. Some more backstory would have been nice. Jet and Lily's stories are coming in books 2 and 3, so maybe I'll get some more. What is here was interesting. I loved all the treasure they have from shipwrecks. And being able to hear/communicate underwater. And they eat a lot of seafood.
Some continuity issues- One moment Eddie is with Tillman and then later he's not (it mentions he finally feels asleep. Nothing said about taking him home. I remember this one because of what Tillman does.)
RippedBodiceBingo:
I say this meets for the non-mammal shifter because of this: "Mermen and mermaids gathered in a remote South Pacific island for a week of orgies. Those inclined to produce a litter of merchildren built undersea nests in beds of coral for fertilizing and hatching their newborn." I was hoping for some elaboration, but this was it. Different and interesting.
Shelly's mother was a mermaid, her dad human. After their deaths, she goes to live with her cousins, Jet and Lily. Jet and Lily are full blooded mermaids. Mating with a human is a no-no and Shelly has some baggage from her parents relationship. Tillman moved back home and took over his dad's position as sheriff when he died. His mother is an alcoholic and his younger brother is severely developmentally disabled.
Shelly, while out for a swim, unwittingly meets a serial killer. This added some suspense to the plot. There are some things she should have done, but oh well. Tillman's brother, Eddie, adds to the plot and makes him realize when he's being an unfair asshole.
I love mermaids and there's not many books featuring them. Some more backstory would have been nice. Jet and Lily's stories are coming in books 2 and 3, so maybe I'll get some more. What is here was interesting. I loved all the treasure they have from shipwrecks. And being able to hear/communicate underwater. And they eat a lot of seafood.
Some continuity issues- One moment Eddie is with Tillman and then later he's not (it mentions he finally feels asleep. Nothing said about taking him home. I remember this one because of what Tillman does.)
RippedBodiceBingo:
I say this meets for the non-mammal shifter because of this: "Mermen and mermaids gathered in a remote South Pacific island for a week of orgies. Those inclined to produce a litter of merchildren built undersea nests in beds of coral for fertilizing and hatching their newborn." I was hoping for some elaboration, but this was it. Different and interesting.
September 7, 2020
This is a page turning, edge of your seat hold on for dear life, action packed adventure filled with magical, intriguing and engaging charters, witty and fun dialog, heart racing twists and emotionally thrilling passion. Excellent reading!
November 18, 2017
This is the author's debut work and it's garbage! I think that the company who turns out these dime store novels was scraping the bottom of the barrel or desperate when they picked this story up. It's a mess, the characters as a mess with add and bipolar disorder who act like 13 year olds instead of the adults they are supposed to be. The romance was almost nonexistent to omg I love you with every fiber of my being but I have to lie to you about everything because I don't want you to know me but I do because I love you! The heroine is truly too stupid to live and I was rooting for her to die. I won't be reading anything more by this author.
March 31, 2022
4 stars
I always assume Harlequin's Nocturnes line with a light paranormal romance but this book surprised me. More like a romantic suspense with mermaid elements, since the latter didn't explained thoroughly and focus heavily on the suspense part. It's have a heroine with many secrets (well, she is a mermaid. Half merfolk to be exact), a sherrif hero that have chips on his shoulder and a women-hating serial killer. I liked that Herbert feature character with special needs. The sisterhood is one of the strength of this book and open possibilities of them to get their own books.
I always assume Harlequin's Nocturnes line with a light paranormal romance but this book surprised me. More like a romantic suspense with mermaid elements, since the latter didn't explained thoroughly and focus heavily on the suspense part. It's have a heroine with many secrets (well, she is a mermaid. Half merfolk to be exact), a sherrif hero that have chips on his shoulder and a women-hating serial killer. I liked that Herbert feature character with special needs. The sisterhood is one of the strength of this book and open possibilities of them to get their own books.
September 9, 2016
Mermaids and serial killers! What more could you ask for? I was fascinated from the beginning. Shelley, half human and half mermaid, is spotted by a madman as he’s disposing of his latest kill. Unfortunately, she’s not quite human when he does. Now the race is on to see who can put the other away first. Shelly wants him locked up. He wants her six feet under. And just to complicate things, the local sheriff is no fool. Too bad Shelley can’t get him out of her thoughts. And what thoughts they are.
Siren’s Secret is so much more than a romantic tale, or tail for that matter. The mermaid world is just starting to be fleshed out in this first mermaid story from Debbie Herbert. Shelley has two mermaid cousins, and the three couldn’t be more different. Their own stories will be something to look out for. But it’s not just the mermaid world we discover. Herbert has wrapped us up in the town and the people who live there. You get a real sense of the character’s daily lives and what drives them. Herbert’s writing takes the reader there, all five senses bringing the details to life.
And the suspense! This is a romance, but the villain in this story almost stole the show. I’m often tempted to skim over the bad guy’s point of view, but not here. The details and darkness Herbert paints him with is chilling, right down to his insect collection. He’s the horrifying accident you can’t look away from. The attention to detail is why we fear for Shelley. Not just fiction-fear but something that churns in your gut. You, the reader, fear him.
Tillman is our lead man, the local Sheriff. If you find yourself used to the usual fictional hero—you know the one; he’s kind, alpha, obsessed with the girl, and oh so… well, fictional—then this is a breath of fresh air. Tillman doesn’t lack for these things, but he is real. This is how you know most people, real people, would be. He’s a cop first, a protector of the people first. It’s the brain up top that drives him, always. The rest must follow what is the right thing to do. He’s true to himself, and you respect him for it. Our couple doesn’t change for each other. They learn to love what they are. Even if what they are is impossible to believe.
Siren’s Secret is so much more than a romantic tale, or tail for that matter. The mermaid world is just starting to be fleshed out in this first mermaid story from Debbie Herbert. Shelley has two mermaid cousins, and the three couldn’t be more different. Their own stories will be something to look out for. But it’s not just the mermaid world we discover. Herbert has wrapped us up in the town and the people who live there. You get a real sense of the character’s daily lives and what drives them. Herbert’s writing takes the reader there, all five senses bringing the details to life.
And the suspense! This is a romance, but the villain in this story almost stole the show. I’m often tempted to skim over the bad guy’s point of view, but not here. The details and darkness Herbert paints him with is chilling, right down to his insect collection. He’s the horrifying accident you can’t look away from. The attention to detail is why we fear for Shelley. Not just fiction-fear but something that churns in your gut. You, the reader, fear him.
Tillman is our lead man, the local Sheriff. If you find yourself used to the usual fictional hero—you know the one; he’s kind, alpha, obsessed with the girl, and oh so… well, fictional—then this is a breath of fresh air. Tillman doesn’t lack for these things, but he is real. This is how you know most people, real people, would be. He’s a cop first, a protector of the people first. It’s the brain up top that drives him, always. The rest must follow what is the right thing to do. He’s true to himself, and you respect him for it. Our couple doesn’t change for each other. They learn to love what they are. Even if what they are is impossible to believe.
February 2, 2014
Siren's Secret by Debbie Herbert is part of Harlequin's Nocturne line - which is described as dark, sensuous and dangerous - where paranormal and normal collide.
This book definitely does that.
First, how gorgeous is this cover? I'm sure you realize by now that I love a good cover and this one was beautiful.
When I picked up Siren's Secret - actually I got it for free from someone who won it from Debbie herself but already had their own copy - I thought this was going to be a fun, light read. Its about mermaids! I love mermaids but I find it rare that you see someone go truly into their dark side. Actually, I have a hard time finding books about mermaids for adults period.
Needless to say I was excited and when I opened it up, a fun light read was not what I got. It was better.
Debbie Herbert not only brings out the darker drives of mermaids but she takes you deep into the mind of a serial killer. Its easy to have a villain to hate but she actually makes you feel a little bit sorry for this guy. Not enough that I thought he shouldn't be punished but you kind of understood where he was coming from.
She captures life in the Alabama Bayou wonderfully. I have to say that I'm really hoping Jet gets her own book soon because she was probably my favorite character in the book.
This is a great debut novel and definitely wets my appetite for more which is why its under appetizers. I was very excited to find out that this is, in fact, the beginning of a series produced with Harlequin called Dark Seas. So be on the look out for book two, Siren's Treasure which is still in the works. It sounds like its going to be Jet's book. I'm really, really hoping it is. ;)
If you're looking for something a dark, something with mermaids, and something set in a small Bayou town, this is the book for you. Check it out. I enjoyed it.
This book definitely does that.
First, how gorgeous is this cover? I'm sure you realize by now that I love a good cover and this one was beautiful.
When I picked up Siren's Secret - actually I got it for free from someone who won it from Debbie herself but already had their own copy - I thought this was going to be a fun, light read. Its about mermaids! I love mermaids but I find it rare that you see someone go truly into their dark side. Actually, I have a hard time finding books about mermaids for adults period.
Needless to say I was excited and when I opened it up, a fun light read was not what I got. It was better.
Debbie Herbert not only brings out the darker drives of mermaids but she takes you deep into the mind of a serial killer. Its easy to have a villain to hate but she actually makes you feel a little bit sorry for this guy. Not enough that I thought he shouldn't be punished but you kind of understood where he was coming from.
She captures life in the Alabama Bayou wonderfully. I have to say that I'm really hoping Jet gets her own book soon because she was probably my favorite character in the book.
This is a great debut novel and definitely wets my appetite for more which is why its under appetizers. I was very excited to find out that this is, in fact, the beginning of a series produced with Harlequin called Dark Seas. So be on the look out for book two, Siren's Treasure which is still in the works. It sounds like its going to be Jet's book. I'm really, really hoping it is. ;)
If you're looking for something a dark, something with mermaids, and something set in a small Bayou town, this is the book for you. Check it out. I enjoyed it.
December 4, 2014
I was so eager to read this Harlequin novel because mermaids are not a very common occurence in paranormal romance, YA or adult. That said the bayou has always fascinated me so this combination made me excited.
The Harlequin branch Nocturne focuses on paranornal romance and from experience these type of books are similar compared to the urban parnormal genre. In that coarse language is used and sex scenes are explicit. These are usually focused upon much more.
I did enjoy this but personally, I felt that the romance was not a true love thing. Shelly and Tillman jumped into a physical relationship immediately and for what the author claims of writing stories where true love is magical. I did not get this here.
I did like the mystery, it was engaging. The various characters jumped out at me and I could not help but be gleeful reading about the world building for the mermaids. For a Harlequin novel the plot was well written. I guess the romance disappointed me but at least the author did not go crazy with the sex. I liked Shelly as a character, she was kind, understanding and always felt different from her cousins. Which is something everyone can identify with.
The way the story ended was not bad as well. It kind of leaves room for more but it does feel closed.
The Harlequin branch Nocturne focuses on paranornal romance and from experience these type of books are similar compared to the urban parnormal genre. In that coarse language is used and sex scenes are explicit. These are usually focused upon much more.
I did enjoy this but personally, I felt that the romance was not a true love thing. Shelly and Tillman jumped into a physical relationship immediately and for what the author claims of writing stories where true love is magical. I did not get this here.
I did like the mystery, it was engaging. The various characters jumped out at me and I could not help but be gleeful reading about the world building for the mermaids. For a Harlequin novel the plot was well written. I guess the romance disappointed me but at least the author did not go crazy with the sex. I liked Shelly as a character, she was kind, understanding and always felt different from her cousins. Which is something everyone can identify with.
The way the story ended was not bad as well. It kind of leaves room for more but it does feel closed.
September 9, 2016
Not Your Mother's Harlequin
Siren's Secret, by Debbie Herbert, is more than a paranormal romance. It's also an action-packed adventure. Shelly lives her secret life under the sea, as a mermaid. When she's not in her mermaid form, she lives as a human Aquatic Therapist on the Alabama bayou with her cousins, Lily and Jet.
After a heart-stopping encounter with a serial killer who mutilates his victims, Shelly knows she has to help the police catch the man. With the help of her cousins and special talents, Shelly and cousins resolve to catch and stop the vicious killer.
Handsome Sheriff Tillman Angier's piercing gray eyes are too smart and observant for Shelly's piece of mind. He has to solve the murders before the killer claims his next victim…who could be Shelly.
With a liberal sprinkling of voodoo, a scared man with a history of abuse and deprivation, a buck-toothed dog, blackmail, and black market activities, the story keeps the reader's attention.
I hadn't read a Harlequin book in many years. It's not "your mother's Harlequin," at least not this one! The story contains adult themes and language, a sizzling romance, and danger.
Siren's Secret, by Debbie Herbert, is more than a paranormal romance. It's also an action-packed adventure. Shelly lives her secret life under the sea, as a mermaid. When she's not in her mermaid form, she lives as a human Aquatic Therapist on the Alabama bayou with her cousins, Lily and Jet.
After a heart-stopping encounter with a serial killer who mutilates his victims, Shelly knows she has to help the police catch the man. With the help of her cousins and special talents, Shelly and cousins resolve to catch and stop the vicious killer.
Handsome Sheriff Tillman Angier's piercing gray eyes are too smart and observant for Shelly's piece of mind. He has to solve the murders before the killer claims his next victim…who could be Shelly.
With a liberal sprinkling of voodoo, a scared man with a history of abuse and deprivation, a buck-toothed dog, blackmail, and black market activities, the story keeps the reader's attention.
I hadn't read a Harlequin book in many years. It's not "your mother's Harlequin," at least not this one! The story contains adult themes and language, a sizzling romance, and danger.
December 2, 2015
I have never read a romance about mermaids before and reading the Siren's Secret did not disappoint.
Shelly is half human and half mermaid. She lives with her two cousins who are full blooded mermaids. They have to keep their existence a secret. Tillman is in the police force and they are attracted to each other. When Shelly witnesses a crime, she wants to see justice but is unable to give full details to the police. Keeping her secret becomes extremely difficult and puts a strain on the relationship she could have with Tillman.
I like the sense of loyalty the cousins have for each other and Tillman's family values. The way the story unfolds is very well put together and is fascinating.
I will definitely look out for future books by Ms Herbert.
Shelly is half human and half mermaid. She lives with her two cousins who are full blooded mermaids. They have to keep their existence a secret. Tillman is in the police force and they are attracted to each other. When Shelly witnesses a crime, she wants to see justice but is unable to give full details to the police. Keeping her secret becomes extremely difficult and puts a strain on the relationship she could have with Tillman.
I like the sense of loyalty the cousins have for each other and Tillman's family values. The way the story unfolds is very well put together and is fascinating.
I will definitely look out for future books by Ms Herbert.
April 29, 2014
This book would of got rated higher if it wasn't for the awful romance and I mean holy shit its bad , if you haven't read it yet then brace yourself for the most poorly written bedroom scenes you will ever read. Other than that the plot is fairly entertaining with no boring moments. The main characters are fairly well written and some parts of the book kept me on edge and I couldn't put it down. The book was good; I wouldn't recommend it though.
October 9, 2013
Deb Herbert brings mythology to life. Mermaids in the bayou? You bet. Her heroine made me long for the sea, and the secrets in the book kept me turning pages to see how it could ever work out - not only if she'd escape the murderer, but how she'd get that sexy sheriff!
Smooth and sexy, if you like romance and a well-woven story, you'll like this one!
Smooth and sexy, if you like romance and a well-woven story, you'll like this one!
November 4, 2013
This book was an enthralling story of suspense, love and passion. It was such a page turner that I spend my Friday night at home reading it instead of going out for the night.
**I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. This has no bearing on the review posted above.
**I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. This has no bearing on the review posted above.
November 16, 2013
Amazing book, really loved it. You won't be disappointed.
November 17, 2013
Love Love Love this book
December 25, 2013
Cute mermaid romantic suspense.
May 5, 2018
In the small coastal Alabama town of Bayou La Sirena, Shelly Connors lives with her cousins, Lily and Jet Bosarge. She works as a swimming instructor at the local YMCA, where she patiently coaches the autistic Eddie and flirts with his sexy brother, Sheriff Tillman Angier.
Shelly hasn’t had a date in years. While she is beautiful and compassionate, she believes no man would want her if he found out her secret: she’s half mermaid. She watched her parents’ marriage deteriorate over the years as her mother yearned for the sea and her father became frustrated because his love wasn’t enough.
After her parents died in a car accident, Shelly moved to Bayou La Sirena to live with Lily and Jet, who were the only family she had left. Shelly adores her cousins, who treat her as a sister. However, they are full-blooded mermaids and don’t understand what it is like to be rejected by mermaid society as an abomination.
Tillman Angier returned to Bayou La Sirena after his father, the town sheriff, passed away from a heart attack. Despite his successful career in law enforcement in Mobile and a semi-serious relationship, he believed it was his responsibility to go home. He was the only one left to care for his brother and mother, whose drinking problem haunted the family from the time Tillman was a child. Tillman is afraid that his family baggage will prevent him from ever finding anyone to share his life. So, he has dedicated himself to protecting the town, as his father did before him.
The suspense begins when Shelly, in mermaid form, sees a body being dumped from a boat and the murderer catches a glimpse of her as she dives. He throws a stiletto at Shelly, lodging it in her tail, but she gets away and keeps the knife. She and her cousins develop a strategy to identify the killer and make sure the police find evidence to convict him, even if they have to plant it.
At the same time, Melkie tries to find the one who saw him dump the body. The serial rapist and killer cuts out and keeps his victim’s eyes as souvenirs before he gets rid of the body. In his twisted mind, destroying vulnerable women is the only way to vent the rage he feels toward the prostitute mother who abused and molested him. Since she is dead, he can’t torture her, so he substitutes hookers. He is repulsed by the idea that mermaids are real and worried that the creature will give him away to the authorities. Paying for his crimes isn’t part of his plan.
While she and her cousins attempt to outwit Melkie, Shelly falls hard for Tillman, who finds her irresistible. But his sharp eyes and on point instincts tell him she’s keeping secrets and he’s too principled to look the other way.
Tillman is determined to find the perpetrator and put him behind bars, although it may implicate Shelly. Her lack of transparency and the odd things he observes about her and her cousins, paired with clues from the crime scenes, set off his suspicions. He wants to believe she is innocent, but he senses something is wrong.
The dynamic conclusion to this contemporary mermaid story will keep you mes-mer-ized. I loved this book and the sequels, Siren’s Treasure and Siren’s Call, which feature Jet and Lily and tell their stories. Don’t miss this great trilogy!
Shelly hasn’t had a date in years. While she is beautiful and compassionate, she believes no man would want her if he found out her secret: she’s half mermaid. She watched her parents’ marriage deteriorate over the years as her mother yearned for the sea and her father became frustrated because his love wasn’t enough.
After her parents died in a car accident, Shelly moved to Bayou La Sirena to live with Lily and Jet, who were the only family she had left. Shelly adores her cousins, who treat her as a sister. However, they are full-blooded mermaids and don’t understand what it is like to be rejected by mermaid society as an abomination.
Tillman Angier returned to Bayou La Sirena after his father, the town sheriff, passed away from a heart attack. Despite his successful career in law enforcement in Mobile and a semi-serious relationship, he believed it was his responsibility to go home. He was the only one left to care for his brother and mother, whose drinking problem haunted the family from the time Tillman was a child. Tillman is afraid that his family baggage will prevent him from ever finding anyone to share his life. So, he has dedicated himself to protecting the town, as his father did before him.
The suspense begins when Shelly, in mermaid form, sees a body being dumped from a boat and the murderer catches a glimpse of her as she dives. He throws a stiletto at Shelly, lodging it in her tail, but she gets away and keeps the knife. She and her cousins develop a strategy to identify the killer and make sure the police find evidence to convict him, even if they have to plant it.
At the same time, Melkie tries to find the one who saw him dump the body. The serial rapist and killer cuts out and keeps his victim’s eyes as souvenirs before he gets rid of the body. In his twisted mind, destroying vulnerable women is the only way to vent the rage he feels toward the prostitute mother who abused and molested him. Since she is dead, he can’t torture her, so he substitutes hookers. He is repulsed by the idea that mermaids are real and worried that the creature will give him away to the authorities. Paying for his crimes isn’t part of his plan.
While she and her cousins attempt to outwit Melkie, Shelly falls hard for Tillman, who finds her irresistible. But his sharp eyes and on point instincts tell him she’s keeping secrets and he’s too principled to look the other way.
Tillman is determined to find the perpetrator and put him behind bars, although it may implicate Shelly. Her lack of transparency and the odd things he observes about her and her cousins, paired with clues from the crime scenes, set off his suspicions. He wants to believe she is innocent, but he senses something is wrong.
The dynamic conclusion to this contemporary mermaid story will keep you mes-mer-ized. I loved this book and the sequels, Siren’s Treasure and Siren’s Call, which feature Jet and Lily and tell their stories. Don’t miss this great trilogy!
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