Eyes of Fire

by Heather Graham

Buried under the ocean, deep within the Bermuda Triangle, lies a treasure worth killing for.

Having already lost two men in her life to the lure of the bounty beneath the sea, Samantha Carlyle wants nothing to do with treasure hunts. She wants to be left in peace to run her dive resort on Seafire Isle.

But unexplained events continue to happen. Adam O'Connor--Samantha's ex-lover--arrives unannounced on the tiny island. Samantha becomes the target of an attempted kidnapping. And she's beginning to realize that none of the resort's guests are who they claim to be.

Caught in an undertow of lies and murder, Samantha confronts the secrets that have, for centuries, been drawing men to their watery graves. And she realizes that the little she knows about the lost treasure is more than enough to get her killed.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Fiction, Paranormal

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Reviews

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα πανέμορφο ιδιόκτητο νησί-θέρετρο, το Σιφάιαρ. Μια δυναμική ιδιοκτήτρια με εμπειρία στις καταδύσεις. Ένας γοητευτικός πρώην αστυνομικός που επιστρέφει για να ταράξει τη ζωή της - και όχι μόνο. Μια ομάδα τουριστών που -φαινομενικά- έχουν επισκεφτεί το νησί για να απολαύσουν ξέγνοιαστες διακοπές και συναρπαστικές καταδύσεις στον βυθό, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα όλοι τους κρύβουν τα δικά τους, σκοτεινά μυστικά και επισκέφτηκαν το Σιφάιαρ με άλλα κίνητρα. Ένα ναυάγιο εκατοντάδων χρόνων, που η ανακάλυψή του αποτελεί πόθο και όνειρο για πολλούς, μιας και στο εσωτερικό του φημολογείται πως κρύβεται ένας αμύθητης αξίας θησαυρός. Όλοι θέλουν να το βρουν, κάποιος απ' αυτούς όμως είναι διατεθειμένος να φτάσει στα άκρα προκειμένου να το πετύχει. Και δεν διστάσει να φτάσει ακόμα και στον φόνο, ώστε να βγάλει από τη μέση όποιον επιχειρήσει να του σταθεί εμπόδιο...



Η αλήθεια είναι πως αρχικά κατέταξα το βιβλίο αυτό στο είδος του #romance, αλλά τελικά αποδείχτηκε πως ο έρωτας και το πάθος -παρόλο που υπάρχουν και υποβόσκουν συνεχώς ανάμεσα στο πρωταγωνιστικό ζευγάρι, το οποίο έχει πολύ καλή χημεία- έρχονται δεύτερα, μπροστά στο όλο μυστήριο σχετικά με το περιβόητο ναυάγιο και την παρουσία τόσων ανθρώπων στο νησί που ενδιαφέρονταν γι' αυτό. Έτσι, μάλλον θα το χαρακτήριζα ως ένα αξιοπρεπέστατο #mystery/thriller, που κυλάει γρήγορα και αβίαστα. Δεν είναι ΤΟ βιβλίο, αυτό που θα θυμάσαι μέσα στα επόμενα χρόνια, αλλά είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρον.
Αυτό που μου έκανε τη μεγαλύτερη εντύπωση στο στόρυ είναι το ότι ΟΛΟΙ, μα ΟΛΟΙ οι ήρωες βρίσκονταν στο νησί για σκοπούς που δεν είχαν να κάνουν καθόλου με τη διασκέδαση και τις διακοπές. Δηλαδή, μιλάμε για καμιά ντουζίνα άτομα μαζεμένα εκεί και ούτε ένας-δυο δεν ήταν 100% αθώοι - έτσι, ρε παιδί μου, για το ξεκάρφωμα! Αυτό από τη μία με ξένισε λιγάκι, το βρήκα δηλαδή κάπως υπερβολικό (too much, που λέμε και στο χωριό μου), αλλά από την άλλη έδινε ακόμα περισσότερο μυστήριο στην πλοκή και πρόσφερε περισσότερους πιθανούς ύποπτους. Και κάπως έτσι, νομίζω πως ισορρόπησε κάπως το πράγμα... Οφείλω όμως να ομολογήσω πως καθένας από αυτούς είναι διαφορετικός: έχει διαφορετικά κίνητρα, διαφορετική ιδιοσυγκρασία, διαφορετικό επίπεδο... επικινδυνότητας, αλλά και αναγνωστικού ενδιαφέροντος. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι πως τόσες προσωπικότητες μαζεμένες σε ένα μέρος (κι αν αναλογιστεί κανείς και τους λόγους που οδήγησαν εκεί τον καθέναν από αυτούς) σίγουρα προκαλούν και διατηρούν το ενδιαφέρον.
Μην περιμένετε βαθιά ψυχογραφήματα και εκτενείς μονολόγους για τα συναισθήματα των ηρώων και τα όσα τους κάνουν οι εξελίξεις να νιώθουν κάθε φορά. Προφανώς ούτε η συγγραφέας το είχε σκοπό, αλλά ούτε και η δράση το επιτρέπει. Εξάλλου, η ατμόσφαιρα του μυστηρίου είναι τόσο έντονη και η ίντριγκα κλιμακώνεται σε τέτοιο βαθμό, που εμένα προσωπικά δεν με ενόχλησε καθόλου. Ίσως και να με κούραζαν εδώ αναλύσεις επί αναλύσεων, για να πω την αλήθεια.

Το βιβλίο αυτό είναι ένα ιδανικότατο καλοκαιρινό ανάγνωσμα. Φαντάζομαι πως κάποιος θα μπορούσε να το διαβάσει και μέσα στο καταχείμωνο και να ονειρεύεται ένα παραδεισένιο νησί, καταγάλανα νερά, καταδύσεις και κοκτέιλ το ηλιοβασίλεμα... Προσωπικά, όμως, χαίρομαι που το επέλεξα τις μέρες που έχω την καλοκαιρινή μου άδεια και το απόλαυσα γρήγορα, ήσυχα, χωρίς σκοτούρες στο κεφάλι μου, μπορώντας έτσι να αφιερώσω όλη μου τη σκέψη στα προβλήματα των ηρώων και όχι στα δικά μου. Κι αυτό, τη δεδομένη στιγμή, εμένα μου ήταν περισσότερο από αρκετό...

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyes of Fire is a fantastic romantic suspense book by Heather Graham. On a remote island in the Bermuda Triangle, Samantha Carlyle was running a scuba diving resort. However, it was not easy for her and her staff with the disappearance of her father and friend. It got worse for Samantha Carlyle when her old boyfriend, Adam O'Connor, came onto the island, and someone tried to kill her. The readers of Eyes of Fire will continue to follow Samantha Carlyle to discover what happens.

I love reading books by Heather Graham. She always ensures that I engage with her books from the first page. Eyes of Fires continued the tradition for me to engage with Heather Graham's books. I love Heather Graham's portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. Eyes of Fires is well-written and researched by Heather Graham. I like Heather Graham's description of the settings of Eyes of Fires, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.

The readers of Eyes of Fire will learn about stories that involve the Bermuda Triangle. Also, the readers of Eyes of Fire will understand the importance of following safety procedures during scuba diving.

I recommend this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't that bad, but it wasn't as good as some of the author's other books though. I found the interaction between the main characters, Sam & Adam, to be tiresome. Their behavior and stubbornness made them appear childish. And all they did was argue and talk in circles with the line "I'll tell you what I know after you tell me what you know" being played to death. If they had just been honest with each other from the very beginning then they wouldn't have had to deal with most of the issues that befell them. But then, I guess there wouldn't have been much of a story if that were the case.

[Heather Costa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Myeah.......it was okay. It was certainly a page turner. Predictable, shallow, and Sam just kept saying the same thing over and over. "Damn you" "Damn it" "Damn" Not very good arguments.

Was hoping for a new fun author but I shall try elsewhere.

[Tenesha Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

Romantic thriller. Full of suspense, nail biting, edge of your seat, roller coaster thrill Ride. With a wondrously imaginative narrative that includes a few plot twists and turns that you never see coming; but will make you keep coming back for more. The author Heather Graham's literary genius travels well past the narrative and plot to include well defined descriptive characters that are so easy to visualize within the innermost depths of my imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and an entirely grateful to the author for sharing her works of art for the enjoyment of readers such as myself.

[Lisa Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one definitely rates as pulp fiction. A beautiful resort owner is surrounded by a group of people who trying to find a spanish treasure ship that her father supposedly knew the co-ordinates of. Her last boyfriend disappeared and divers have been washing up on beaches miles away from where they said they would be. Her exboyfriend arrives on the scene in time to save her life from a mysterious masked man but which one of her guests is the bad guy? Bit of a knock off of Agatha Christie with treasure hunters thrown in for good measure but somehow succeeded in being dull rather than exciting

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t mind a bit of fluff now and then, but this was ludicrous. All the women have flaxen, flame or raven hair and perfect asses. All the men have piercing smoldering eyes and rippling pectorals. And I really despise when women characters not only act helpless but get all swoony and thankful when rescued. And the fact that this drivel was written by a woman makes it even worse. I only finished it so I could write this review.

[Danm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave up on this one a little early, but if she couldn't grab me within 30 pages, then I was out. A little heavy on the physical descriptions. If it's going to be erotic, then go all-in. Otherwise, I want something deep within meaning or something not deep with a relentless pace. This just seemed a little standard for me, but I'm probably not the standard reader.

[moxie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning was interesting, more so because of how it initially gave me the impression of a nancy drew novel and it roped me in with my affinity towards the ocean and uncovering its mysteries. However, as the story progressed, I noticed the pacing was a bit slow and there were a lot of smut, which I personally don’t like, but if it is to you then go ahead

[Rebecca Delio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Story

I love all of Heather Graham's books especially The Krewe Of Hunters Series. But, I really love them all. Great Reads....

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. Frequent sex scenes, but easy to skip. Some swearing.

[Brenda Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the book.

The book was great.
I would recommend this to everyone who like mystery.
The sea keep you wanting more about it.

[Megan McQueen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was tough to get through. The only reason I finished it was because I wanted to know who the killer was - and even that was lackluster.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm totally hooked on Heather Graham's books now. What an incredible story teller! You'll be hooked til the end.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first book of hers that I’ve read. Unfortunately I didn’t care for it. It was too “melodramatic” for me.

[cio · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it so much the perfect mix of romance and thriller i was trying to solve it myself the whole time there were so many plot twist in this book 😭

spice : 🌶🌶🌶/5

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I never really expect deep reading from Heather Graham, I do expect a well written storyline. After all, I've read some pretty great stories from her. This book? Well, it isn't as bad as some of her other books, but it just isn't her best.

Eyes of Fire is set on a beautiful island paradise where Sam works as a dive instructor for intrepid vacationers. Sam spends her time trying to forget her father's mysterious disappearance as well as forget the one man who set her body ablaze. Her father had been searching for a sunken ship that supposedly carried various stolen riches when he'd disappeared. Unfortunately for Sam, she's not going to be able to forget the past. Not only has an old flame reappeared, but there are people who desperately want to find the sunken treasure... and are willing to kill for it.

The book started off well enough & despite the amount of foolish pride that the main hero & heroine displayed, I liked their characters. There was a nice buildup to the mystery, but it is about halfway through the book that I just got a little irritated with the entire scenario.

First off, there's too many characters in the book & as a result the "whodunit" is unnecessarily complicated. It was a bit of a chore to keep up with everyone- especially when Graham tried to do the "nobody is what they seem" bit, so after a while I just didn't even bother. Just because you can cram almost a dozen people into the plotline doesn't mean that you should. Neither should you try to give each person their own distinct storyline- it just caused the book to drag in the last half when Graham tried to explain everyone's past or motives or conclude their interactions in the story.

Then there's the ending- the grand finale with the villain. I'm going to give a little bit of a spoiler (but not ID anyone or their motivations) & say that Graham pulled a new-ish (already in the regular cast) villain into the ending, which to me just seemed a little overkill. It just felt too unnecessarily complicated.

I just wish that Graham had focused on 2-3 specific persons & things rather than try to involve so many plot elements. Done right, a huge cast & many plot developments can be a fun read. This book just didn't mesh together right.

Don't get me wrong- this isn't a bad book & I did enjoy it for the most part. It'll make for a nice enough beach read for someone looking for a casual read. I just wouldn't recommend it for a first time Graham reader.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many characters, plot not that exciting.

Samantha returns from taking her guests out diving to see the mail boat arrive with an unannounced guest on board. A guest that she knows and wishes he’d never returned. Adam O’Connor remembers clearly what Sam had been like years before and his heart still stops when he sees her. He introduces himself to some of her guests and to Sam like he’s never met her before, which throws her off and has her fleeing from his presence in haste.

Once back in her cabin, she decides to soak in the tub and debate with herself on what to do about Adam. But she doesn’t get to debate long. Someone has broken into her cabin, dressed all in black with a black mask, intent on drugging and kidnapping her right from her tub. Who should come to her rescue but Adam. Adam refuses to tell her why he’s suddenly showed up, why he couldn’t come to her aid when her father had disappeared, when her friend, Hank Jennings, disappeared.

Then he begins to point out that her guests aren’t who they say they are. Suddenly Sam is suspicious of every single one of them. But one thing is clear; one or more of her guests are after something, a treasure under the sea that caused the disappearance of two men she cared about, the possible murder of same friends. Who can Sam trust?

Oh, where do I begin? I usually really enjoy Graham’s novels, but I found this one fell almost flat compared to the others I’ve read. First: Too many characters and too many disconnections. It was getting hard to remember which character was which. Thoughts never completed. And while you get the story of the treasure aboard the Beldona, it’s not as exciting as you’re made to think.

I did like the tension between Sam and Adam. You find out what happened in the past between them and why it fell apart and you get a greater picture of how naive Sam was - and sort of still is. And while there are a couple of action scenes well worth reading, the rest of the story seems to fall flat, like there’s no substance to it. A couple of little twists are a bit of a surprise, but seem to feel downplayed. I really believe that if there had been less characters in play and more substance to the story, the book would have been much better.

[S.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic suspense is one of those subgenres that can be tricky to get right. It's easy to have either the romance or the suspense overpower the other.

So when someone comes along who gets it right, it's no wonder people sing their praises. I'm now convinced that Heather Graham deserves every bit of praise that she gets.

Eyes of Fire was originally released in 1995. It was re-released in 2005.

The Eyes of Fire are a pair of rubies that sank with the English ship Beldona in the Bermuda Triangle. They are at the center of a mystery involving Justin Carlyle, the heroine--Samantha's-- father. Samantha, who runs a vacation resort and dive service on Seafire Island, has lost not only her father but a dear friend to the mystery of the ship and the gems, and she really doesn't want anything to do with it herself.

Or with Adam O'Connor, the ex-cop who broke her heart years on his last visit to investigate a case at the resort. He's back, though, and to her chagrin, Sam still has feelings for the man. Feelings he returns.

Eyes of Fire is packed full of mystery and intrigue. Very few people on the island are who or what they seem. The plot twists come fast and furious when things start unraveling, but in the end, it's still a romance. You're still going to find a HEA.

The book's held up well, for being twelve years old, I think. The sex scenes are slightly purple, but not offensively in my opinion. They certainly won't keep me away from the author in the future. As a matter of fact, the pacing and storytelling make me look forward to the other books I have in my stacks.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's time for me to read something fun, sexy, and predictable. wee

hey i was totally wrong about "predictable". this was a solid mystery. everyone on the island, practically, harbored some kind of secret purpose or agenda that was carefully concealed until things began coming together at the end - just exactly the way a good mystery should unfold.

granted, samantha and jerry's relationship was easy to guess at, but aside from that all secrets held for as long as they were supposed to. and really, i can't completely believe that the relationship's obviousness was accidental. based on how tight everything else was tied up, i have to believe that allowing that to be there served some kind of purpose - casting suspension on a certain someone, maybe. dunno

the lovin' was pretty fun. a good balance, too. too many romantic suspense novels are either too heavy with the romance or too heavy with the suspense. this one? this one was just right.

plus! SUNKEN TREASURE! and SKELETONS! and SHARKS! what's not to like, right?

[Martip · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first dip in had me thinking I'd run into a cross between a Harlequin romance and a mystery thriller. Maybe I'm still right. The plot line-beautiful woman on island has lost her father, and at least another person to a Bermuda Triangle type mystery beneath the sea-and someone is trying to kill her. The treasure being hunted has long been lost, and the mystery surrounding it has intrigued people for year. You see the "same old, same old" action going on here. The cast of characters felt a little like Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and indeed, an island, murder attempts, people who aren't who they say they are AND the appearance of a previous lover in the life of the long legged red headed dive instructor resort owner definitely has some "formulaic" work going on in the novel. I found the explanation of the diving, the ships and the treasure a bit too encyclopediac to enjoy...the romance thrilling, but maybe I'm just an old romantic, and the mystery...well, forgettable. Sorry Heather. I see many people love your work...I'll try you again!

[Queenstacelareads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been working through my many stacks of books that I haven’t read around my house. I picked this one thinking it would be a quick and light read. This is a romantic suspense done by someone that couldn’t have much experience at it. This book frankly bored me a great deal and was very predictable. The introduction of elements in the last chapter that was not hinted at all during the story was very irritating. It was very convenient and not even done well. The suspense could have been turned up and this would have been a better book. My sure force of will finished this book. I put it down many times, but told myself that I needed to finish it. I keep most books that I can tolerate and want to re-read (hence a library of close to 600 books). This book will be put in a bag to trade in, and if I can’t get more books with it, will be donated. Only read this if you want to turn you mind completely off.

[Ursula Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eyes of Fire by Heather Graham is an intriguing and entertaining read. The characters are believeable and likeable, with flaws that make it easier to relate to them. Samantha wants to live a peaceful life with her business and her friends, doing what she loves to do, diving.
Adam wants answers...and Samantha, but he doesn't want to want her. So he has to fight her, fighting her feelings for him, and try to find out who is really who they say they are...and who aren't.
The danger is on land and under water, and everyone is considered a danger and must be kept at arms length, but that's easier said than done since they are all on an island...
Someone wants Samantha, and for completely different reasons than Adam's...they want answers from her and they don't mind how they get them.
I recommend this book to anyone that like intrigue, suspense and romance.

Ursula Gorman
Author of Old Acquaintances

[Marti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure I picked it up at a garage sale. The "New York Times Bestselling..." was enough for me to grab it. Getting into the book I thought, oh, it's a mystery and a harlequin romance novel. Not something I found too thrilling. It is a murder mystery. I found it challenging to keep up with all the people on the fabulously remote resort on an island. Why DO authors toss characters in like a mad waiter placing name tags a huge dinner party? The documentary type explanations of the Bermuda Triangle and what shipwreck rusted where didn't grab me. Maybe I'm a victim of a reduced attention span, and a high need for fast and furious action, but this book just didn't cut bait! Ooooh, maybe if Heather Graham included fishing in it! Maybe I just don't like redheads, long legged, bikini wearing redheads that have men falling all over her!

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mysterious things are happening in Samantha Carlyle's life. Her father vanished while diving alone. Her best friend never returned from a dive. Now her ex-lover, Adam, has returned to Seafire Island, just in time to save Samantha from an attempted kidnapping. Samantha is beginning to think that none of her resort's guests are who they claim to be.

Lots of suspects crowd this story. Samantha is one of those TSTL (too-stupid-to-live) heroines who run around alone in the dark of night knowing someone is trying to kill them. Adam keeps secrets from her, promising he will tell her in the future. Most of his secrets turn out to be no big deal at all...just conflict for the relationship. My rating: 2.5 Stars.

[Anna McFadden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samantha Carlyle owns a
dive resort on Seafire Isle, and the last thing she wants to deal with is treasure hunts. She has lost the 2 most important men in her life due to the lure of their love of the sea and she wants to be left alone in peace when unexplained events keep happening on her island. And to add to all of this exhusband whom she thought she was over shows up unannounced on the tiny island. when
Samantha becomes the target of an attempted kidnapping. And she's beginning to realize that none of the resort's guests are who they claim to be. and she wonders who she can and trust

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

a buried treasure off the coast of a remote vacation island with all the guests having aliases and somehow involved in trying to find the treasure. It all gets very complicated with so many characters. The ending was just a bit too cute to be believable for such a complicated story-similar to a “B-movie”, some merits but nothing noteworthy; via KY Unbound; read during Seoul vacation via my Kindle; 3 out of 5 stars; finished Feb. 24, 2016/#15

[Kathrynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samanth is a certified diver off the Florida Keys. She teams up with Adam (who dives for the gov't) and they discover a ghost ship, treasures, etc and uncover an error in history about a romance gone bad.

There is a haunting and kinda spooky...fyi

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this suspence thriller. Samantha's ex-lover has returned to her island to protect her and between the two of them, they solve the mystery of who killed her father and find the shipwreck with its treasures.

[Allyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite novels from this genre! I've read it many times and have never got tired of it. :) It's the book that got me interested in Heather's work int he first place... and also the first of hers that I read.