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Her billionaire mentor's invitation to go sailing with his family seemed a timely break for diver Katsu "Kat" Espinoza. Until she saw the yacht's captain—Will Ashton, her treacherous, still-too-appealing ex—and her mentor made a shocking Kat was his newest heir! She could handle the angry accusations, the ice-cold shoulders. But when the boat was wrecked, stranding them all on a deserted island, Kat suspected that someone had a more permanent solution in mind. With the survivors looking to her for leadership and Will being maddeningly secretive, Kat considered who among them might be truly dangerous. Then the survivors began to disappear, one…by one….
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2006
36 people want to read
About the author
Crystal Green
203 books82 followersPseudonym for Chris Marie Green and Christine Cody
A long time ago, in a land far, far away (Milwaukee , WI , St. Luke's Hospital), Chris Marie Green (also writing as Crystal Green) joined the world. While moving to Southern California, Kentucky , then back to California , she amused herself by writing poetry and short stories featuring the ultimate Alpha males--Superman and Indiana Jones. Later, after graduating with a B.A. in English from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo , Chris decided to become a professional writer.
While she wrote, Chris worked as an eighth-grade teacher, but resigned in 2002 to pursue writing full time. Her critique partners, Sheri WhiteFeather and Judy Duarte are instrumental in her endeavors. Without these talented authors, writing would be a lonely road.
Chris is pumped about her Vampire Babylon series for Ace, which is best described as "noir fantasy-mysteries" featuring a vamp hunter. The first five books, NIGHT RISING, MIDNIGHT REIGN, BREAK OF DAWN (which compose the first trilogy), plus A DROP OF RED and THE PATH OF RAZORS (the first two books in the second trilogy) have already been released. The sixth, DEEP IN THE WOODS, will be on shelves on March 2, 2010. A Vampire Babylon-related novella was released in an anthology entitled FIRST BLOOD. (Note: The Vampire Babylon series uses trilogy arcs to tell one basic story, much like the way JK Rowling used seven books that didn’t solve every plot thread book-by-book to tell Harry Potter’s story. While each individual novel focuses on a central mystery that’s solved by the end, the three books together build character and mythology arcs/mysteries until everything culminates in the third book. Each trilogy repeats this pattern.)
Chris is also writes Silhouette Special Editions ("home and hearth" tales of redemption and community) and Harlequin Blazes (steamy fantasies), and whenever she can, she travels, including backpacking trips in Europe and road trips in America . She also enjoys yoga, hiking, and way too much movie-watching.
For any press inquiries, please contact Chris’ agent Pamela Harty at http://www.knightagency.net/contact/.
A long time ago, in a land far, far away (Milwaukee , WI , St. Luke's Hospital), Chris Marie Green (also writing as Crystal Green) joined the world. While moving to Southern California, Kentucky , then back to California , she amused herself by writing poetry and short stories featuring the ultimate Alpha males--Superman and Indiana Jones. Later, after graduating with a B.A. in English from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo , Chris decided to become a professional writer.
While she wrote, Chris worked as an eighth-grade teacher, but resigned in 2002 to pursue writing full time. Her critique partners, Sheri WhiteFeather and Judy Duarte are instrumental in her endeavors. Without these talented authors, writing would be a lonely road.
Chris is pumped about her Vampire Babylon series for Ace, which is best described as "noir fantasy-mysteries" featuring a vamp hunter. The first five books, NIGHT RISING, MIDNIGHT REIGN, BREAK OF DAWN (which compose the first trilogy), plus A DROP OF RED and THE PATH OF RAZORS (the first two books in the second trilogy) have already been released. The sixth, DEEP IN THE WOODS, will be on shelves on March 2, 2010. A Vampire Babylon-related novella was released in an anthology entitled FIRST BLOOD. (Note: The Vampire Babylon series uses trilogy arcs to tell one basic story, much like the way JK Rowling used seven books that didn’t solve every plot thread book-by-book to tell Harry Potter’s story. While each individual novel focuses on a central mystery that’s solved by the end, the three books together build character and mythology arcs/mysteries until everything culminates in the third book. Each trilogy repeats this pattern.)
Chris is also writes Silhouette Special Editions ("home and hearth" tales of redemption and community) and Harlequin Blazes (steamy fantasies), and whenever she can, she travels, including backpacking trips in Europe and road trips in America . She also enjoys yoga, hiking, and way too much movie-watching.
For any press inquiries, please contact Chris’ agent Pamela Harty at http://www.knightagency.net/contact/.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 1, 2007
It was touch and go for a moment there. I almost gave this another star because the mystery/thriller part of this book redeemed the whole story for me. It kept me just enough on my toes to keep me guessing and changing my guess as to who the killer was, and even after I guessed correctly, another red herring had me changing my guess yet again.
But a fraction of what made it touch and go was that the romance part was iffy for me. The one sex scene in the book didn't seem to belong there at all. It seemed like a totally wrong time for that sort of thing ... I mean, with everyone being stranded on the island and everything. Plus, that the heroine could trust her lover so little to begin with, to end the relationship in the first place -- it seemed like such a molehill made into a mountain. But even the heroine's realization about that in the end redeemed that part of it.
It was mostly the multi-cultural San Diegan side of the heroine, who grew up in the ghetto, that made this only an OK book for me. It seemed to be a sore point for the heroine, one that made her kind of prickly about herself, and for some reason it didn't ring all that true for me. I grew up in San Diego, went to a ghetto school, have a multi-cultural make up (Asian and Hispanic, like the heroine), and experienced betrayals too, but I am nowhere near to being as full of angst as the heroine. There were times I wanted to tell her, "Get over yourself already. Jeez!"
All in all, though, not a bad read, and it got really exciting toward the end once the killer was revealed.
Finished reading September 30, 2007.
But a fraction of what made it touch and go was that the romance part was iffy for me. The one sex scene in the book didn't seem to belong there at all. It seemed like a totally wrong time for that sort of thing ... I mean, with everyone being stranded on the island and everything. Plus, that the heroine could trust her lover so little to begin with, to end the relationship in the first place -- it seemed like such a molehill made into a mountain. But even the heroine's realization about that in the end redeemed that part of it.
It was mostly the multi-cultural San Diegan side of the heroine, who grew up in the ghetto, that made this only an OK book for me. It seemed to be a sore point for the heroine, one that made her kind of prickly about herself, and for some reason it didn't ring all that true for me. I grew up in San Diego, went to a ghetto school, have a multi-cultural make up (Asian and Hispanic, like the heroine), and experienced betrayals too, but I am nowhere near to being as full of angst as the heroine. There were times I wanted to tell her, "Get over yourself already. Jeez!"
All in all, though, not a bad read, and it got really exciting toward the end once the killer was revealed.
Finished reading September 30, 2007.
January 1, 2011
Man, this book is so cool... it grabbed me instantly. The characters were engaging, though the suspicion kept building for all of them at one stage or another. This was like a thrill ride through someone's worst nightmare.
When Katsu Espinoza agrees to go sailing with the family of her good friend and mentor, Duke, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. To make matters worse, her ex is the yacht’s captain... and if that wasn't bad enough, she ends up on a deserted island where the survivors are disappearing one after the other.
The premise had me hooked instantly. As the story built up and the tension got dense, I just had to keep reading. I hated putting this book down, honestly did. The mystery was so engrossing that I would've loved to read this in one sitting... so I did it in three instead. But I swear - the answer, the reason and the killer were a huge surprise. A true bombshell I didn't expect... and Crystal throws you off-course so many times, it's brilliant!
Kat is such an honest character too. She reacts like any real person would - horrified, scared but trying to keep everything and everyone together. Her flaws and insecurities stem from her mixed background and I loved her point of view.
Anyway, I could go on and on about how excellent this book is but would end up giving something vital away. And that would wreck the whole experience. So, if you enjoy a great mystery with a wicked revelation and horrid turn of events, check it out!
When Katsu Espinoza agrees to go sailing with the family of her good friend and mentor, Duke, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. To make matters worse, her ex is the yacht’s captain... and if that wasn't bad enough, she ends up on a deserted island where the survivors are disappearing one after the other.
The premise had me hooked instantly. As the story built up and the tension got dense, I just had to keep reading. I hated putting this book down, honestly did. The mystery was so engrossing that I would've loved to read this in one sitting... so I did it in three instead. But I swear - the answer, the reason and the killer were a huge surprise. A true bombshell I didn't expect... and Crystal throws you off-course so many times, it's brilliant!
Kat is such an honest character too. She reacts like any real person would - horrified, scared but trying to keep everything and everyone together. Her flaws and insecurities stem from her mixed background and I loved her point of view.
Anyway, I could go on and on about how excellent this book is but would end up giving something vital away. And that would wreck the whole experience. So, if you enjoy a great mystery with a wicked revelation and horrid turn of events, check it out!
June 27, 2016
Katsu "Kat" Espinoza has been invited to go on a sailing trip with her older ailing billionaire friend for Edward “Duke” Harrington III and his grandson Chris. When she gets to the boat she is not only surprised to find that Duke's estranged family is there but that the captain of the boat is her ex boyfriend Will Ashton. If Kat thinks that the feelings she still has for Will are dangerous then she is in for a terrible shock. After a close call on the boat suspicions already start. Then the boat wrecks in a storm and after that people start turning up dead and not just from the wreck. Who will make it off the island of death and who is killing everyone?
The story is light on the romance (and only 1 sex scene) which isn't my usual read (the more romance the better for me) but it was still a great story. Even if you start to suspect who is murdering people there is no way you will be able to figure out the whole thing that is going on. I did entertain thoughts on the murderer but I totally didn't see what was really going on coming.
The story is light on the romance (and only 1 sex scene) which isn't my usual read (the more romance the better for me) but it was still a great story. Even if you start to suspect who is murdering people there is no way you will be able to figure out the whole thing that is going on. I did entertain thoughts on the murderer but I totally didn't see what was really going on coming.
September 5, 2013
After a couple harder/longer reads, I pulled this one off the unread shelf as a palate cleanser. As should be expected, being a Harlequin, it wasn't a deep or demanding read.
One nice element is the heroine. She's not rich. She's not super-educated. She a mixed race (Hispanic-Japanese) girl, working in the tourist industry, and who has self-esteem problems, and isn't even all that likeable. Definitely not the typical Harlequin heroine.
The basic plot is that rich guy friend makes her an heir, pissing off most of the family waiting for him to die. On a private cruise, captained by the heroines ex, they end up shipwrecked on an island, and someone starts killing off the family, one by one. (btw, the cover makes it look kind of tropical, but the area they're in makes that unlikely)
Can she stop the killer? Can she come to terms with her ex? Can she stop mistrusting *everyone* around her?
A fun, quick read.
One nice element is the heroine. She's not rich. She's not super-educated. She a mixed race (Hispanic-Japanese) girl, working in the tourist industry, and who has self-esteem problems, and isn't even all that likeable. Definitely not the typical Harlequin heroine.
The basic plot is that rich guy friend makes her an heir, pissing off most of the family waiting for him to die. On a private cruise, captained by the heroines ex, they end up shipwrecked on an island, and someone starts killing off the family, one by one. (btw, the cover makes it look kind of tropical, but the area they're in makes that unlikely)
Can she stop the killer? Can she come to terms with her ex? Can she stop mistrusting *everyone* around her?
A fun, quick read.
September 18, 2013
such an unexpected ending! loved this book!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews