FIREFLY DIARIES and DRAGONFLY ASHES by C. C. Warrens, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

REBECCA'S REVIEWS

CHERRY CREEK MYSTERIES BOOKS ONE AND TWO

FIREFLY DIARIES
"One thing she knew for certain was that something strange was going on in this village, and it was beginning to feel like her house was at the center of it  . . . "

Seeking refuge in a new place to start her life all over again, Noelle McKenzie purchases an old, dilapidated house in rural Ohio through an online auction, thinking that a physical, mental, and emotional renovation is just what her broken heart needs. Upon arrival, she is shocked at the structure's actual appearance, it seems the old house has a story to tell, and it's not a happy one.

Before Noelle can even get unpacked, she is warned away and calls local law enforcement to make sure of her safety. When Captain Derek Dempsey arrives from the sheriff's department to clear the house, his review of local lore doesn't make Noelle feel any safer, but it does give her perspective. The story only gets curiouser and curiouser, and a lot more minacious . . . especially when she stumbles upon a small girl's (who calls herself Firefly) journal.

"Was God her Firefly, trying to shed light into the darkness that had consumed her life? Was He whispering words that she couldn't hear?"

Such a good story on multiple levels! The word flow and chapter structure keeps the fast pace and raw edges flowing smoothly and effortlessly. The characters, while quite unique, are equally authentic. The setting, that appears so sinister in the beginning, mirrors life itself . . . redeemable.

Plus! Good luck figuring out what is really going on in the old Bechtel house.
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

See PAULA'S REVIEW

BackCover Blurb:
"The world whipped around her in a dizzying funnel of lights and shouts, people in uniforms pressing in from all directions. Noelle sat motionless in the street, barely able to breathe. His little body was too still. Too broken."

Noelle's world shattered that night, like the pieces of headlights scattered across the dark street. There was no rebuilding her life around the grave of her child.

Adrift in her grief, Noelle finds herself drawn to an old house as rundown and weary as her spirit. She might not be able to mend her own brokenness, but maybe she can restore this abandoned structure to its former beauty. Determined, she throws herself into a renovation project with the unexpected help of a local. But she soon learns that her new home comes with a blood-stained history and a chilling reputation.

When she stumbles across a diary written by a child with a disturbing life, and a teenage girl vanishes from the village, clues leave Noelle wondering if her house might somehow be connected. Someone -- or something -- wants her gone, but she has no intention of leaving without discovering the truth.

----

DRAGONFLY ASHES
"It was like a bug hugged his face."

Well, that didn't sound like someone who Noelle McKenzie wanted around her home or her daughter. Nevertheless, that was how Skyler had described the face that she had seen outside her window, and now Noelle had seen the same figure. What was it with people and masks . . . especially around Halloween. More disturbing was the fact that this particular apparition was reminiscent of the area's sole serial killer, the Dragonfly.

And then there were the barn fires . . .

Cleverly capturing the threads of its diverse cast of characters into one united storyline, this book takes turns deepening relationships (yes, Noelle and Derek are still an item, Skyler is settling in with her "second" mother, and Walt is just as ornery as ever, but slightly improved) while investigating the sort of misguided evil intentions that potentially fragment a community into a million pieces. Will dreams turn into ashes or will a little girl's fervent prayers be answered?

A wonderfully layered, carefully plotted romantic suspense that skirts the edges of being a thriller!
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 4.5 stars

BackCover Blurb:

Flames cast an ominous orange glow against the night sky as a barn catches fire, consuming everything within: from the hay bales to the victim bound and left to die.

News of the murder sparks fear in the small community of Cherry Creek, and that fear only grows when the arsonist leaves a calling card belonging to a killer everyone believed was long dead.

The Dragonfly mysteriously disappeared from the local asylum decades ago, stepping out of existence and into legend. The story draws the attention of Noelle McKenzie, a local author, and she digs into details from the past while Captain Derek Dempsey searches for evidence in the present.

But there’s more going on than either of them suspect, and this threat doesn’t just come knocking; it kicks in the door with a wicked plan and a lit match. If they don’t stop the arsonist soon, there may not be anything left of Cherry Creek to save.

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