A POISONED LEGACY

Author: Margaret Blake ISBN: 9780709086628 11/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: ROBERT HALE LTD.

Belinda soon realizes the legacy is poisoned. By rights the house and land should have gone to Jesse Crane, or at least be shared between him and Carl Nash. Does someone want her dead? Can she trust Jesse Crane? Carl Nash is a charismatic pastor and he at least has to be honest but Belinda begins to doubt even that. And how can she fight her growing attraction to Jesse, knowing he might wish her harm? Set in rural Florida—light years away from the smart hotels and theme parks this is the story of a young woman who is confused but brave. Uncertain of whom she can trust, she nevertheless leans towards Jesse... never guessing at the terrible secrets that Nash House holds to itself.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

A POISONED LEGACY is almost like the gothic romances I read when I was younger from the late 60's-early 70's. It certainly follows the formula quite well: young girl inherits grand estate from one of the most obscure relatives ever thought of, two men who stood to gain everything but got nothing, eerie foreboding atmosphere, and suspicious deaths.

There is quite a bit to recommend this as a suspenseful romance, at least in the beginning. Towards the middle portion of the book there is less ambiguity in who was responsible for everything. Or I should say what side of the family is responsible.

And what a family! Belinda is the deceased's stepdaughter's stepdaughter. Or in other words, Belinda's stepmother Carolina was Nash the senior's first wife Anna's daughter from a previous marriage. Which I'm sure is confusing, but honestly, half the time I couldn't remember the exact relationship because it was just that out there. Carl is Nash the senior's adopted son from his second marriage to Marietta, and Jesse is his son born out of wedlock with Morning (who other then being friends with Carolina, I never quite understood how she became entangled so deeply with the family). Blake does repeat how people are connected many times, but taking notes wouldn't be a bad idea.

I was a little disappointed by the second half of the book because its like things fizzled out. The tensions, the who-did-it, the why-did-it-happen seemed to lose a lot of steam once Belinda became involved romantically. From there it was just a matter of how would they catch him and how would things be revealed.

Take away the suspense plot however, and I think you have a solid romance and I thought it was wonderful that it was set in Florida somewhere other then the normal tourist spots.

Alexandra Cenni