A dead body, a flood, and a boy’s rescue. Can Annalisa Carabelle keep the boy safe while racing to discover a killer before it's too late?
“This (mystery) kicks off with an intense water rescue and…kept me on my toes all the way to the end…I loved Anna and Richard together…and the romantic tension between them.” Meez Carrie, Reading is My Superpower
All Annalisa Carabelle wants is a successful summer season for the bed-and-breakfast she co-owns. She never expected the flood, the boy who needed rescuing, or the man who came from nowhere to help. The dead body? Well, the wound to the head proved it had nothing to do with do with the deluge.
Richard Jordan’s plans for the summer include as much scrambling up waterfalls as possible. He needs the adrenaline rush because life has proven routine, even pointless. But both the woman and the boy called him a hero, and maybe the dead body is a wake-up call. Life might be worth living if he and this intriguing woman can find the killer and make sure he doesn’t kill again.
But they’ve got too many suspects, and even the police are baffled. With the family protecting the killer, he might just get away for good, unless they force his hand—and stay alive while they are doing it.
“Waterfall is a fast-paced mystery…Rodante’s artistic brush draws readers into waterfall scenes that evoke awe, power, and a sense of danger (intensifying) at every turn. (It’s also) a beautiful story of healing and redemption.” Valerie Banfield, Award-winning author of While I Count the Stars
*** Waterfall is a Christian Romantic Mystery, Book One in The Waterfall Mysteries. PLEASE Waterfall was previously published in the multi-author anthology Summer Suspicions.
Linda was born and raised in Florida. She is married with two grown sons, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. At twenty-six, she discovered the miraculous love of Jesus Christ. God blessed her with a passion for the written word—especially mysteries and romantic suspense novels, from Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie, from Dee Henderson to Kristen Heitzman. She speaks about and works against human trafficking. Her author blog is www.lindarodante.com. Her human trafficking and commitment to God blog is at https://lindarodante.wordpress.com/
Within a few sentences, author Linda Rodante places the reader in an intense rescue situation and gives the sense that one of the characters has more to his story than is shared. I loved not knowing if he was trustworthy or what would become of the victim or why he was alone. These unknowns propelled the story and gave me a reason to keep reading.
The romantic tension was in perfect balance with the mystery/suspense and faith elements, making this a great introduction to a new series. I can't wait to read the next book in The Waterfall Mysteries because Rodante has well-crafted, unique characters and places them in situations that showcase God's hand in their journey. I know I'll have a nail-biting, well-paced read.
I learned about ghyll scrambling and smiled at the reminder that “God’s still in the miracle business.”
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Okay, wow! This is a mystery, suspense and romance all wrapped into one. Plus there is large faith element that is woven within every chapter. The mystery totally had me stumped and at the end of my seat and the romance was everything I could hope for.
There are two heroes in this story, but ultimately God is the hero of it all as he draws together two believers, and makes a way when they didn't see one.
In this story Richard and Annalisa work together to save a boy from drowning. Once they went through that situation together they become inseparable... working hard figure out how the boy got there, and find the answers behind the two other bodies that were found that day. But the more time together the more they are drawn together. But being unequally yoked, they have to push back those feelings, over and over again. Will they ever figure out more about the boy they saved and the deaths on that day? Can they ever move on from another knowing they feel pulled to each other, but it can never be?
Reading this as a ebook was perfect because so much of this story needed to be highlighted and I'll be honest... that first kiss, was up there as one of the best I've ever read! The chemistry, sarcasm, and playfulness but also the character and selflessness of the two main characters just really made this a special read. Wow! And honestly I never knew anything about waterfall climbing, until now.
Read this, I am SO thankful I did! 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars I received a complimentary copy of this book. The review reflects all my own opinions and was not required.
This story starts out with a thrilling scene and it just gets more troublesome and confusing. Richard, a school counselor who likes to climb up waterfalls, meets Annalisa when they come upon a boy on the roof of a car in a swollen, swirling creek. They save Hudson but then circumstances surrounding finding two bodies makes everything super complicated. As they work to piece the puzzle together, they become friends and that turns to romance. Amid danger and lots of questions, Annalisa lives out her faith and Richard discovers faith and accepts Christ. They are sure God is working in their lives. Fast-paced drama, reliable and interesting plot and a steady friend-to- more romantic thread makes this a fantastic story. *I purchased a copy of this book in the Summer Suspicions collection from Amazon. All opinions are mine alone.*
If you like romantic suspense with faith elements, this book is for you! This book drew me in right away with its action packed opening scene. I also enjoyed hearing Annalisa's prayers throughout it and witnessing her strong faith. Seeing Richard come to know Jesus on his own terms was also very beautiful. However, there were parts of this book I did struggle with. Their romance felt very fast paced and sometimes hard to believe. I also wish there had been more focus on the mystery than on the romance (but that is a personal preference).
Some strong themes you’ll in this book are the following: > Forgiveness > Overcoming Fear > Healing (from the past) > Friends to Lovers
Thank you Just Read Tours for the chance to read this book. I’m so grateful for this opportunity!
When Annalisa decided to open a B&B with her friend, she never expected to find herself embroiled in mystery and murder before they even finished renovations. Rescuing a boy from the roof of a flooded car precipitates a series of events she could never have foreseen. Richard isn't precisely running away, but it's perhaps closer than he'd like. But helping save a boy and getting to know an intriguing young woman will eventually force him to face his family and his past. Can they discover the murderer before anyone else gets hurt? And can two people so dissimilar have any future together?
This is an intriguing mystery from beginning to end - two dead bodies, one shot, and one survivor with weird family dynamics, and two rescuers who want to help but don't always know how. I appreciated the way they both cared about Hudson and tried to help him, though with such a messy family, it's hard to know what to do. The mystery kept me guessing, and I'm not sure I would ever have come up with the answer, but it did come together neatly. In terms of the romance, I appreciated the way this handled the issue of Christian marriage to an unbeliever - something that can be very tempting but isn't what God wants - and isn't really a good idea for either party long-term anyway. Something about the writing wasn't quite my thing, which is why it's only four stars, but I'd still consider trying another book by the author.
The emphasis in this novel is a relationship with Christ and the rest of the plot centers around that. Annalisa is a Christian who works hard at establishing her B and B and equally hard at living her faith. Richard is a counselor who has no use for God but he does enjoy God’s creation, especially waterfalls. Their story is one that was interesting but not totally fascinating since I knew how things would turn out for them. The mystery part of the story revolves around a young boy whose mother died during a flood and who doesn’t trust anyone, especially his dad. He befriends Annalisa and Richard and will listen to their advice but he has a dark secret that is eating him up inside. The plot was moderately paced and well written and the characters were well-developed and realistic, although not as relatable as I would have liked. Some of the characters, like Hudson’s dad, were hard to figure out because they did not fit the mold of the character they were supposed to be. All in all, this is a good book with a great faith message, so I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean Christian reads. I purchased a copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Waterfall, by Linda K Rodante is a contemporary christian suspenseful romance story. Annalisa is co-owner of a B & B who's faith is so strong her life and actions reflect it. Richard is the new school counselor who has not room in his life for God. Both work together to save a young boy who is stranded on the top of a car in raging waters. This is such a good story. It is fast paced with action and mystery. The story has good strong characters who keep searching to find out the truth. It is so well written it is easy to imagine the rushing water and situations surround the young boy and his actions. I especially enjoyed the parts of the story that focus on the B & B and the relationship between Annalisa and her co-owner. I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest review.
Blindsided. I was blindsided by the twist in this suspenseful, mystery. I had absolutely no idea which direction Linda K. Rodante was going to take this story. That doesn't happen often and it was the absolute BEST!
Flooding. Rescues. Murder. Romance. Angst. Bed & Breakfast. Firefighter. This book had it ALL! In the best possible way imaginable.
What I think I liked most of all, though, was the faith aspect in Annalisa's character. I could "see" her influence whittling away at Richard's unbelief but loved how the author made the romance about loving God and not just loving Annalisa.
I love waterfalls and the descriptions of the trails and the falls were amazing. I could almost hear the roar of the falling waters and feel the drops on my face!
I look forward to reading many more books by this author :)
I am very excited and thankful to review this book today!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Linda K. Rodante's protagonist (read: heroine) Annalisa Carabelle wasn't expecting one as she drove to her soon-to-open B&B. Yet suddenly, there's a wild torrent before her, and in the middle of it, there's an SUV, trapped in the floodwaters of the creek. With a boy on top of it, clinging to the car's roof. How can she help him?
Through some miraculous provision, that's how. A long board floats by. And as Annalisa grabs it, strong arms surround her and grab the board. She, and the man behind her, rescue the boy, Hudson. But as that rescue plays out, Annalisa and Richard discover that, as terrifying and life-marking as that flood was, there's more they haven't seen. There's a dead body; killed not by the flood but by the bullet hole in his head.
As Annalisa (a B&B owner) and Richard (a school counselor) try to sort out who committed the murder, there are suddenly a lot of potential suspects. (At least in their minds.) There's also an attraction they feel toward each other. The problem, in addition to the suspect of the killing still at large, is that Richard is completely antagonistic toward Annalisa's faith. Despite the attraction she feels toward him, she knows what it's like to be in a romantic relationship without the shared faith that is everything to her.
Jump into Linda K. Rodante's compelling clean romantic mystery. It's absolutely unexpected in every way; and the Christian faith itself is not sugarcoated in any way. Nor does the story speed toward a happy ending; and the faith journey is stronger because of that. Strong writing, great characters, and the unexpected!
I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions shared here are my own honest ones.
What happens when you struggle to connect with a character-driven novel? You go through what I went through with Waterfall. This is a novel that I wanted so much to love but it sadly fell flat for me and was just ok. I feel like Richard and Annalisa’s relationship was not organic and felt somehow forced, despite quite a bit of the novel being focused on them getting to know one another and developing that relationship.
There were attempts at humor to help balance out the levity of the situation Richard and Annalisa find themselves in but what was clearly meant for lightheartedness did not hit like I’m sure the author intended. There was one scene in particular that felt so unbelievable that it actually bothered me, and the overall dialogue felt strange and almost incomplete in some parts.
I believe if less focus would’ve been put on the characters and more time put into the mystery, I feel like the story overall would’ve been more enjoyable. The premise is very intriguing, but I feel like something was sadly lacking with the execution.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
Waterfall is a delightful suspense novel that is going to have you reading at a fast clip while also possibly making sure your lights are on and the blinds are drawn.
Annalisa co-owns a bed and breakfast. She’s hoping for a good season this time. But when a flood comes and a little boy needs to be rescued she’s beginning to doubt how good this season will be. Add in a mysterious stranger who rescues them and you’ve got the makings for a great story.
Richard only planned to climb waterfalls. But now he’s a hero. And there’s a dead body too.
This was a great fast-paced suspense novel. You’ve got to find out who killed the dead body, and why, and maybe find some romance along the way.
Within the pages of this book, you’re going to find faith a central theme. I enjoyed that. And then you’re going to find a great mystery. I’m looking forward to finding more books by this author to read.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Waterfall is a mysterious, suspense, and it has action. It's a faith based story with healing for the characters. It will keep you guessing of who done it and how it was done. It has lots of twists and turns. Annabelle and Richard are wonderful to read about and as well as the other characters in this book. I lik Waterfall is a mysterious, suspense, and it has action. It's a faith based story with healing for the characters. It will keep you guessing of who done it and how it was done. It has lots of twists and turns. Annabelle and Richard are wonderful to read about and as well as the other characters in this book. I liked how their relationship started to develop and how they came to find love. I felt for Hudson the boy who they saved out of the water. I thought it was well written. The storyline was really good. You will really enjoy this story. It will keep you informed and interested through out.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
I thought this was a good Christian romantic suspense. I liked how it took time for Richard to gain faith and that Annalisa was patient with him even when it was hard. I liked how growing his faith took time and how different things lead to him finding God. I also liked how their romance developed as they tried to put together the pieces of the mystery. I liked how the murderer was an unexpected suspect and how it was such a surprise. I also like the use of water and waterfalls through out this story, not only in the physical sense but also through the spiritual. I thought she did a good job of blending the two. I would read other books in this series.
I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.
From the first page I was interested and wanting more. This book was action packed from the start.
Waterfall has romance, mystery and action all in one. It is a christian novel, but does not bible thump.
I like the friendship/relationship between Richard and Anna. There seemed to be instant attraction and I am a huge fan of that. They let their attraction and love grow naturally, it wasn’t forced just meant to be. Anna stayed true to her convictions even though she really was in love with Richard.
My heart goes out to poor Hudson. He must have been so confused and scared, I am glad that he had Anna and Richard there for him.
When they save a young boy from nearly drowning, Richard and Annalisa are thrown together and team up to uncover the elements that don't add up. I loved the strong element of faith in this story! I also enjoyed getting to know the characters, as they tried to work through the mystery, as well as their different views on faith and God. I thought that the author did a great job with the pacing and suspense. I look forward to reading more of Linda K. Rodante's mysteries! I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.
Waterfall is a fast-paced mystery filled with intrigue, cautious romantic overtures, and a cast of characters whose good intentions often go awry. Rodante’s artistic brush draws readers into waterfall scenes that evoke awe, power, and a sense of danger that intensifies at every turn. Entangled in the chaos is a beautiful story of healing and redemption.
This was a Christian romantic suspense and mystery read. The outdoors - especially water - features a lot. Our hero and heroine are thrown together during an impromptu flooding rescue mission and grow closer during the aftermath. Unfortunately, our hero isn’t a Christian. This book has family, faith, mystery, and more. I did not guess the mystery right away. This was a nice read.
This book hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. It's a well written romantic mystery that is full of twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the end. The author brings the story to live with her words and you feel like you are. I loved this book and highly recommend it.