The Return

When Catherine Fane returns to Camarune, Kentucky to bury 'Grannie Annie', she is surrounded by superstition, fear, prejudice, secrets, and an undercurrent of hate that goes back for generations. She quickly learns that she needs someone on her side and finds that person in the county sheriff, Luke DePriest. Luke knows the people of this rural town, and he knows he must keep Catherine safe from them, a thief that has been terrorizing the townsfolk, from Catherine's own impetuous and independent nature, and sometimes even from himself. As secrets and lies come to light, he finds his job more difficult and the attraction to Catherine irresistable. This book grabs the attention from the very first line and holds it until the very last word with many surprises along the way. It is an excellent read!

The Kentucky hills run red with the flow of blood from the victims of the deadly Blair-Joslin feud. A witch stands aloof as the savagery of the clan warfare leaves devastating results in its wake. Herbalist Annie Fane¿s life dramatically changes when a dying Fancy Joslin pleads with her to take her infant daughter Catherine away from the violence. Annie agrees to Fancy¿s deathbed wish. The Blairs set their dogs on Fancy, finally killing her. Her now insane husband, Tanner Blair murders his brothers and severely injures his father for what they did to his wife. Annie and Catherine leave town. They do not return until Catherine comes back to bury her grandmother Annie at Pulpit Rock where most of the massacre occurred years ago.

Though she knows that her ties to Annie are by love not blood, Catherine refuses to allow anyone to denigrate her ¿grandmother¿. Her return stirs up the fears of the townsfolk who believe that Catherine is a witch who has come to town to take revenge on the townsfolk who reviled Annie. As someone stalks Catherine, Sheriff Luke DePriest is determined that no one will get hurt, especially the woman he now loves.

THE RETURN is a poignant romance that tugs on the heartstrings of the reader. The lyrical prose gives the audience a feel of a ballad rather than just another suspenseful plot. The lead protagonist is a delightful combination of strong independence and charming vulnerability. Catherine fights for what she believes in even if it seems to her that Don Quixote had better odds of winning. This steamy tale will have fans returning to the bookstores seeking other works by Dinah McCall.

Harriet Klausner