Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
ruleWORK TITLE: Borrowing Death
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://cathypegau.com/
CITY:
STATE: AK
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and former biologist.
AWARDS:FF&P Prism Award for Futuristic Romance with Best of the Best citation, for Deep Deception.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Caught in Amber
Cathy Pegau worked as a biologist before becoming a novelist, and her first three novels, Caught in Amber, Rulebreaker, and Deep Deception, were all published in 2013. Each book is set in a slightly futuristic world, and Caught in Amber centers on paroled drug addict Sasha James. The heroine has become dependent upon a drug named Amber. After she’s convicted for her crimes, Sasha is released with a microchip in her neck. The chip tracks her movements and regulates her drug cravings. As Sasha attempts to move on with her life, she meets Nathan Sterling, a man whose sister is also addicted to Amber. Nathan’s sister is indebted to Sasha’s ex-dealer, Guy Christiansen, and Nathan asks Sasha to help him rescue his sister from Guy. While Sasha is reluctant to revisit her past, her growing feelings for Nathan are too strong to deny.
Critiquing the novel on the Dear Author Web site, a critic stated that “there’s nothing dramatically different about the way the resolution of the story is reached or plays out. Not to say it’s bad or weak but just that it’s a thriller ending in a story obviously set up to have a thriller ending.” An online Smart Bitches Trashy Books columnist was more positive, asserting: “Even though the story doesn’t shy away from its tougher issues, it stays entertaining and enjoyable, not too bogged down in angst. The various schemes are exciting and suspenseful.” The columnist added that “the use of the phrase Caught in Amber to describe addiction is a powerful one that can easily be used to describe drugs other than Amber itself. The issues are tough but the book remains enjoyable and I very much wanted Nathan and Sasha to be together.” In the words of an online TBR Pile reviewer, “Caught in Amber was well written and I will definitely seek out other books by this author.”
Deep Deception
Deep Deception is centered on two minor characters from Caught in Amber, Natalia and Gennie. The former is an undercover cop who is accused of corruption and suspended and the latter is on the run because she has evidence of corruption at the powerful Reyes Corporation. Gennie needs Natalie to bring down the Reyes Corp. before they find her and kill her, so she finds Natalie in a bar, hits on her, drugs her, and then leaves her tied to a bed with a data drive. When Natalie wakes up and vows revenge, she begins to follow the clues that Gennie left behind. Soon the pair are reunited, and they join forces to bring down the Reyes Corp., going undercover to take jobs at the very company they hope to bring down. Along the way, Natalia and Gennie begin to fall for one another. But can Natalia truly trust Gennie?
Lauding Deep Deception on the Smart Bitches Trashy Books Web site, a critic remarked that “this story has two delightful leads, a compelling plot, strong sense of place, and a tough but nurturing romance.” The critic added: “Pegau writes romance between people who have interesting relationships to explore, and sometimes they are straight and sometimes they are not. I enjoy that matter-of-fact quality and the realness and honesty of the relationships in both of the books by Pegau that I’ve read, regardless of the gender of the lovers.” Tara Scott, writing in the online Lesbian Review, was equally laudatory, and she found that “the story is interesting and compelling and the pacing is so good that it was agony to put my Kindle down for things like feeding my family and going to work (no, seriously, I was so into the book that I missed my transit stop on my way to work).”
Murder on the Last Frontier
Pegau begins the “Charlotte Brody” series with the 2015 novel Murder on the Last Frontier. Set in Alaska in 1919, the story follows the eponymous heroine, a suffragette and budding journalist from Yonkers, New York. Charlotte has been hired by the Modern Woman Review to write a series of columns about life in the Alaskan frontier, and since her brother, Michael works as a doctor in Cordova, Alaska, Charlotte heads out to see him. When she arrives, Michael introduces Charlotte to this fiancee, Ruth, and Ruth’s father, Reverend Samuel Bartlett. Charlotte also befriends deputy James Eddington, who serves as Charlotte’s love interest. Just as the heroine is ready to write about her Alaskan adventures, a prostitute named Darcy Dugan is beaten to death in front of the boardinghouse where Charlotte is renting a room. Charlotte decides to investigate, and she ends up befriending the town madame, Miss Brigit O’Brien, who knew Darcy well.
Discussing Murder on the Last Frontier in Publishers Weekly, a contributor advised: “Against a colorful backdrop, the action builds to a predictable conclusion.” A Dear Author Web site correspondent was a bit more positive, finding that “the mystery wasn’t too easy to solve though a feint of hand thread got wrapped up at the end a bit messily. At least the guilty didn’t come ‘out of the blue.’” There’s a relationship to explore and another to mended plus an interesting budding friendship I actually admire Charlotte for seeking out. I enjoyed the atmospheric setting.”
Borrowing Death
Charlotte’s adventures continue in Borrowing Death, and this time around, she investigates the death of hardware store owner Lyle Fiske. The victim is found dead in his store after it catches on fire, and investigators believe that the fire was set by a local arsonist. Cordova has suffered from a few suspicious fires over the past few years, but the culprit has never been identified. Now that the arsonist is a murdered, James and Charlotte throw themselves into the case. However, when Michael conducts an autopsy on Lyle’s remains, he discovers that Lyle was stabbed. Charlotte redirects her investigation away from the arsonist, learning that Lyle and his wife had an open marriage. Could one of their lover’s be jealous enough to commit murder?
“I enjoyed the historical detail, such as setting a newspaper edition in linotype, and the look at women’s issues of the day,” Clare O’Beara stated on the Fresh Fiction Web site. “Charlotte is an admirable heroine with a great future ahead of her both in journalism and crime investigation.” Offering further applause on the Miss Bates Reads Romance Web site, a reviewer announced: “Charlotte and James’s exchanges are a wonderful counterpoint between Charlotte’s psychological acumen, intelligence, curiosity, and thirst for social justice and James’s decency, respect for the rule of law, and calm, reasonable manner. Pegau has created . . . equal and created . . . slow-burning romantic leads.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 12, 2015, review of Murder on the Last Frontier, p. 49; May 9, 2016, review of Borrowing Death, p. 49.
ONLINE
Cathy Pegau Home Page, http://cathypegau.com (March 5, 2014).
Dear Author http://dearauthor.com/ (May 21, 2013), review of Rulebreaker; (September 2, 2013), review of Caught in Amber; (November 29, 2015), review of Murder on the Last Frontier;.
Fresh Fiction, http://freshfiction.com/ (October 19, 2016), Clare O’Beara, review of Borrowing Death.
Lesbian Review, http://www.thelesbianreview.com/ (February 21, 2016), Tara Scott, reviews of Rulebreaker and Deep Deception.
Miss Bates Reads Romance, https://missbatesreadsromance.com/(January 6, 2017), review of Borrowing Death.
Smart Bitches Trashy Books, http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/(March 20, 2017), review of Caught in Amber and Deep Deception.
TBR Pile, http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/ (March 3, 2017), review of Caught in Amber.*
Bio
I had stories revolving in my head as a kid, but made little effort to get them down on paper. Home computers were rare way back then, and using my Brother Correct-O-Typewriter was a pain. Funny, then, I thought it too time consuming to use a pen and paper. Now, I will most likely write my stuff out by hand before sitting at the computer to input/edit.
Writing was not the career path I chose when the time came. I thought the arts, while enjoyable, was not the way to make a living. So I went into science. Wildlife biology, to be exact. Yep, plenty of prosperous biologists wandering about in the woods, you know. Obviously money was not high on my list of job perks. But I enjoyed the course work (how many college students can say THAT?) and managed to get short-term positions for a few years. It was fun, hard and sweaty work, and gave me the chance to see and do things I wouldn’t have if I had chosen accounting or even writing. Like get lost in the woods overnight. But that’s another story.
I got engaged, then married–to a scientist, assuring perpetual financial uncertainty. We lived in Oregon for a while, and when he was offered a job in Alaska we jumped at it. So, now we live here with our kids and critters and the occasional moose strolling through the yard. I can’t afford therapy, so I write. I want to do what I want to do, so I write. I want my kids to know that pursuing dreams is important, so I write.
Cathy Pegau cut her writing "teeth" on sword and sorcery fantasy and science fiction romance, but also loves the challenge of trying new things. While researching local history for an Alaska-based post-apocalyptic pirate tale, she learned of some real life events that spurred the creation of a historical mystery. No speculative fiction, no aliens, no magic. It's funny where research will lead.
She writes what catches her fancy: Science fiction, fantasy, romances, historical, paranormal...Anything is possible, as long as there's a good story and interesting characters.
Cathy lives in a small fishing town in Alaska with her family, pets, and the occasional black bear wandering through the yard. Contact her at http://cathypegau.com, cathy@cathypegau.com, or say hello on Twitter @CathyPegau
Caught in Amber
2014Nominee-DABWAHA
WINNER of the 2014 FF&P Prism Awards for Futuristic Romance *AND* Best of the Best!!!
Deep Deception
deep-deception-final
WinnerSMgcls_seal-150x150Winner of a 2014 Golden Crown Literary Society “Goldie” in Science Fiction/Fantasy!
Borrowing Death
Publishers Weekly.
263.19 (May 9, 2016): p49.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Borrowing Death
Cathy Pegau. Kensington, $15 trade paper (256p) ISBN 9781496700568
Set in Cordova, Alaska Territory, in November, 1919, Pegau's entertaining followup to 2015's Murder on the Last
Frontier focuses on arson. When the body of Lyle Fiske is found in his hardware store after a fire, journalist and
suffrage supporter Charlotte Brody and Deputy Marshal James Eddington both assume the fire is the work of an
arsonist who has been operating in the area for a few years. However, Charlotte's coroner brother, Michael, reveals that
Lyle died from a stab wound, and the arsonist's previous fires have not harmed people. Charlotte begins to look at the
open marriage of Lyle and his wife, Caroline; Lyle's business practices; and the shady activities of Caroline's lover.
Though readers may wish for more journalistic factfinding by Charlotte instead of accidental stumbling over
information, the reporter's penchant for encouraging the aspirations of a local girl, hanging out with the town madam,
snooping in neighbors' houses, and employing hairpins as lock picks will satisfy. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford
Literary. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Borrowing Death." Publishers Weekly, 9 May 2016, p. 49. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA452883316&it=r&asid=e94ed4ac49dbdf806035673ad90885f9.
Accessed 2 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A452883316
Murder on the Last Frontier
Publishers Weekly.
262.41 (Oct. 12, 2015): p49.
COPYRIGHT 2015 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Murder on the Last Frontier
Cathy Pegau. Kensington, $15 trade paper (288p) ISBN 9781496700544
Set in 1919, this tepid first in a new historical series from Pegau (Rulebreaker) takes journalist and suffragette
Charlotte Brody from Yonkers, N.Y., to Cordova, Alaska Territory, where she hopes to write a series of articles for the
Modern Woman Review about frontier life, but she finds that her liberal views set her apart. Since Charlotte's doctor
brother, Michael Brody, lives in Cordova, she quickly meets such important locals as the Reverend Samuel Bartlett and
his daughter, Ruth, who's engaged to Michael. When prostitute Darcy Dugan is beaten to death outside Charlotte's
boardinghouse window, Charlotte talks to Darcy's friends and Miss Brigit O'Brien, Darcy's employer, in an effort to
solve the crime. Handsome deputy James Eddington urges caution, and Charlotte indeed soon learns that uncovering
personal secrets in Alaska, where people come to start over, can be dangerous. Against a colorful backdrop, the action
builds to a predictable conclusion. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary Agency. (Dec.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Murder on the Last Frontier." Publishers Weekly, 12 Oct. 2015, p. 49. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA435387788&it=r&asid=d14534729afc3353b6453ca3aa53078c.
Accessed 2 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A435387788
CONTEST: Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau
3/5/2014
Picture
Caught in Amber
Author: Cathy Pegau
Length: 80,000 words
Genres: science-fiction romance
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 5 Stars - A Must Read
Heat: 3 - Blush Worthy
Sasha James is a recently paroled drug addict in a future world. Part of her parole includes a chip in her neck that can both keep her from craving amber (the drug that got her in trouble) and track her movements. When Nathan Sterling crosses her path several times, she discovers that he may be either her downfall - or her ultimate salvation. Sterling needs James' help to get his sister away from the same drug dealer that caused Sasha's problems and he wants to use Sasha as his bait to rescue his sister and destroy Guy Christiansen. But, he never realized that he would fall for Sasha in the process and then have to deal with two women he needs to save.
Part science-fiction, part romance, part suspense, this story is all good! Both Sasha and Nathan are complex characters with shades of gray in their moral fibers. Nathan's willingness to risk his job and use a civilian as bait played off well against a woman that wanted to put her past behind her and felt herself unworthy of a good man. As the twists unwound and the past became clearer, Sasha and Nathan's relationship became more real and believable. I especially enjoyed that the science fiction aspects were not so complicated that they distracted from the story.
Caught in Amber was well written and I will definitely seek out other books by this author.
Borrowing Death: A Charlotte Brody Mystery
BY CATHY PEGAU
Find & buy on
The Alaska Territory seems like an unlikely place for a tea-cozy mystery—think whiskey and frigid temperatures instead of tea and scones—but author Cathy Pegau’s second book set in the rough-and-tumble town of Cordova in 1919 provides a unique setting for crime.
While many in Cordova feel that Alaska is no place for a woman on her own, suffragette and journalist Charlotte Brody has journeyed to the last frontier for the same reason many come to Alaska – to start over. Working on the town’s newspaper, Charlotte covers the story of hardware store owner Lyle Fiske, whose body is discovered after a fire. Charlotte and Deputy Marshal (and blossoming love interest) James Eddington assume the fire is the work of an arsonist, but Charlotte’s brother Michael, the town’s doctor and coroner, reveals that Fiske died from a stab wound. Charlotte’s investigation of the murder turns up a number of likely suspects as the shady activities in Fiske’s business and in his marriage come to light.
The author peppers the book with interesting historical information regarding Prohibition and the right to vote as well as cultural dilemmas affecting women, such as practicing a full-time profession and dealing with unwanted pregnancies. At times, Pegau’s attempts at historical verisimilitude can be heavy-handed, a problem she will likely work out in future editions. Charlotte Brody is a bright and intelligent character, full of the same energy and sparkle as the Alaskan setting itself. This is likely to become a popular series in the Kensington line-up, particularly for readers more interested in history and women’s issues than in dark psychological fare or gore.
Borrowing Death
Cathy Pegau
Reviewed by Clare O'Beara
Posted October 19, 2016
Mystery | Historical
Cordova in Alaska is the location for a suffragette-based mystery. Charlotte Brody works as a journalist for the Cordova Daily Times and with a temperance league opposing the production of alcohol locally, there's plenty to get people hot and bothered. BORROWING DEATH adds an arsonist to the mix.
A hardware store is set ablaze one snowy night and the firemen are called out; sadly the owner of the store was inside and can't be saved. Charlotte and the town's law enforcement officer James Eddington need to find the arsonist before anyone else gets killed. After all, anyone's home might be next. Then there's the question of whether the hardware owner was murdered before the fire started. Was he targeted deliberately?
I enjoyed the historical detail, such as setting a newspaper edition in linotype, and the look at women's issues of the day. Charlotte has known traumas of her own but survived them, and she finds great sympathy for ladies of pleasure, whereas the upright matriarchs of town resent any mentions of indecency. Some native women and men work around town, considering an education for their children. Other characters populating the town include a thirteen year old boy who left Kansas after his family died and made his own way to Alaska. Like Charlotte, he wanted a fresh start.
Much as I enjoyed reading this tale with its well-realized and quirky location, I'm even keener to read the second in this Charlotte Brody series, because a first chapter is included at the end of BORROWING DEATH. In Murder On Location, scheduled for 2017, script-writing Charlotte gets embroiled in making dramatic motion pictures in Alaska's beautiful landscape. I think author Cathy Pegau must be really enjoying her creation of this series, with its contrasts, historical commentary, action and very understated romance. Due to some of the content I recommend BORROWING DEATH for adults or mature teens. Charlotte is an admirable heroine with a great future ahead of her both in journalism and crime investigation.
Learn more about Borrowing Death
SUMMARY
Suffragette and journalist Charlotte Brody is bracing herself for her first winter in the frontier town of Cordova in the Alaska Territory. But the chilling murder of a local store owner is what really makes her blood run cold. . .
After three months in Cordova, Charlotte is getting accustomed to frontier life. She is filing articles for the local paper--including a provocative editorial against Prohibition--and enjoying a reunion with her brother Michael, the town doctor and coroner. Michael's services are soon called upon when a fire claims the life of hardware store owner Lyle Fiske. A frontier firebug is suspected of arson, but when Michael determines Fiske was stabbed before his store was set ablaze, the town of Cordova has another murder to solve.
Her journalist's curiosity whetted, Charlotte begins to sort through the smoldering ruins of Lyle Fiske's life, only to discover any number of people who might have wanted him dead. As the days grow shorter, Charlotte's investigation turns increasingly complex. She may be distant from the trappings of civilization, but untangling the motives for murder will require plumbing the very depths of Charlotte's investigative acumen. . .
July 19, 2016
REVIEW: Borrowing Death by Cathy Pegau
JayneB- REVIEWS / BOOK REVIEWS1920s / 20th century / Alaska / journalist / murder-investigation / mystery/suspense / reporter / women's rightsNo Comments
borrowing-Death
Suffragette and journalist Charlotte Brody is bracing herself for her first winter in the frontier town of Cordova in the Alaska Territory. But the chilling murder of a local store owner is what really makes her blood run cold. . .
After three months in Cordova, Charlotte is getting accustomed to frontier life. She is filing articles for the local paper–including a provocative editorial against Prohibition–and enjoying a reunion with her brother Michael, the town doctor and coroner. Michael’s services are soon called upon when a fire claims the life of hardware store owner Lyle Fiske. A frontier firebug is suspected of arson, but when Michael determines Fiske was stabbed before his store was set ablaze, the town of Cordova has another murder to solve.
Her journalist’s curiosity whetted, Charlotte begins to sort through the smoldering ruins of Lyle Fiske’s life, only to discover any number of people who might have wanted him dead. As the days grow shorter, Charlotte’s investigation turns increasingly complex. She may be distant from the trappings of civilization, but untangling the motives for murder will require plumbing the very depths of Charlotte’s investigative acumen. . .
WARNING – The main character has elected to have an abortion in the past.
Dear Ms. Pegau,
While this is more of a murder/mystery series, there is a romantic thread running through it. “Borrowing Death” opens with a scene showing us that journalist and suffragette Charlotte Brody is still happily throwing gasoline on the fires of Cordova, Alaska with her pointed newspaper articles – this time against the Eighteenth Amendment which is about to be enacted. While she’s finishing up the next day’s edition of the paper, a fire breaks out which quickly goes beyond arson to murder as confirmed by the autopsy done by her brother Michael, the town doctor, and the murder weapons found near the body by Deputy James Eddington, with whom Charlotte has begun a tentative relationship.
Charlotte begins her investigation much to James’ annoyance at times. The dead man’s boring wake yields a few clues and possible suspects. That is before Charlotte is caught red-handed snooping for information. A visit from the local madame and one of her sporting girls reveals a few other things about the murdered man. It’s a good thing Charlotte has made friends with Brigit as she’s turning out to be a gold mine of information during investigations. As with the first story, suspects and motives are everywhere. But which are meaningless and which might lead to murder?
Charlotte is very easily able to justify almost anything she feels she needs to do to further her investigation. It does get the story told but I’m not sure I’d want her as a neighbor. I wasn’t surprised when she gets served a bowl of just deserts in jail. Still, she just can’t keep herself from continuing to stick her nose into dangerous situations.
The period stuff is good with references to rest of US as the “States,” the difficulty in transporting goods and services up there and cost involved and the looming Volstead Act. Charlotte also comes up against some of the casual racism the area has for Natives and sees why the murder victim might have done a few things he did. One thing which readers might want to consider is Charlotte’s personal history which lead her to Alaska and how this choice women faced impacts others in the book. See the warning above. We also learn that Nellie Bly was Charlotte’s heroine while growing up. With that kind of inspiration, I guess it isn’t surprising that Charlotte is a crusader for truth no matter the cost. Now if she can get to the point where she’s ready to be as honest with James as he’s finally been with her …
The solution to this murder did catch me off guard despite a few clues scattered through the story. It also seemed like there was another plot thread which involved the dead man’s widow that wasn’t totally explained plus there is another issue regarding one of Charlotte’s friends hanging loose. Perhaps these will be tidied up in the next book along with perhaps a bit more between James and Charlotte. Poor man finally appears to be catching on that Charlotte is indeed a very different kind of women. B-
~Jayne
6 JAN 2017
Review: Cathy Pegau’s BORROWING DEATH
posted in Review by Miss Bates
borrowing_deathCathy Pegau’s second Charlotte Brody historical murder mystery, Borrowing Death, is set between two colossal mistakes: the Great War and the enacting and enforcing of American Prohibition. While the Great War remains a definitive Canadian event, Prohibition figures prominently in the social rifts and conflicts of Pegau’s early-twentieth-century-Alaska-set novel. But Pegau’s journalist-amateur-sleuth heroine, Charlotte Brody, embodies an equally important historical moment. As Charlotte says, she’s not as interested in the 18th Amendment as she is in the 19th.
Charlotte is an independent, idealistic young woman, working as a journalist, deeply committed to causes near and dear to her, women’s suffrage and rights. Though only in her early twenties, Charlotte has done some living. She travelled from afar to the frontier town of Cordova. In the series’s first book, we learn Charlotte survived a fraught love affair. Her relationship with former lover Richard left her with a sour view of men and relationships and a diminished sense of her ability to understand and judge people. When she refused to follow her lover’s demand for a conventional end to their romance, that is, marriage, children, and Charlotte as home-maker, wife, mother, he turned on her. As a result, Charlotte made painful, irrevocable decisions, one that haunts her still. Moving to Cordova, reuniting with her brother Michael, is how Charlotte will lay the past to rest. Her writing and sleuthing, curiosity and intelligence, restore Charlotte’s faith in herself. If she can only find some way to restore her faith in romantic love.
When we meet Charlotte in Borrowing Death, she’s been in Cordova for three months. She loves working as a journalist for the Cordova Daily Times, and also writes for her best friend’s, Kit’s, magazine back home, The Modern Woman Review. (Charlotte’s life as a working woman is another aspect of the series that Miss Bates enjoys.) Charlotte has forged friendships, especially with local brothel owner Brigit, and solved a murder with, and kissed, Deputy Marshal James Eddignton. She rents a comfortable little house, participates in local social and cultural events, and feels renewed and strengthened. Though she is occasionally melancholic about her past, she’s a positive, purposeful young woman.
Miss Bates likes Charlotte a whole lot. Pegau has created a nuanced character, with a sympathetic backstory, not atypical of the time. Deep-seated lingering prejudices and the antagonism of the Women’s Temperance League thwart Charlotte’s journalistic efforts. Her daily routines and endeavours pale, however, when Charlotte’s innate curiosity and thirst for justice lead her to become embroiled in another local murder case, the death of hardware store-owner Lyle Fiske. As Charlotte and James work together and apart to solve Fiske’s murder, what emerges is what P.D. James’s police detective Adam Dalgliesh said of every crime, that it can be understood and solved on the basis of “love, lust, or lucre.” In one way or another, all three figure in Charlotte and James’s solution to the crime.
Pegau has a great knack for rendering characters sympathetically. They’re not idealized if heroic, nor caricatured if villainous. But Miss Bates has never been particularly interested in the “puzzle” aspect of crime fiction. “Whodunnit” is not half as compelling as the interplay between a good crime-solving team, especially when romance lingers, flares, and simmers between the two. This is what Miss Bates most enjoys about Pegau’s series and what makes her anticipate the next book, Murder On Location. Charlotte and James’s exchanges are a wonderful counterpoint between Charlotte’s psychological acumen, intelligence, curiosity, and thirst for social justice and James’s decency, respect for the rule of law, and calm, reasonable manner. Pegau has created them equal and created them slow-burning romantic leads. Miss Bates offers a snippet of evidence:
Charlotte stared at him, a glimmer of hurt in her chest. “You knew? Why didn’t you tell me? What if the robbery and murder were related to that and not just random chance?”
“Because I can’t share everything I know about every case, Charlotte. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I spilled all my inside knowledge, would I?”
He had a point, but it still rankled a bit that he’d held back.
“The question is,” he said, “how do you know about it?”
She smiled sweetly at him. “Now, James, I can’t share anonymous sources, can I? My job relies upon a certain amount of trust and discretion.”
His lips pressed together and he narrowed his eyes. “Funny … “
Charlotte and James’s give-and-take is a great sampling of their commitment to professional ethics and the delight they take in pitting their sleuthing skills against their genuine liking for each other. The fun lies not only in the words exchanged, but their body language, Charlotte’s “sweet smile” that speaks comeuppance and James’s “narrowed eyes” that acknowledges her wit. Miss Bates anticipates the further adventures of Charlotte, James, and the well-drawn secondary characters who are Cordova’s denizens, against a historical background of women’s suffrage, Prohibition, and glorious descriptions of weather and landscape. As a Canadian, Miss Bates’s loves Pegau’s wintry setting!
With her reading companion, Miss Austen, Miss Bates finds that Cathy Pegau’s Borrowing Death is the product of “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.
Cathy Pegau’s Borrowing Death is published by Kensington. It was released in June 2016 and may be found at your preferred vendors. Miss Bates received an ARC from the author.
Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau
by Carrie S · Jan 9, 2017 at 4:00 am · View all 5 comments
Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau
SBTB Media Page
Murder on the Last Frontier
by Cathy Pegau
NOVEMBER 24, 2015 · KENSINGTON
Order →
B+
GENRE: Historical: American, Mystery/Thriller
Cathy Pegau wrote two of my favorite science fiction romance novellas: Deep Deception and Rulebreaker. Now she has a series of mysteries which I am madly binge reading. Set in Cordova, Alaska, in 1919, the Charlotte Brody Mysteries are as cozy as possible given that they involve lethal crimes, with just a smidge of romance and a lot of atmosphere.
Charlotte Brody is introduced in Murder on the Last Frontier, the first book in the series. She’s a suffragette and a journalist who moves to Cordova, where her brother is a doctor. When a local prostitute named Darcy is murdered, Charlotte decides to help local law enforcement find the killer, whether they want her help or not.
One thing that the book does well is avoid the “disposable sex worker” cliche. Charlotte hears a lot about Darcy from a lot of people, which makes Darcy feel like a person rather than a chalk outline. She becomes good friends with the woman who runs the brothel where Darcy worked and with Darcy’s best friend. Charlotte is quite vocal around town for believing that as long as women are not forced into sex work, there’s nothing wrong with following that profession.
I was also pleased at how this book handles abortion. It’s rare to feature a heroine who has had an abortion – so often that decision is dodged at the last minute by a change of heart or by a miscarriage. Charlotte had an illegal abortion in the past. She has guilt about the fact that she didn’t want a baby, but she clearly would not make any other choice. The second book (Borrowing Death) includes a woman who dies because of an illegal abortion, and her choice is treated by two other characters who know about it with respect towards the woman and with anger towards the doctor who killed her.
In terms of class, Charlotte fits with the more affluent and respectable families of Cordova. They talk to her because she is part of their circle through her brother, a highly respected doctor. However, in terms of political and social ideas, Charlotte fits with the prostitutes and the working people of the town. Charlotte is someone who has no interest in shaming herself or others. As a journalist, she has a legitimate reason to talk to everyone, which is great because she loves talking to everyone. Plus, it’s quite handy in terms of her gathering information about crimes.
This series reminds me just a bit of Miss Fisher’s Mysteries, a show that all of here at the Bitchery are madly in love with. The time period is the same, and the first book refers to the emotional trauma of war, much as several episodes of Miss Fisher do. Like Miss Fisher, Charlotte is extremely progressive for her time – indeed, as an opponent of prohibition and a supporter of non-coercive prostitution, she’s more progressive than many other suffragettes.
Charlotte is also romantically interested in the town’s Deputy Marshal, a man who respects her bravery and intelligence but also keeps telling her to butt the hell out of his investigations before she either botches his own efforts or gets herself killed. Despite being set in a muddy, rough and tumble town, the first book finds several reasons for Charlotte to dress up, giving her just a hint of glamour. I’m not saying that this book is derivative at all; I am saying that I’d really love it if somehow Miss Fisher and Charlotte could meet for drinks sometime. “Does your love interest gaze at you with both rage and longing every time he finds you breaking into a building?” “Oh yes, ALL THE TIME.”
The Eyak people (the Native Alaskans local to Cordova) lived outside of town for the most part during the time period in which this book is set. In the first book, reference to them is made only fleetingly. In the second book, two people who have a white mother and an Eyak father are major characters, although their identity as natives is barely addressed. It looks like the third book, Murder on Location (due out in March of 2017) will be the most inclusive of the Eyak. The plot of that book deals with a Native Rights group which worries that a new movie shot on location in Cordova might not represent them accurately. I look forward to that, since the lack of attention to Eyak culture and life bothered me in the first two books, even though it made a certain amount of sense given that they were not fully integrated into town life at that time.
In the meantime, I enjoyed the first two books in this series tremendously. I lived in Alaska for a while in an area very different from Cordova (and not in 1919) and I must say that the appearance of pilot bread crackers warmed my heart. How I miss pilot crackers and homemade salmonberry jam!
This is, of course, an ongoing series, so the romance and other personal issues are not wrapped up in each individual book. However, each book ends with a solved mystery. Despite all the mayhem, I’m finding the books to be quite comforting. Now if I could just get some good Phryne Fisher/Charlotte Brody fanfic going!
November 29, 2015
REVIEW: Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau
JayneB- REVIEWS20th century / Alaska / Doctor / Historical / journalist / murder-investigation / mystery/suspense4 Comments
murder-on-the-last-frontier
There’s many who feel the Alaska Territory is no place for a woman on her own. But Charlotte Brody, suffragette and journalist, has never let public opinion dictate her life choices. She’s come to the frontier town of Cordova, where her brother Michael practices medicine, for the same reason many come to Alaska—to start over.
Cordova is gradually getting civilized, but the town is still rougher than Charlotte imagined. And when a local prostitute—one of the working girls her brother has been treating—is found brutally murdered, Charlotte learns firsthand how rough the frontier can be. Although the town may not consider the murder of a prostitute worthy of investigation, Charlotte’s feminist beliefs motivate her to seek justice for the woman. And there’s something else—the woman was hiding a secret, one that reminds Charlotte of her own painful past.
As Charlotte searches for answers, she soon finds her own life in danger from a cold-blooded killer desperate to keep dark secrets from seeing the light of day…
Dear Ms. Pegau,
I haven’t forgotten I need to finish your SFR trilogy but when I saw this historical setting, which setting and era it is and the (I’m so shallow) gorgeous cover, I hurried to request it from Netgalley.
He’s a doctor who’s dealt with PTSD from WWI and suffered due to his concern about his patients. She is journalist who has written on suffrage movement, Volstead Act and other timely issues. Now both on the last frontier and Charlotte isn’t about to tell her brother Michael about all she’s been up to lately. She can protect herself from the attentions of the men for unattached women in Alaska. Can she protect herself from murder? Charlotte’s stay in Cordova gets off to a disturbing start as she learns first that her brother hasn’t mentioned his engagement to a local young woman – something that will set their parents into a tizzy to discover – and secondly when a young “sporting girl” is killed just beyond the boarding house where Charlotte is living.
Charlotte finagles her way into being present for the autopsy her brother does (TRIGGER WARNING for squeamish stomachs). It’s fairly obvious why the woman suffered the specific injuries she did before death. What I suspected about Charlotte seemed to be true. Second TRIGGER WARNING to reinforce the first warning here. Seriously, I mean it. While the scene gives lots of clues, it also reinforces the bond between brother and sister. Charlotte finds it binds her to the dead young prostitute as well though she’d never tell her brother that. Journalist instincts awakened, she knows she has to help find justice for Darcy.
Spoiler (Autopsy Details): Show
Charlotte miraculously seems to be in the right places at the right times to learn more about the crime and the possible criminals. Much as her brother might wish, she’s not going to stay out of the investigation. Well, she hardly could given how much she sees and hears without even trying. She’s also not afraid to speak up for the dead and to make her views known about the lack of Christian charity being expressed about her. Charlotte definitely doesn’t hesitate to ruffle some feathers when she feels it’s needed.
Charlotte is discovering that Michael has changed a little. Or maybe she doesn’t know him as well as she thought. Why is he going to marry slightly sanctimonious Ruth, the minister‘s daughter? Their family has never been overly religious. And is he really going to slip into the social climbing, public appearances, taking care of a more wealthy clientele when their parents raised both of them to give back and help the less fortunate? Charlotte is frankly stunned and wonders if a doctor who cares as much for his patients as her brother does will be happy and able to slough them off to the newbie. Where did her beloved brother go and who is this almost stranger in his place? There are things beyond the murder that Charlotte needs to work out while in Cordova. I appreciated the depiction of their relationship – it’s not always tranquil or easy but that’s much like real siblings having secrets, changed lives and issues that weigh on them that change their lives.
James, the Deputy Marshall also isn’t best pleased with Charlotte poking her nose into investigation. It’s an open one and he needs to be the one leading it. She’s also announced to quite a few people what she’s doing and this is a small town which is of course gossiping about what’s going on – meaning the murderer will probably know now too. Ooops. Still Charlotte can’t let this go. Her connection to the dead woman and the need to see justice done for her when few others care at all that she died, much less so horribly, rides Charlotte. The mystery deepens when a clue turns up which might incriminate a prominent resident of Cordova.
As Charlotte continues her series of articles to show the viewpoint of women in Alaska, she silently admits to herself that she’s there to do that and also maybe reinvent herself, like so many others who’ve chosen to go there. To put her past behind her.
The case is certainly getting Charlotte to spend time with the deputy Marshall, as much as he initially held back. Charlotte gets to discover that James has a quiet, droll sense of humor and a very nice smile. There are lots of clues and red herrings here. Lots of atmosphere too which is all well done. Little details shade in the era and the characterization is subtle but memorable. When the loose threads of the investigation begin to be pulled tight – audaciously by Charlotte – things heat up quickly.
When Charlotte kicks the hornet’s nest, and she almost surprises herself that she did but her “gut” told her the time was ripe, I wondered did she not expect some retaliation? After all, she said it had happened before because of controversial articles she’d written. And she digs in her heels and drags her feet over telling James what she did. I’d had inklings of suspicion about one person but it isn’t until the end when the klaxon warnings starting going off in my head and by then the betraying actions were clear enough put together with some remembered clues. The villain exposition clenches it in dramatic style.
The mystery wasn’t too easy to solve though a feint of hand thread got wrapped up at the end a bit messily. At least the guilty didn’t come “out of the blue.” There’s a relationship to explore and another to mended plus an interesting budding friendship I actually admire Charlotte for seeking out. I enjoyed the atmospheric setting and that Charlotte doesn’t let people dictate to her – though perhaps her most recent experience will remind her that if the deputy Marshall is getting exasperated with her over butting into a case, maybe he’s got a reason and a point. But given Charlotte’s stubbornness and independence, I happily have my doubts. B-
~Jayne
Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau: Book Review
February 21, 2016 Tara Scott Cathy Pegau, Featured, Lesbian books, Lesbian Fiction
cathy pegau rulebreakerRulebreaker by Cathy Pegau is a lesbian sci-fi romance that is heavy on action and intrigue and lighter on romance. It’s the perfect balance for a fun, exciting read.
Liv Braxton is a thief, with bank heists and smash and grabs as her specialty. She’s running out of money and her literal partner in crime, Cal, has just told her he’s quitting the game when her ex-husband shows up with an offer too good to refuse. He’s bringing her in on a job with some big league criminals, and if she can pull off her role, she’ll walk away with 50 million (and if she can’t, she’s probably dead).
The Grey brothers have gotten her a job as an assistant to R.J. Talbot, Vice President of Research and Development at the Exeter Mining Company. It puts her in the perfect position to steal information about filtration system development that they’re keeping private but are legally required to share, which the Greys can use to extort Exeter. If she has to seduce openly lesbian R.J., that’s fine by the Greys. Whatever it takes to get the files.
The Characters
Because the book is told in the first person from Liv’s perspective, we get to know her better than anyone. She’s smart, scrappy, and guarded, with good reason. Her terrible relationship with her mother has been well and truly earned through years of her mother’s bad behaviour. However, it’s her mother who has taught her the rules of success (e.g., Felon’s Rule Number One: Don’t get emotionally involved).
R.J. Talbot doesn’t show up until well into the book and we only learn about her through her interactions with Liv. She’s gorgeous and reserved, challenging Liv to find a role for herself beyond answering the phones. As Liv gets to know her better, we also learn that she’s driven to succeed at her job, is kind and conscientious as a potential and actual romantic partner, and goes by the name Zia with people she cares about. I particularly loved how sensitive she was when she learned Liv hadn’t been with a woman before, committed to making it as positive an experience as possible.
Between Tonio, the Grey brothers, and Sterling (I’m not explaining who he is for spoiler reasons) there are various shades of decent to awful men. There’s also a C-level executive creep who should make your skin crawl or at least shake your head as you remember working with jerks like that in the past.
The Writing Style
How on earth was this Cathy Pegau’s first book? It’s very well written with a compelling, well-paced plot, and there are some excellent twists in there. (Word of warning: don’t read the blurbs for Caught in Amber or Deep Deception if you haven’t read this, because they spoil the twists.)
The Pros
Fun plot, great characters, and a sweet romance. I loved this book.
The Cons
I wish we’d been able to see more of Zia’s perspective, rather than rely solely on Liv’s interpretation of her dialogue and gestures. However, given the format, I know that wasn’t possible and is a personal preference, not a flaw.
It might bother some people that there’s a big emphasis on Liv’s continued attraction to Tonio. Also, they make out at one point (I promise, it goes no further than that). However, if you can stick that out, it’s well worth it because Liv’s attraction to and chemistry with Zia are off the charts and in direct contrast to who she once thought of as the great love of her life.
Tara's Favourite Novels reviewed on on TheLesbianReview.comThe Conclusion
I dare you to find another full-length book this fun at a price this good. I’m so glad I read Rulebreaker and I can’t wait to read Deep Deception.
Note: I won’t be reviewing Caught in Amber because it features a heterosexual pairing.
May 21, 2013
REVIEW: Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau
JayneC REVIEWSCarina Press / f/f romance / LGBTQ / Science Fiction / Science-Fiction-Romance / thief5 Comments
Rulebreaker
“Liv Braxton’s Felon Rule #1: Don’t get emotionally involved.
Smash-and-grab thieving doesn’t lend itself to getting chummy with the victims, and Liv hasn’t met anyone on the mining colony of Nevarro worth knowing, anyway. So it’s easy to follow her Rules.
Until her ex, Tonio, shows up with an invitation to join him on the job of a lifetime.
Until Zia Talbot, the woman she’s supposed to deceive, turns Liv’s expectations upside down in a way no woman ever has.
Until corporate secrets turn deadly.
But to make things work with Zia, Liv has to do more than break her Rules, and the stakes are higher than just a broken heart…”
Dear Ms. Pegau,
I decided to try a new-to-me author and SF, a genre I don’t normally pick, in order to mix up my recent reading. The fact that the romance is f/f was an added bonus as I’m also trying to discover and read more of this genre as well. “Rulebreaker” worked well enough for me that I’m going to go on to the next book in this series but there were also elements that I wished were expanded more than they were.
There is just enough world building to know it’s the future and not on earth but the descriptions and terms used didn’t get overboard or distracting. Which could be good or bad depending on why someone wants to read the novel. If some hints and triggers of future time were removed, it could just as easily take place here and now. People drink coffee, go to beauty salons, deal with mass transit and are still stuck with Human Resource Departments. That last bit is more than a little depressing.
The dry, deadpan humor is just the type I like. Liv is fun to listen to and I enjoyed seeing things from her POV as well. But she’s far from perfect – either as a person or as an observer as she sometimes misses little things like why wouldn’t their criminal associate bug the room Liv and Tonio are staying in and did she really think she’d keep her mother’s identity a secret? She’s a tough person, though she does have her Achilles’ heel, but she’s also loyal to those whom she loves. I think this balances out the fact that she’s an outright thief and wonderful liar. Hooray for an occasional heroine who isn’t a goody-two-shoes.
True to its title, “Rulebreaker” has lots of conflict and tension – business, family, law and sexual. Liv and Tonio’s marriage ended badly yet they have to find a way to work together to pull off this deal. After she was basically kicked out at age 16 by her grifter mother, Liv doesn’t welcome Sabine back with open arms yet Sabine’s input and knowledge might be just what is needed to get the information required. The mega corporation the group is attempting to blackmail might be about to revolutionize the industry or hiding a black secret that does need to be uncovered. Liv does hint that she’s been sexually attracted to women before though obviously she’s never acted on it.
It’s a well written, emotionally engaging, tight narrative which doesn’t wander all over the place. But the story works better as corporate espionage than as a romance. I actually like that the kind of information Liv is searching for isn’t revealed as it kept me interested in not only if and how Liv would get it but also in what it actually is and how the criminals would use it. The nuts and bolts of how Liv goes about her job and her search sound realistic and her near misses with her boss and others added tension and stretched nerves. And that was before a final twist which cranks up the danger to Liv from both sides of the law.
If the book had focused only on suspense, my grade would be higher but it is also supposed to be Liv falling for her boss, Zia. Their relationship starts quietly with questioning glances then touches which get more and more heated then – suddenly – BAM! it’s sex – albeit tender – and then whoosh! into the “I Love Yous.” Sorry but the pace was just too fast for me to completely buy into not only a HEA but one with a gender Liv hasn’t spent a lot of time contemplating sexually before.
As I said, I do want to go back and pick up the novella that prefaces this book and already have the full length novel that follows but while the espionage kept me interested here, the romance let me down. C
~Jayne
Anna reviews Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau
AUGUST 17, 2011 ~ DANIKA @ THE LESBRARY
Rulebreaker, by Cathy Pegau, is set on a mining colony on a planet somewhere far away from Earth and some time after the year 2100. Liv Braxton is a small-time criminal who is convinced by her ex-husband, Tonio, to perpetrate one last con. This job will give her the money she needs to leave the business once and for all and retire to a vacation planet, far away from the threat of dying in the prison mines. Liv and Tonio have been hired by a pair of rather sinister brothers who intend to blackmail the Exeter mining company over their use of an unpublicized air filtration system for miners. In order to do so, they need someone on the inside, but as head of Research & Development R.J. “Zia” Talbot’s assistant, Liv finds herself becoming more attached to her employer than Felon’s Rule Number One: Don’t Get Emotionally Involved would seem to allow. Complications, including the arrival of Liv’s con artist mother on the scene and the continuous threat of exposure by either the authorities or the Exeter company, keep cropping up. Liv has been instructed to do whatever it takes to earn her mark’s trust and get the hard evidence the gang needs, but what happens when she becomes too willing to get close to Zia?
Despite the science fiction setting, the novel is more concerned with human elements, such as the interplay between Liv and Tonio, Liv and her mother, and–of course–Liv and Zia. The plot was believable, the setting was well-conceived and consistent, and there weren’t any threads left untied at the conclusion. Pegau showed herself willing to make difficult authorial decisions in order to lend weight to her narrative, and both Liv and Zia were portrayed as sympathetic, if flawed, people. My main quibble was the author’s resistance to using the Oxford comma, which could have made a sentence like “The guard, an elderly couple, Calvin and I lay on our bellies, hands on the backs of our heads and cheeks to the rough wood” more straightforward. . . but that is my own pet peeve, and I can’t really hold it against the book. I’ll just hold it against the book’s editor.
I knew I liked Rulebreaker when I kept thinking of other books and fanfiction to compare it to. Despite my strong dislike for the current trend of employer-employee romances in Harlequin romances, I do have a few I like in terms of lesbian fiction. For another good “boss romance,” try Too Close to Touch by Georgia Beers. I also highly recommend Telanu’s Andy/Miranda fanfiction from the world of The Devil Wears Prada, which can be found at her site, The Rag and Bone Shop. For a great lesbian “con” book, see Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. For another story of corporate greed and corruption and spreadsheets + romance, try Karin Kallmaker’s Car Pool.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Review: Rulebreaker - Cathy Pegau
Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau
Liv Braxton is one of the better criminals in the star system. This is mostly due to the set of rules she's been following since age four. Felon's Rule #1: don't get involved. In her newest and perhaps most daring hit yet, it's also going to be the hardest.
Alias Olivia Baines is pulled into a stunning multi-stage hit by her ex-husband, Tonio, who's still got it going on, she's painfully reminded. Blind-sided by her mother's surprise re-appearance in her life, she'll be helping the bad guys stick-it-to-the-man and make them all filthy rich besides. Until her target, powerful and gorgeous Zia Talbot makes Liv question herself in ways no one, especially no woman, ever has.
Full disclosure, I wanted to know what's going on on the other side of the romance aisle, so I went with one of highest rated lesbian romances that Harlequin's imprint Carina Press had on sale. Need I say that it was one of a handful of options anyway? I have to say, this book surprised me and grew on me. Early review scouring landed this book back on my to-read shelf several times, but a recent lay-over in a train station gave me the opportunity I'd been waiting for and I dove in.
Rulebreaker has a bit of a problem unfortunately, since it sits as one of the few lesbian romance titles in Carina's selection, it isn't nearly as much as a romance as a futuristic coporate-espionage story. There were times where Liv felt more than a little hardboiled, and even the sci-fi aspects didn't come off strong. There are some moments reminiscent of a Star Trek episode and even a few clever jokes, but it ultimately fell flat. It surprised me in what it achieved, and the dearth of sex scenes was not unwelcome, but when one expects one thing and is delivered another, it's a little bit of a problem. Here's to hoping that fewer people pick this one up without knowing what they're in for.
Also, how much do you like the cover? I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a sci-fi and this one looked good. That isn't to say it wasn't, just not what I expected.
252pp. Carina Press. 8th Oct 2011.
Posted by L. Josephine Bach at 3:23 AM
Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau: A Review by CarrieS
by Carrie S · Mar 6, 2013 at 2:46 am · View all 9 comments
B
Title: Caught In Amber
Author: Cathy Pegau
Publication Info: Carina Press 2013
ISBN: 978-14268-9498-5
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Caught in Amber - Cathy Pegau Caught In Amber takes on a challenging premise and does a great job with it. The ending is a bit of a cop-out but overall I was pleased at how the author made this book enjoyable and romantic without sugar coating the serious issues it describes.
Caught in Amber is set in what appears to be a not very distant future, when an illegal and highly addictive drug called Amber has become popular. Sasha James is a parolee and recovering Amber addict. As part of her parole she has a chip in her neck that reports her movements to law enforcement and also controls her physical cravings for Amber.
Sasha is approached by Nathan Sterling, a lawman whose sister has fallen under the charms of the same man (Guy Christiansen) who got Sasha hooked on Amber. Nathan says that he can get Sasha's chip removed, an act that would make her more vulnerable to Amber but also give her freedom from her parole conditions and from being under Correction's watchful eye permanently.
Obviously there are a lot of serious issues at play here. Drug addiction is not a topic I'd think would lend itself well to romance, and this story is quite clear on the fact that Sasha is a “recovering” addict, not someone who has been cured. Even with the chip decreasing her physical addiction, she remains psychologically drawn to the drug. Helping Nathan contact his sister will mean that Sasha will be mingling with people who are using Amber, and this exposes her to temptations she's previously avoided.
The chip raises interesting questions – is it a good thing or a bad thing? How much of Sasha's sobriety is due to the chip and how much is due to her own determination? How much freedom should Sasha surrender, either involuntarily or voluntarily, to stay clean?
Then there's the issue of emotional abuse. The women with whom Guy is involved will do anything to please him. They will take the drugs he makes available, only to be banished when they show inconvenient signs of addiction. They will watch Guy take on other lovers and either tolerate or aid his criminal activities.
They seem to both adore him and fear him. Certainly Sasha is terrified of him without any reference being made to his ever having physically hurt her during the time they were dating. His dominance is so complete, and her self-esteem so low, that to actually hit her seem redundant. Guy was a compelling villain (although now I can't stop thinking of him as 'The Bad Guy' and tittering). My only nitpick is that he's described as “the drug lord” a bunch of times. In a book that shuns telling as opposed to showing, the author sure does want to tell me what Guy does for a living, over and over again.
Even though the story doesn't shy away from its tougher issues, it stays entertaining and enjoyable, not too bogged down in angst. The various schemes are exciting and suspenseful. The main characters are funny and engaging. I really rooted for Sasha and Nathan, and I appreciated the fact that their attraction to each other wasn't too overplayed. They are attracted to each other enough that their romance is compelling, but not in that sort of “She is like a Goddess! I have lost my capacity for thought” kind of way. I understood why they liked each other beyond physical appearance – they admire each other's courage, compassion, and tenacity. Nathan values Sashsa's determination and she values the respect and courtesy he extends to her and to others.
The science fiction elements are interesting because they are so underplayed. This is a story in which people live in a world that we are assumed to understand and for the most part it's a great example of showing and not telling. There are several other books by the same author set in this time period, and I don't know how much world building was done in those, but I liked the subtle futuristic touches and the lack of lengthy exposition in Caught. I don't know what year the story is set in but it's clearly in the future, and I have some sense of the world's social structures and technology just from watching people live their lives. I felt curious while reading the story, but not confused or disoriented.
My one problem with the book is that the ending seems too easy. SPOILER: After all this stuff about how agonizing it is to quit Amber, Sasha seems to need nothing more than some nice medical care and a lot of sugar after Guy forces her to take Amber again. She is weak, but not experiencing the kind of pain and suffering she describes earlier. I didn't want the character to suffer, because I liked her, but it just felt like a cop-out to have her second recovery be so relatively easy after all that build-up.
This novella is almost a full-length novel at 80,000 words. The longer length shows. There is time for characters to develop and time for a relationship to grow. The use of the phrase “Caught in Amber ” to describe addiction is a powerful one that can easily be used to describe drugs other than Amber itself. The issues are tough but the book remains enjoyable and I very much wanted Nathan and Sasha to be together because they tended to see the best in each other, something I treasure from romance couples. Initially I thought the writing style was choppy but either it improved or I got used to it, because soon all I noticed was the story moving me along. A great book despite an overly simplistic ending – I recommend it!
September 2, 2013
REVIEW: Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau
JayneB REVIEWS / FEATUREDCarina Press / Drugs / law-enforcement / SFR8 Comments
“Recently out of rehab, Sasha James is determined to keep her head down, complete her parole and never touch amber again. The chip in her neck controls her cravings for the highly addictive drug, but also tracks her every move. Not that she goes anywhere other than work and the halfway house she calls home–a far cry from her luxurious former life as lover of the mining colony’s top drug dealer, Guy Christiansen.
Agent Nathan Sterling has no desire to see Sasha fall back into amber, but his sister has become Guy’s latest conquest and the unexpectedly attractive Sasha is the key to getting her back. So in exchange for an introduction, he offers Sasha the one thing she can’t refuse–her freedom. From the chip, her parole and even the planet if she wants. Though he would be sorry to see her go…
Torn between her growing attraction to Nathan, fear of Guy and the allure of amber, Sasha accepts. But who will save her if Guy refuses to let her go a second time?”
Dear Ms. Pegau,
I liked the first book, “Rulebreaker,” enough to keep going in the series despite some problems I had with it. This book gets most things right for me that I didn’t get in “Rulebreaker.” The world building is still good but this time the romance lives up to the genre of Romantic SF.
Caught-in-AmberTo me, this story has much more emphasis on the romance and the character relationships. Perhaps this is just my feeling based on the fact that I’ve read the first book so this “world” isn’t as novel to me anymore. But I honestly feel that the focus here is the people and not the place. Which isn’t to say that the world building is sloppy or neglected. It’s mentioned as if having an artificial eye complete with zoom lens is nothing new, like hover cars are standard and off world trading is ho-hum normal – in other words integrated into the story you’re telling rather than made splashy just for its own sake.
Sasha is a wounded heroine. She thought she knew what she was doing, thought she was in control, she turned away from her parents’ attempt to get her out of this amber world and paid the price when it all crashed down on her. She learned that Guy was a user and a controlling asshole, that she was weak enough to almost sell her soul for the drug she craved and when she was arrested, tried and sentenced to jail, that no one seemed to care. This was devastating to her – being rejected by everyone – and her self esteem sank. The terms of her parole also impose little, petty reminders of her ex-con status that serve to chip away at any small rebuilding of her self worth.
So when Sasha doubts that Nathan has any feelings for her beyond how she can help him get his sister out of Guy’s influence, I believe her and don’t see it as just feeding the plot point.
Nathan is a bit harder to read as a romance hero. But his growing feelings for Sasha seem to build in a realistic way. At first, she’s a means to an end to save his sister. Then slowly he begins to see her as a person with a weakness that could wreck her if she begins to use again. His guilt followed by worry over this seems appropriate at that point in the book. He also admires the chances she’s willing to take when she spots an opportunity to further their plan. As the story progresses, it’s her strength that stands out to him and how much he’ll miss her if she goes off world. The moment of truth arrives when he owns up to the fact that he’ll risk everything to make sure she survives a final encounter with Guy.
The undercover part of the plot works well for me too. Even though Nathan seems to be ‘seat of the pants-ing” it at times, the basic framework of his plan shows he’s put some thought and detective work into it. Still even here the main emphasis of the scenes serve to advance the characters’ relationships.
There’s nothing dramatically different about the way the resolution of the story is reached or plays out. Not to say it’s bad or weak but just that it’s a thriller ending in a story obviously set up to have a thriller ending. Sasha discovers strength she didn’t know she possessed, Nathan keeps his promise to free her from her parole, Sasha falls for this man who not only believes her but believes IN her and they both feel saved by each other. And I believe all of this because it’s shown and not just told. So next up is “Deep Deception” with another f/f romance featuring two strong women I’m looking forward to watching go toe to toe. ::rubs hands in expectation:: B
~Jayne
Book Review: Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau
Posted on January 14, 2013 by Diane Dooley
Caught_In-_AmberThis is science fiction romance done just the way I like it: complex characters, high stakes, and a ‘happy ever after’ that never seems inevitable.
Nathan Sterling is one of the good guys: a law enforcement officer on a gritty, crime-ridden mining colony. So why is he trying to push a reformed drug addict into re-entering the world of amber, a highly addictive narcotic? Sasha James is a reformed drug addict, albeit with the help of an mandated implant that helps her resist the allure of amber. The last thing she needs is to re-enter the world of her former lover, drug kingpin Guy Christiansen. Nathan’s sister has become a member of Guy’s inner circle and he needs Sasha to get him entre into the closely-guarded world. He makes Sasha promises he may not be able to keep, ones that will enable her to get a fresh start. But will Sasha be able to stop herself from being caught in amber one again? Especially since Guy is still in love with her and wants her back.
This was a treat to read. The complex character motivations and their resulting actions kept me clicking ‘next page’ long after I should have gone to sleep. I love it when good guys do bad things for good reasons and when bad girls turn out to be better than they ever thought they could be. This is not a ‘nice’ romance, with characters full of honorable intentions committing acts of bravery. It’s, well, it’s complicated. The hero does questionable things. The heroine walks a precarious tightrope. Even the villain had my sympathy a couple of times. And there were lots of nicely-drawn minor characters adding to the problems of the main characters.
The story was taut and engrossing, with many moments where I was thinking “oh crap!” and “what are you going to do now, huh?” Yes, I tend to mentally talk back to the reading device when I’m caught up in amber, er, I mean a good story. I wasn’t quite ready for it to end. Nathan had made a few mealy-mouthed promises to Sasha at the beginning that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep. I wouldn’t have minded if the delicious tension in the relationship had lasted to the final page, but those problems seemed to disperse without as much as a struggle as I wanted. I know, I know. I’m a glutton for the seemingly impossible happy ever after.
I received an early complimentary copy from the author after many dropped hints, followed by an outright request, in return for an honest review. Cathy Pegau and I both write for Carina Press. My honest reaction is: highly recommended for fans of character-driven science fiction, more adventurous romance readers, and probably folks who are into suspenseful thrillers, too.
SCI/FI FANTASY ROMANCE REVIEW: CAUGHT IN AMBER BY CATHY PEGAU
March 18, 2013 by Tahlia Newland
Title: Caught in Amber
Author: Cathy Pegau
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Sci/fi fantasy romance
Caught in Amber
Caught in Amber is a sci/fi, urban fantasy style romance that makes a powerful statement about drug addiction and the drug trade in general. For me, this sets it apart from many others of the genre. It gives it a depth that is often lacking in popular fiction. At the same time, it has everything you would expect from the genre, passion, action, a courageous heroine, a gorgeous hero and a life or death climax.
If you’re not into sci/ fi or fantasy don’t let that put you off, because if you took away the high tech and the fact that the story is set on another planet in a future time this would be contemporary romance with a strong storyline.
The drug in question is called Amber, but it could be heroin, or any other highly addictive drug. Sasha is a reformed addict, eight months out of a correctional facility. She has a correctional services monitoring chip in her neck and has to report weekly for urine testing. The chip also has nano bots that help stop the craving for Amber. She’s been doing well, not tempted by the dealers who hover outside the special correctional services units where she lives, and she is determined to remain clean. She’s not proud of her past and never wants to see Guy again – the drug magnate she was in love with, and the one that got her addicted before he threw her out and never came to see her in prison.
Enter Nate Sterling, an agent of the equivalent of the CIA, but he’s not on a department sanctioned job; he’s on personal business. His sister, Kylie is working for Guy and likely caught in Amber as Sasha was. He wants her to introduce him to Guy as someone with a business proposition so he can get inside the operation and get his sister out. Why would Sasha go back and put herself in danger, not just from Guy’s affections, but from the lure of Amber? The answer is that Nate can deactivate her chip and, for that, she’s willing to risk it, because it means she can start afresh, a life without correctional services tracing her every move.
Of course, all does not go quite according to plan. Sasha was supposed to introduce them and then be done with it, but Guy is still in love with her and he’s not going to work with Nate without Sasha there. As soon as she walks into the club he owns, she smells the Amber dust, sees the look on the faces of those using it and fights back memories of the embarrassing things she did to get enough Amber to feed her addiction. It takes a lot of strength for her to walk away. She wonders if she could have done it without the help of the chip that helps stop the cravings.
On top of that, Nate and Sasha have a tangible attraction to each other, something he fights because he doesn’t want to jeopardise the operation, and she fights because she knows he will walk away as soon as he gets Kylie out. After all, what would a nice guy like him want with a girl liked her? Getting involved will only cause her pain, and Nate, being a really nice guy, doesn’t want to take any more advantage of her than he’s already doing.
Caught in Amber makes the consequences of the drug trade clear; it hurts people, big time, and is run by people who don’t give a damn. All they want is money. The difference between Nate, a good old fashioned guy with manners who really does care about people, and Guy, who is only concerned for himself, couldn’t be greater. All the money in the world couldn’t make Guy as attractive as Nate.
This is the best kind of urban fantasy. I highly recommend it. 5 stars.
Heat rating – there’s one hot scene, nicely written and not overdone.
Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau
by Carrie S · Apr 27, 2013 at 9:38 pm · View all 3 comments
B+
Title: Deep Deception
Author: Cathy Pegau
Publication Info: Carina Press 2013
ISBN: 978-14268-9554-8
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
This review went live prematurely, which meant it hit everyone's RSS feeds. Our apologies! This book is out May 27, and normally we'd review it closer to that date, but since the RSS folks got a sneak peek, we're posting it for everyone to enjoy. Sorry for the confusion! – Sarah
Book Deep Deception Deep Deception is a f/f science fiction romance from Cathy Pegau, who is rapidly becoming an auto-buy author for me. This story has two delightful leads, a compelling plot, strong sense of place, and a tough but nurturing romance. The only thing that stood in my way of losing myself in the story is that the last book I read by Pegau, Caught in Amber, kept getting in the way.
Deep Deception is about Natalia, who is basically undercover cop, and Gennie, who is on the run from her in-laws who are the heads of the powerful Reyes Corporation. Natalia finds herself with time on her hands when she is placed on leave after being accused of corruption. This turns out to be handy, because Gennie has evidence that the Reyes Corporation is up to no good and she needs Natalia to help her investigate.
Before you can say “Gennie conveyed this information by hitting on Natalia at a bar, drugging her, tying her to a bed, and leaving a data drive on the nightstand”, the two women are off to Grand Miridian, an isolated mining town. Natalia works undercover as a loader, Gennie as an administrative assistant, and they both try to find hard evidence of malfeasance and keep their hands off each other.
There's so much to like about this book. The main characters are exasperating and likeable at the same time. They keep huge secrets from each other and yet they have an underlying straightforwardness that anchors their relationship. Their attraction is immediate, but it's not the kind of insta-lust that drives a lot of other stories. Their relationship contains lust, but it's not driven by lust. It's driven by mutual admiration and a slowly growing sense of trust. By the end of the book there is no doubt that they can totally count on each other regardless of what is going on in their lives or with their relationship.
Plus they are fun together – they seem to enjoy each other's company. They are at ease with each other as much as two people can be who have huge secrets and who are trying to keep from making out.
Another thing I like is the technical excellence of the writing. The book is set in the future, but I don't think the year is ever mentioned. Pegau assumes that the reader is smart enough to keep up without much exposition. At the same time, the world feels totally grounded. There's dust and a gross office with a sticky floor and homemade garlic bread. There's boring regulations and slow office computers. It feels like a real place, which is especially impressive since most of Pegau's last book, Caught in Amber, was set in a glitzy mansion that also seemed like a real place even though it was a different from Grand Miridian as possible.
One thing I admire about Pegau is that she writes both same sex and heterosexual romance, and there's no difference in how she treats the relationships. The relationships are different because the people are different, but I don't get a feeling that she's using f/f as a chance to fantasize unrealistically or explore a kink. There was a great thread on that topic here, with a lot of discussion about whether or not it's OK to use same sex romance to meet those goals. As I've just started reading more m/m and f/f romance, I've been thinking about that thread a lot.
Regardless of which side of that conversation you fall on, I don't think it applies to Deep Deception, and I find that refreshing. Pegau writes romance between people who have interesting relationships to explore, and sometimes they are straight and sometimes they are not. I enjoy that matter-of-fact quality and the realness and honesty of the relationships in both of the books by Pegau that I've read, regardless of the gender of the lovers. Of course the romances are different, because the characters are different. They have different lives and histories and experiences that shape them, and this includes gender but is certainly not limited to gender. It's just love between flawed, strong, complicated people.
The only problem I had with the book is that both characters appeared as supporting characters in Caught in Amber, and they were awfully touchy-feely compared to how they were in Caught. I found it very distracting to think about them in Caught as opposed to Deep. Plus I was pretty confused by Gennie's past. Was she a mom while she was working for the drug dealer in Caught? Was she incognito during that time? She seemed pretty visible to me.
Honestly, I think Deep might work best as a standalone book. It's just too jarring to have two women who have both been described as cold and laconic instantly become chatty. It's not that I'm surprised that they can feel – I'm just surprised that they show their feelings. I suppose a book about two people who are expressionless and don't talk would be a short one. Taken on it's own merits, I thought Deep Deception was great.
Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau: Book Review
July 4, 2016 Tara Scott Carina Press, Cathy Pegau, Featured, Lesbian books, Lesbian Fiction
Deep-Deception-by-Cathy-PegauDeep Deception by Cathy Pegau is a fantastic book with a little bit of everything. It’s sci-fi, packed with action and intrigue, and just enough romance to keep things interesting. While it might be part of the same series as Rulebreaker, it can absolutely be read as a standalone.
Natalia Hallowell has been a respected agent with the Colonial Mining Authority for 12 years. While bending the rules might be necessary in her line of work, she’s never outright broken any laws, which is why it’s a shock when she’s put on administrative leave after being accused of bribery in one of her cases.
Natalia’s plan to drown her sorrows in booze and a beautiful woman are shot to hell when she finds herself tranqued and tied to a bed by the woman who picked her up in a bar. Genevieve Caine, the woman she thought would be her partner for the night, needs Natalia’s help and won’t let her go until she hears her out.
Gennie is on the run and needs help diverting the powerful Reyes Corporation’s attention so she can get off the planet. A complicated CMA investigation is just the ticket, but with time running out, can she truly trust Natalia to help her out?
The Characters
Natalia and Gennie are both badasses in their own right, and I love them. Given their first encounter, Natalia would be well within her rights to refuse Gennie’s request, but she doesn’t. She’s smart and thorough, drawing on her upbringing in a mining family to help them figure out what exactly the Reyes Corporation is up to. She’s intrigued by Gennie and the secrets that she’s clearly holding, but never pushes and stands up for her in all the right moments.
There’s very little I can say about Gennie without giving away major spoilers, but suffice it to say that I love her and I was totally able to identify with her motivation. Her enemies would do well to heed her warnings and she does an amazing job of siding with the few people she cares about.
The Writing Style
It’s no secret that I loved Rulebreaker, so the bar was high going into Deep Deception. This book knocked my socks off and I liked it even more than Rulebreaker. The story is interesting and compelling and the pacing is so good that it was agony to put my Kindle down for things like feeding my family and going to work (no, seriously, I was so into the book that I missed my transit stop on my way to work).
The Pros
Everything. Seriously, there was nothing I didn’t like about this book.
Natalia was sweaty, her hair disheveled, dusted with grime, and Gennie wanted her.
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The Cons
How about that Cathy Pegau doesn’t have anymore lesbian books out yet for me to read? That’s not a con? Okay, fine.
The Conclusion
Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau is so much fun, I can’t recommend it enough. And if you haven’t read Rulebreaker yet, do yourself a favour and grab that too.
Review: Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau
Posted by Twimom227 on Feb 14, 2014 in lesbian romance, LGBTQ, Rating B, reviews, romance, sci-fi/fantasy | 0 Comments | Tags: Carina Press, Cathy Pegau, Twimom Review
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Deep Deception
Author: Cathy Pegau
Reviewer: Jen Twimom
Rating: B-
What I’m Talking About:
Senior Colonial Mining Authority agent Natalia Hallowell prides herself on her relentless pursuit of justice and her strong work ethic. So when she finds out that she is accused of taking bribes and illegally collecting evidence, she is angry and hurt. In order to deal with her work frustrations, Natalia looks to a few drinks and a one-night stand to ease the pain. That is until she meets Gennie. An immediate attraction sends Natalia to Gennie’s hotel room, only to be knocked out and tied up – but not in a fun way! Gennie is desperate to get off world, and needs assistance. She pleads for Natalia’s help to bring down the Reyes family – a well-known mining corporation. Reluctantly, Natalia agrees to help Gennie, and in order to bring down the Reyes, Gennie and Natalia must go undercover in a small mining district to uncover some anomalies in their shipping manifests.
Although a stand alone story, Deep Deception is loosely tied to two other books in an unnamed science fiction romance series. Natalia and Gennie both have roles in the previous book, Caught in Amber: Natalia is a confidant and sometimes partner to Nathan Sterling, CiA’s hero, and Gennie, aka Genevieve, was the assistant to Guy Christiansen, CiA’s antagonist. Deep Deception takes place about six months after the conclusion of Caught in Amber. One does not need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one.
Deep Deception is aptly named, with layers of lies and treachery that unfold throughout the tale. Since the story is shared from both Gennie and Natalia’s point-of-views, the reader is privy to some of the half-truths and deceptions, but the hefty lies are unveiled only as the story climaxes. While I enjoyed the complexity of the storyline, I did get frustrated at Gennie’s reluctancy to open up and trust Natalia. And maybe it’s the mystery-solver in me, but I felt like there were setups for problems and conspiracies that never came to be. I was suspicious of everyone, and therefore, a little disappointed when side stories would just peter out. However, the mystery of what is happening in South Meridian is a bit nerve-wracking. I was a bit on edge whenever the women did their spying–convinced something terrible would happen.
Gennie and Natalia enjoy a strong mutual attraction; however mistrust and reluctancy keep the pair from acting out on their desires for quite some time. I had mixed feelings towards the pair. I enjoyed the attraction and cheered for them; however, the hot-and-cold nature of each wore me down. For far too long, each fought the attraction for various (and valid) reasons, sharing with the reader numerous inner monologues about the need to stop looking at the other woman or wondering why the other would be interested. The continual analysis of the situation and each woman’s feelings became repetitive and tiresome after a while.
I did enjoy the pair’s time in South Meridian at the mining site. Once again, Ms. Pegau provides spectacular detail, painting vividly striking scenes. After reading this book, I felt like I could run the machinery at an off-world mining site! Natalia, needing to keep busy while on administrative leave, slips back into her old life as a simplistic minor – known as a pirq. Her family has a history of living as pirqs, dating back several generations. Experiencing her return to that life from her POV is thoughtful and engaging. It’s clear that this tough agent has an emotional bond to the land and life, and this section of the story is well done.
Once the pair has the evidence needed to help Gennie escape, the book changes quite a lot. At this point, the layers of deception really start to come to light, and the pace of the book picks up tremendously. The pair are fighting assaults on multiple fronts, while trying to piece together several puzzle parts that don’t necessarily fit. At times I had a little trouble following who did what and why, but in the end it all shakes out just fine.
Overall, I enjoyed Deep Deception, but when it was all said and done, it felt too long. There are probably sections that could have been edited out in order to streamline the story. For example, the detail of the mining operations was spectacular, but ultimately not necessary for the final outcome. The romance between Natalia and Gennie ran hot and cold for me. I liked them and wanted to see their relationship blossom, but got frustrated by their continual and prolonged apprehension. I wish I had more time with just the couple getting to better know one another. But in the end, Deep Deception was an entertaining and interesting read – especially for inner-engineering geek.
Rating: B- Liked It – But I had a few small issues
MAY 27, 2013
Mini Review: Deep Deception, by Cathy Pegau
Cover of Deep DeceptionDeep Deception is another excellent science fiction romance from the ever-reliable Cathy Pegau. This is a f/f love story with action, intrigue, and a strong sense of place. Pegau’s last book, Caught in Amber, took place in a city and most of it was set at a glitzy mansion. Deep Deception is set primarily in a rural mining town, and you can almost feel the grime. As compensation, you can also almost taste the miner’s garlic bread, and I must say that the sex scenes are quite well-written (*ahem*). The book has strong, interesting female characters and a compelling plot. It works fine as a stand-alone. In fact, I suspect it works better as a stand alone, because the main characters were supporting characters in Caught In Amber, and they were much more in touch with their feelings here than I would have expected from their appearances in Caught.
In short, this book is imaginative, romantic, suspenseful, and sexy, and Pegau is now an auto-buy author for me. You can find my full-length review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. The full-length review was published while this book was available for pre-order. It has since been released by Carina Press. Enjoy!
Anna M. reviews Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau
MAY 2, 2013 ~ DANIKA @ THE LESBRARY
Deep Deception is the third book in Cathy Pegau’s science fiction/romance series set on the chilly mining colony of Nevarro, after Rulebreaker and Caught in Amber. The latter features a m/f couple, and the former, which I reviewed here at the Lesbrary, was one of my favorite books of 2011. Deep Deception is scheduled for release at the end of this month, and it may be my favorite of the series so far. I stayed up very late to finish it, at any rate!
Readers of Caught in Amber will recognize the mysterious Genevieve Caine as the right-hand woman of the menacing drug dealer who was the target of Nathan Sterling and Sasha James’s operation. Since that time, Genevieve has moved on and is working hard to avoid notice by the sinister Reyes corporation until she can leave Nevarro far behind. Unable to reach Sterling, she targets his colleague Natalia Hallowell as a likely candidate to help her uncover whatever wrongdoing the Reyes family is hiding in a distant mining town. Unfortunately, their introduction sows both the seeds of deep attraction and mistrust, as Genevieve seduces and then sedates Natalia in order to state her case.
Despite being tricked by Genevieve during their initial encounter, Natalia is no fool. She’s an experienced agent with the Colonial Mining Authority, and accustomed to operating in deep cover. She’s also on probation and not unwilling to investigate Genevieve’s claims, especially if it will occupy her mind. As the women travel together to probe the mystery in the mines, they struggle to trust each other without giving too many of their closely guarded secrets away–or their hearts. For Natalia, returning to the mines means bringing up memories from her painful past. For Genevieve, the stakes are higher than she will ever willingly confess, even to someone she is falling for.
I really enjoy the way Pegau has created the atmosphere of Nevarro throughout the series, especially the mining details that she provides in this third installment. The chemistry between Genevieve and Natalia is palpable, and I appreciated that their relationship had some time and reason to mature. The return of characters from Caught in Amber was also a nice touch, giving even more continuity to this romance series that so far has included both straight and lesbian couples. Why on earth can’t more series do that?