The Girl In Blue

By Barbara J. Hancock

Strange accidents and unexplained deaths are commonplace. And everyone fears the dark in Barbara J. Hancock's SCARLET FALLS.

A secluded hamlet ablaze in autumn splendor, Scarlet Falls is a seemingly idyllic New England town… But Trinity Chadwick knows better. The place is haunted to its very core. For Trinity there has been no escape from the specter of the girl in the blue dress. The child's laughter still rides on the tainted mist of the town's frigid lake. And tragedy always follows in its wake.

Constant vigilance against malevolent forces have worn Trinity down, driving her back  to the last place on earth she ever expected to step foot.  Hillhaven—her childhood home.  Only to  encounter Samuel Creed. The last man she ever expected to confront. A long-ago kiss of life kindled an obsession in both that is at once sensual and macabre. Creed is tortured by that memory. He is as tempting as ever, a man Trinity can neither forget nor entirely trust.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Oct 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781488749537

Barbara J. Hancock

Barbara Hancock lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains where her daily walk takes her to the edge of the wilderness and back again. When Barbara isn't writing modern gothic romance that embraces the shadows with a unique blend of heat and heart, she can be found wrangling twin boys and spoiling her pets.

Reviews for The Girl In Blue

[bookofsecrets · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Shivers is a line of new Gothic romances published by Harlequin E. Barbara J. Hancock’s THE GIRL IN BLUE is the first one I’ve read, and I was impressed. This book is part of the Shivers Box Set, Volume 3. (Reviews of the other books to follow shortly.)This was a fairly quick read, but it was packed with all of my favorite elements of the genre – steamy romance, creepy atmosphere, and the best part – troubled ghosts. The story takes place in the spooky town of Scarlet Falls, Massachusetts. I had an ominous feeling about the place from the start, especially with the eerie, lifeless lake close by. I loved learning about the lake’s back story. Disturbing.The heroine is a young woman named Trinity, who has returned to Scarlet Falls seeking sanctuary and possibly an answer to why tragedy follows wherever she goes. And it’s not just her – the whole town is plagued by unexplained accidents. I really enjoyed the world-building in this book, and since some things were left unexplained, I’m assuming this is the foundation for a series.Trinity had some amazing chemistry with the hero, Samuel. Samuel is a town historian, obsessed with the mysterious and macabre happenings in Scarlet Falls. They have a volatile past and haven’t seen each other for years, but the trouble following Trinity brings them back together. Trinity learns that they have a darker and deeper connection than she was aware of.THE GIRL IN BLUE was a creepy good modern Gothic romance, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the box set!Source: Review copy from NetGalley