Don’t Come Back opens with a woman being kidnapped during the night. “Thunder sounded, but there wasn’t a storm, and no rain fell on the tin roof. The old woman squinted into the dark room and heard shuffling—like mice—across the pine floor.”
Alicia, the one being kidnapped, is on dialysis. That adds its own level of urgency in the minds of the ones looking for her; if they don’t find her soon enough, she will die. An interesting, unusual, and definitely not perfect cast of characters make up the list of suspects, each with their own reason for possibly kidnapping her.
Molly Donovan, a very strong female character, is once again on the case in Don’t Come Back. She now works for a private investigation firm in Santa Fe. Her love for her boyfriend, Miguel, is being put to the test; he has flown to Spain to help a female cousin recover from drug addiction. Their relationship is at a standstill and won’t go anywhere but downhill if he doesn’t return soon.
Ray, an FBI agent, is on his way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He transferred to work out there, but he also wants to locate his Navajo father, who he believes lives nearby in Shiprock. In a dream, he has been told to find the one-armed Irish woman.
Ray and Molly find themselves working together to find Alicia. Ray is attracted to Molly, and she just happens to be the one-armed Irish woman his dream told him to find. Molly’s relationship with Miguel is tenuous, and she finds herself attracted to Ray, but she can’t forget about Miguel. Miguel can trust her to be faithful, but can she trust him?
Will Ray and Molly be able to ignore their feelings for each other and work through all the confusing stories from their list of suspects to find the truth? Will they manage to find Alicia and return her home before it is too late?
Romance and suspense abound in this engrossing read set in the mysterious beauty of New Mexico. I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like your own copy of Don’t Come Back, I’ve provided an Amazon link for you below.
Amazon Link: Don’t Come Back
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Favorite Sentences:
Even his neurosis was neurotic.
The problem started with every inch of her skin crawling with bugs, black mites, or no-see-ums.
Nausea flipped her eyes open, and she collapsed back onto the bed, her heart palpitating like an eggbeater bouncing off the side of a bowl.
There was laughter now, quick and rushing, like the Pecos River in spring, water bouncing so fast it carried with it solid pieces of the bank and dislodged rocks that a month before had felt like permanent landmarks.
Food disappeared from the sputtering refrigerator like water into a drain.
New Words Learned:
brumation – A state or condition of semi-dormancy exhibited by reptiles and amphibians in response to cold weather, characterized by lethargy and a decrease in metabolic activity.
copacetic – fine; completely satisfactory; okay
hogan – a Navajo Indian dwelling constructed of earth and branches and covered with mud or sod
poblano – a large dark green chili pepper of a mild-flavored variety
posole – a thick, stewlike soup of pork or chicken, hominy, mild chile peppers, and cilantro: traditionally served at Christmas and often favored as a hangover remedy.
rataplan – a drumming or beating sound
tipis – another spelling for teepees
About the Author:
Mystery. Suspense. Empowered women. Tower Lowe (aka Donna Pecherer) tells stories set in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Homeville, Virginia. Her mysteries empower characters with mental health challenges and non-ableist characters from all walks of life. Come join the adventure.
