Stolen Obsession by Marlene M Bell | Review
Thank you to the author, publisher, and BookSirens for the opportunity to read & review this book.
Stolen Obsession by Marlene M Bell Series: Annalisse #1
Published by Ewephoric Publishing on 01/12/2018
Genres: Fiction, Detective/Sleuth, International Crime, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Organized Crime, Romance, Thriller
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Paperback
Pages: 294
People die, but legends live on.
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury recently lost her best friend to murder. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act.
Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his mother, feared dead or kidnapped. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Hold on for a heart-thumping, thrilling adventure through exotic lands in this fast-moving romantic suspense mystery by Marlene M. Bell.
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Source: BookSirens, Received from the author or publisher for review.
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Purchase Links for Stolen Obsession by Marlene M Bell
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Waterstones The Book Depository Chapters/Indigo
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My thoughts on Stolen Obsession by Marlene M Bell
I loved the mystery, settings, and characters of this book. So let’s break it down a bit more,
Stolen Obsessions is book one of the Annalisse series, but it feels like there should be a prequel. I was a little confused at the feeling of missing some information in the opening chapters.
Each scene is described vividly and plays like a movie in your head while reading. From the gallery to apartments to villas in Greece, you live the lushness of the descriptions.
The main characters jump off the page and demand your attention. Annalisse, Alec, Gen, and Chase captivate and beg you to keep turning the pages.
I did have issues keeping all the minor characters straight. Between changing aliases, the nationalities, the government agencies, and too many possibilities for the bad guys, I frequently got lost. Now some of this is probably my fault. I’m easily distracted and needed to direct my focus to keep everyone straight, so I didn’t have to reread sections.
However, that did not stop me from devouring the chapters because I needed to know how this mystery turned out.
The slow-burn romance between Annalisse and Alec is superbly written. I could visualize them in the villa with the sheer drapes gently moving with the breeze. Oh, how I loved that part.
The author keeps you hooked with the desire to discover who is behind the horrible murders and mayhem. By the end, I suspected everyone!
Overall, this is a good romantic mystery/suspense story. The reader needs to focus and pay attention to all the small details. This is not a book for light reading. Put on your super-solver spectacles and dive deep into the mystery.
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Stolen Obsession by Marlene M Bell
About Marlene M Bell
Marlene M Bell is an award-winning writer, artist, and crazy sheep lady who resides in beautiful East Texas. Her renowned sheep photographs grace the covers of many livestock magazines where she also writes newsy articles about raising sheep from her hands-on experience.
Of Marlene's first novel, Stolen Obsession, Kirkus Reviews said, "Debut author Bell delivers a great, slow-building romance, gently examining her characters' painful pasts." Stolen Obsession also won the 2018 IndieReader Discovery Award (IRDA) for Best Fiction Cover. Stolen Obsession— and Spent Identity, books one and two, have received numerous awards including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery in 2020. The third book in the Annalisse Series releases in 2021. Calico Raven is an international mystery with touches of romance--at a killing pace.
In October 2020, Marlene offers the first of her children's picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch, it's a touching story of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb. Marlene shares her life with her husband and dreadfully spoiled horned Dorset sheep: a large Maremma guard dog named Tia, and cats, Hollywood, Leo, and Squeaks. The cats believe they rule the household—and do.
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[…] Stolen Obsession […]
Oooh… I love the sounds of this book. So intriguing. Love the book cover and excerpt. Would love to read and review book in print format.