Following the end of her fifteen-year marriage to a high-powered attorney, Evie Carson returns to her small, Georgia hometown to open a fashion boutique. From the protective covering of her father to the tarnished shield of her husband, Evie has always lived behind the armor of a man. But she sees this move as her first step toward the peaceful, happy life she wants.
Trying to recapture a few moments of her youth, Evie climbs to the ruins of her childhood tree house. While hidden by the massive branches of the old oak tree, Evie is stunned into deadly silence as she watches Jake—a mentally challenged community member—enter the clearing below her with a nude, lifeless body over his shoulder. Hovering above the macabre scene, Evie is forced to look on as a grave is dug. When the body is rolled into the hole, Evie realizes the dead woman is her childhood friend whom she hasn’t seen in years.
The authorities are sure once Jake is arrested, the town’s nightmare will be over. But when he turns up dead and Evie’s home becomes the center of bizarre events, Evie and an investigating state trooper fear she may be the next victim. Wondering if she can trust him, or anyone, Evie alone must face the Dark Secrets of the Old Oak Tree.
5 of 5 stars
Helene Burnett says...
Newly divorced, Evie Carson has followed her dreams back to her small hometown in Georgia to open a fashion boutique. Everything seems to be on track until one evening she climbs to the remains of her childhood tree house to enjoy some quiet after work.
Suddenly a man appears under her tree, bearing the nude body of her childhood friend. She watches, terrified as Jake buries Denise's body, vowing to find her friend's murderer. She firmly believes Jake didn't do it.
I was certain I'd discovered the identity of the murderer early in the book, but like Evie, I learned things aren't as simple as they first seem. Repeatedly. The author had a few tricks up her sleeve, and I fell for them, along with Evie.
Evie can't be persuaded to leave the investigation to the appropriate agencies, so she puts herself in danger repeatedly. Local law enforcement want's to protect her,once they cleared her of the murder, but she doesn't want to be protected. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation thinks she's murdered someone else close to her.Sheriff Douglas is falling in love with her, and she's confused between her feelings of obligation to Denise, and her feelings for Douglas, as he tries to help and protect her. Evie just goes full steam ahead in her investigation despite all of them.
Small town secrets come to the surface, and Evie is in for some serious shocks. One of them may deny Evie the chance at true love if she can't get things sorted out.
We're given entry into the murderers thoughts which add greatly to the tension and suspense of the novel. Evie doewsn't realize how close the murderer really is to her.
Ther were times I wanted to shout at Evie when she followed her thoughts in her investigation; "You aren't really going to go back to your house, are you? Why won't you take someone with you? People around you are getting hurt! Listen to Douglas' advice!" Evie doesn't listen to anyone.
The novel contained one of the most intertesting street names-- Burnt Magnolia Street. Probably harkens back to Reconstruction after the Civil War.
A fascinating read. I loved how the relationships between the characters developed and in some cases broke down, and the portrayal of the angst of small town folks was as true as it could get.
Find out if Evie solves the mystery, or if law officials beat her to the solution. I'll tell you this-- "It ain't easy bein' Evie"!
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