Read Your Writes Book Reviews: Review ~ AVARICE (The Southern Comfort Prequel Trilogy, #2) by Lisa Clark O'Neill

Avarice (Southern Comfort, #.6)

by: Lisa Clark O’Neill

Series: Southern Comfort

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 9, 2016

Source: Author

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Seventeen years ago, Ainsley Tidwell’s young life was shattered upon her discovery of the body of her murdered cousin, Carly. Now Carly’s sister Sabrina is missing, and Ainsley returns to Dahlonega, Georgia for the first time since the homicide that tore her family apart.

Ainsley must face the ghosts of her past as she tries to repair her present relationship with her remaining family, including Ben Paulson, the county sheriff – who isn’t too keen on having his criminal defense attorney cousin nosing around his investigation. Especially not when Ainsley inadvertently hooks up with Callum Elias, Ben’s high school nemesis and a man with a questionable past.

With Cal’s help, Ainsley begins to piece together the connection between Carly’s murder and Sabrina’s disappearance – a connection that grows stronger as a chain of violent events suggests that someone in Dahlonega is getting very nervous.

As Cal and Ainsley’s relationship heats up, the cold case which has haunted her family for so long shows distinct signs of thawing. But can they solve the mystery – and find Sabrina – before the killer claims another victim?

REVIEW

The simple definition of avarice is a strong desire to have or get money. After reading Avarice and reviewing the details pertaining to the main storyline multiple times, I just don’t see how the title goes with the book. Since it’s a romantic suspense, you will have to read for yourself in order to truly understand my issue with the title. I have read several books by Lisa Clark O’Neill and I have yet to be disappointed. Avarice is the second book in The Southern Comfort Prequel Trilogy series. It can be read as a standalone. Eighteen years ago, Ainsley Tidwell found her older cousin’s dead body floating in a river near their grandmother’s home. The cousin, Carly had been raped and Ainsley’s step-brother had been accused of killing her although there was no proof and he was never arrested or convicted because Ainsley assured authorities that she had gotten a glimpse of the killer and it was not her step-brother. The sibling bond between Ainsley’s dad and Carly’s mom was forever broken because Carly’s mom felt that Ainsley was choosing to protect her step-brother over getting justice for her blood cousin.

Present day, Sabrina who is Carly’s younger sister has gone missing. Ainsley is an up and coming criminal defense attorney who drops everything to join the search for her cousin Sabrina. Ainsley’s assistance is not immediately welcomed by Sabrina’s brother Grant who is the town sheriff. There are still a lot of open wounds. Let alone the fact that it’s a small town in Georgia where everyone knows your business. Ainsley has been away for a long time living in the bigger city and seems like an outsider. To make things more interesting, she runs into an attractive stranger who has purchased her grandmother’s old farmhouse. His name is Callum Elias and he has a somewhat volatile history with Grant that goes back to high school. Callum has also spent time as a medic in the military so he has his own demons to slay. However, he carries himself with such arrogance that you can’t help but like him although he tends to rub everyone else the wrong way.

Lisa Clark O’Neill has written a very intimate and emotional book that truly gets you invested in all of the main characters. The past and the present collide and I had no idea what would be revealed when the dust settled. I was impressed by how easily I was deceived and couldn’t wait to get to the end. Although the main mystery gets resolved, I felt like there was still something missing. I had more questions than answers but maybe that was intentional.

**Received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest unbiased opinion.**

Rating: 5