Janelle Taylor, Haunting Olivia

Haunting Olivia

Janelle Taylor

Zebra, October 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0821778919

Thirteen years ago in Blueberry, Maine, Olivia Sedgwick gave birth to a stillborn child. She never saw her offspring, and she was so distraught she never learned the sex of her baby. She left Maine vowing to never return, as even the father of her child Zach Archer was not there for her. However, Olivia is haunted by dreams of a boy and a girl, whom she assumes is a subconscious memory of her lost baby.

When her father dies, his will contains a stipulation if she and her mother are to inherit anything. Olivia must live in his summer cottage in Blueberry for one month, and every day during her stay she must buy one item each at two local stores every day. She wants to say no, but she knows her mom needs the money, so she agrees to the terms set forth by the dad she never met, and she quits her job at Glitz Magazine.

In Blueberry, accidents begin to happen as if someone wants Olivia to leave town. More haunting is seeing Zach with his daughter Kayla, whose age would be the same as the child they lost. Olivia soon realizes that her father lied about his granddaughter, as her baby is now a young teen raised by Zach. As they try to clear up misunderstandings fostered by Olivia's late dad, someone wants Olivia, and seemingly all the teen-age beauty contestants dead.

This is a fascinating complex romantic mystery with a touch of the paranormal. Olivia is a terrific protagonist who finds herself stunned to learn her daughter lives, and that she still loves Zach. He feels the same way, but has problems trusting his beloved, though he realizes her father manipulated everyone. Though the beauty pageant killer subplot seems over the edge (Miss Congeniality aside), the sequel to Watching Amanda (Olivia's half-sister) is a wonderful second chance at love thriller.