Review: Storm Season by Elle Keaton

Title: Storm Season (Accidental Roots: Book One)

Author: Elle Keaton

Publisher: Dirty Dog Press

Length: 308 Pages

Category: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense

At a Glance: To those who love a good mystery, be sure to put this one on your list.

Reviewed By: Maryann

Blurb: They say you can’t go home again, Adam Klay doesn’t intend to until the death of his father, a famous artist, forces his return to Skagit, Washington. Cleaning up his father’s chaotic life was never on Adam’s bucket list. Worse, Adam finds himself inexplicably drawn to the elusive, terminally-clumsy, gorgeous, Micah Ryan. No way is he getting involved with someone from his hometown, he’s always insisted the best view of Skagit was in his rearview mirror.

Micah Ryan has been coasting on auto-pilot since his family was killed in a car accident a decade earlier. He runs a web business and has an irritable cat. He hardly leaves his house, unless it is for his afternoon espresso. His world tips upside down when Adam Klay rolls into town. For the first time in years, he feels alive. Unfortunately, Micah’s return to the living has been noticed and is not appreciated.

Someone has a secret. Someone is exploiting the vulnerable youth population in Skagit. Teenagers are disappearing, young women turning up dead, the dirty secrets of Skagit are surfacing.

Review: Trying to work a homicide case, long distance, and take care of the hell-hole he inherited from his father is starting to take its toll on federal investigator Adam Klay. When his boss, Mohammad, demands Adam take some time off, the last thing he wanted to do was return to Skagit, Washington, but with the passing of his father, Gerald, it was unavoidable. Adam’s life, growing up, had some disappointments, namely a mother who wanted nothing to do with him or his father, and who eventually abandoned them both. Life with his father had its ups and downs too, and Adam at times had found himself acting more the adult than his father and his father’s friends. But, it was with his paintings and poetry that Gerald had helped the town survive.

In Skagit, there’s a coffee shop called The Booking Room. That’s where you’ll meet some of the most interesting characters who come together to form a special bond, and it’s the one place in town where Adam has become comfortable. It’s also where he discovers that the “Cute Hopeless Guy” has become an attraction.

Micah Ryan is the only one left in his family. His parents, Brett and Lucinda, and his sister, Shona, died in a car accident. He couldn’t have asked for a more loving family, and after losing them at the age of eighteen, Micah went into seclusion for two years. And, even though Micah sought therapy, he still has nightmares. He’s smart and has his own web business, but he’s shy, clumsy and self-conscious. The only place he’s willing to venture out to is The Booking Room, as long as he doesn’t have to socialize.

Adam feels strongly about one thing: as a federal investigator, his fight is for the victim. When a homicide occurs in Skagit County, it piques his interest and he finds he has to get involved. As the attraction also peaks between Micah and Adam, they become involved in mysterious murders and the bizarre secret that Skagit holds.

Because I’m obsessed with mysteries, I chose this book by debut author, Elle Keaton, and she succeeded not only in her writing style but with an intriguing plot and some of the most interesting characters. My take on Adam was a little different; I didn’t see him as being grumpy but simply a boy who had to grow up and be an adult before his time. Micah is such a delight in his quirkiness, and the chemistry between him and Adam is right on-point.

Because of the lifestyle of Gerald and his friends, Adam and Ed (one of those friends) have to face that there could be someone they didn’t know about who is part of that group. There’s lots of moments of reminiscing with Adam, and such a great cast of side characters: Sara, who owns The Booking Room; Mohammad, Adam’s boss; Carroll Weir, who is snarky and hides a secret; and Seth Culver, who is a surprise to Adam, just to name a few. I can see a couple of sequels developing from this novel, and I’m hoping Carroll will be next to get his own story. But, whatever comes next, I’m invested.

To those who love a good mystery, be sure to put this one on your list.

You can buy Storm Season here:
[zilla_button url=”http://amzn.to/2nj6tGn” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon KU – US [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B06XDRQQJW?d” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon KU – Int’l [/zilla_button]