When a car accident leaves Renee comatose and scarred beyond recognition, Laura fakes Renee's
death to protect her and care for her, away from the harsh and judgemental world outside.
Especially from Anton, Renee's long time stalker and Laura's business associate, who is so in love
with the ghost of Renee that he dates a woman who could be her twin sister.
After discovering Anton's plans to sell her business, Laura goes undercover in her own building,
to save the empire she took such trouble in creating. Confronting the demons of the past and
present is not easy and Laura struggles to discover Anton's true nature and to unravel the
mystery behind her daughter's accident.
But when the witnesses to Renee's accident start showing up dead, can Laura continue to
keep her daughter safe from the world? Or is Renee the next victim?
The cover blurb of The June Pearl states:
As a child, Laura Johnson inherited a precious heirloom, an exotic pearl that became a symbol of her good fortune to pass on to her young and beautiful daughter, Apolonia Renee.
When I opened this book, I expected Miriam McGarrigle to deliver a nice, gentle read. Light fair for a rainy Sunday afternoon, perhaps, that might cause me to grab an emotional tissue or two.
What I got, instead, was a gritty, fast-paced mystery that goes behind the scenes of the business world and inside the mind of obsession and deceit.
From an engrossing scene in the dirty underbelly of a prison lockup, to the final, climactic, satisfying conclusion, McGarrigle keeps you entwined in the story, and makes you truly care about the people she has created. The secondary characters are as well-developed and three-dimensional as the main players and effortlessly draw you into their emotional world.
With beautiful prose and description, the author makes you feel like you're there in the midst of the action, which also includes a touching journey of self-discovery and healing.
Grab a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa and settle in for the evening. This book is a page-turner and you'll find yourself reading deep into the night, unable to put it down. It's that good.
- Tracy Jones
