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After yet another long day of work and errands and household chores, you may find yourself wishing that you could run away to a tropical island. And that’s exactly what the main character does in author Junie Coffey’s Sunbaked. But as soon as she gets there, she gets caught up in a tropical mystery.
The story follows thirty-something Nina Spark as she makes an impulsive move. Late one night, she’s surfing the Internet with a glass of wine in hand, dreaming of a life away from her cheating ex-husband and the hustle and bustle of New York City, when she buys a tiny beachfront cottage on Pineapple Cay. Though she quickly makes new island friends, wealthy land developer Barry Bassett isn’t thrilled that she’s bought the land that he so desperately wants. And when Barry’s wife goes missing during a dinner party in her honor, Nina and her new friends find themselves drawn to the case.
If you’ve ever dreamed of running away to a tropical island, you’ll enjoy the literary escape of Sunbaked. Pineapple Cay is the kind of place where you can lounge on the beach all day and meet up with friends at the local hangouts at night. It’s a place filled with eccentric characters, too—from perky real estate agent Pansy to yoga instructor/mailman/bartender Danish, as well as fishermen, rock stars, and (of course) a handsome cop. And that local flavor paints the light, breezy mystery in all kinds of bright, vibrant colors.
The mystery here may not be gripping and intense, but it’s enough to set the characters off on a wild hunt for clues. And that hunt gets them into all kinds of awkward (and sometimes laugh-out-loud) situations—whether they’re catching their neighbors in compromising positions, delivering suspicious undergarments to the police station, or polluting the hot tubs of the rich and famous.
And in the middle of it all is Nina, a college professor who found herself stuck in a rut and finally decided to do something about it. Though she’s understandably overwhelmed by her new life and the characters in it, she soon learns to go with the flow—and to open herself up to new adventures. And not only will readers enjoy following along on those adventures, but once the story’s over, they’ll be eager to return for more.
If you’re in need of a tropical getaway—but you can’t afford to buy your own beachfront cottage—mix yourself a margarita and pick up a copy of Sunbaked. It makes a fun-filled beach read—or even a wish-I-was-on-the-beach read.
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