Book Review: Summer's Child

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Summer's Child     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Diane Chamberlain
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Romantic Suspense
Mira, Jan 2000, $5.99, 416 pp.

Daria Cato, unlike her older sister, cousin, or mother, enjoys waking up early and walking along the beach on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. On her eleventh birthday, Daria begins her solitary stroll along the Kill Devil Hills Beach when she finds a discarded new born whose afterbirth remains attached to her. She brings the baby to her home, which leads to the child’s life being saved. When no mother is discovered, Daria’s family adopts the baby, raising Shelly as their own.

Over the years, Daria’s parents die and her sister becomes a nun. Daria raises Shelly. However, unbeknownst to Daria, Shelly has written a letter to a former neighbor, Rory Taylor, who is the famous host and producer of TV’s popular True Life Stories. Since Rory is very good at uncovering mysteries, Shelly wants him to identify her birth parents. Rory was a teen when Daria found Shelly. He has always been a bit haunted by her story. As he begins his investigation, Daria worries about Shelly and opposes his inquiries. However, Daria and Rory fall in love even as the truth rocks a small coastal community.

SUMMER’S CHILD is a taut romantic suspense that digs deep into psychological relationships between people and the after effects of their relationships. The story line is fast-paced with the mystery of Shelly perfectly plotted. The lead characters are a delightful duo and the prime support cast (Daria’s sister, Shelly, and Rory’s son) adds depth. As with KEEPER OF THE LIGHT, Diane Chamberlain writes novels that entertains readers with a suspense-laden insight into the human condition.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner