[.ca] Hidden Motives: Watcher in the Woods/Then Came ... (ISBN 1593102577)

Book Description:
Suspense, mystery, and danger pervade the four stories of this romance collection. As love blossoms for four women, threatening situations also arise. Laurel's resolve is tested when a cyber stalker begins sending menacing E-mails. Gerri goes undercover as a housekeeper in an attempt to vindicate her wrongfully accused grandfather. Shelby travels to her vacant childhood home in Louisiana to find the key to recurring migraines. Stephanie works to restore an old church only to be warned by mysterious lights to leave things as they are. Should they proceed with their dangerous tasks? Can they trust their hearts to guide them?

2 Decent stories in this anthology:
*In "Watcher in the woods," Laurel is visiting the maternal Grandmother she's never met when she's confronted with the reasons for the estrangement. She believes the Lord is behind the reunion since she is a believer in Christ and her Grandmother is steeped in a cult. But threats commence, and Jason, a computer consultant who works for Laurel's Grandmother must help her discern the mystery before it's too late. I wasn't crazy about this novella by Carol Cox. The story idea was good, the writing was okay, but the plot wasn't laid out very well. **"Then Came Darkness" is Gail Gaymer Martin's story of Gerri, a young woman who takes a job at an estate in the hopes of finding evidence to clear the name of her Grandfather who was convicted of a crime he didn't commit. She finds an ally in the estate's groundskeeper, but he cannot be there to protect her around the clock. Will Gerri's Grandfather be exonerated or will the Emory family get away with murder? This was a decent story. No real surprises, and the writing was stiff at times. The relationship developing between Gerri and Rich was well-controlled, but the dialogue seemed forced. ****"At the End of the Bayou" by DiAnn Mills is a decent story of Shelby, a young woman who travels to Louisiana to visit her childhood home and unravel the secrets of her past and sell the home inherited by her incapacitated mother. Will Shelby be overcome by the Bayou or turn her back on the man she's learning to love? This one ended a bit abruptly, but was still enjoyable. ****Jill Stengl's "Buried in the Past" is the story of a widow with no living relatives except an ill uncle in England. She sells everything to move to the U.K. to take care of him, but mysterious things begin happening on the property. She learns from her uncle that the church on the land is cursed. Several of her neighbors are hostile toward her. Will she run away? Or gather her courage to solve the mystery? This was a very enjoyable story. Good mystery, decent writing.