Buried Secrets Endanger Woman and Send Her on the Run in Twisty Mystery

Abandoned by MHR Geer

Setting someone up for murder is a complicated way to get revenge – no matter what the circumstances.

But is that what’s happening in the second book of author MHR Geer’s Anne Wilson Thriller Series, entitled Abandoned?

It’s an intricate plot that begins with a simple text: “Trouble. Can you come?”

Anne, living contentedly in Saint Martin with her lukewarm boyfriend Luke, has mixed feelings about the text and the sender – Sandy Brown, an old friend who travels on her boat from island to island, marina to marina, is now living in Guadeloupe and has a checkered relationship with Anne.

It’s complicated.

It seems a while back, Sandy’s identity was stolen and was used to launder money by someone she had known in prison. Sandy figured out the scheme and rather than alert the authorities, she turned the tables, blackmailed the woman’s clients and was able to earn millions. 

So when a retired banking executive, a German national, is found dead, apparently strangled with a rope from Sandy’s boat, Sandy is arrested for the crime.

Anne rushes to the aid of her old friend in Guadeloupe, meets her in custody, and hears her claim that she didn’t do it. Either way, why was the man killed? Why would Sandy or someone else want him dead?

Old Friends and Buried Crimes

But it’s even more complicated. 

Apparently, 13 years ago, Anne’s parents, brother and sister were all killed in brutal car accident in which their vehicle rode off a bridge and submerged in the water. Only after they had become friends did Anne learn that Sandy was the driver of the other car.

There’s a lot to unpack here. Literally. That’s because Sandy has left a backpack with a local friend who was instructed to give it to Anne. When Anne opens it, she is staring at millions of dollars. 

And as secrets continue to surface about Sandy’s past, Anne goes on the run. Is someone after her as well? What kind of danger is she in? And who among the island characters that she encounters might not be everything they seem to be?

Navigating the twists and turns of the case, which is put in the hands of a local hotshot attorney, is effectively juxtaposed with the relationship between Anne and Sandy. Anne insists that she has put the past accident behind her – but how, and for what purpose? Whatever the case, she leaves the cozy confines of Saint Martin the moment she hears from her friend – the past won’t stand in the way of Sandy’s cry for help.

Complex and Surprising Mystery

Geer is a convincing storyteller. The plot moves swiftly and fluidly, even though readers are kept off guard as to what surprise might be waiting around the corner. She has constructed a complex story and at the same time is able to delve into the emotional strengths and weaknesses of her characters and how they all intertwine.

For a slick mystery full of twists and well-defined personalities, pick up a copy of Abandoned, the second in the Anne Wilson series which began with the author’s debut novel, Assumed. 

There’s a lot to like about this book and a lot for readers to process. Just knowing that the name of Sandy’s boat is The Second Chance is enough to pique one’s curiosity – and it hardly stops there.