"Submerged" by Dani Pettrey

A quick shout-out to my brother and sister-in-law for this book. THANK YOU! It was one of four gifted to me from them this past Christmas. How wise they are to gift books my way!

Submerged (May 1, 2012) by Dani Pettrey.

Yancey, Alaska, isn’t a place that Bailey Craig ever planned on returning to. Not even for the briefest of visits. But she’s back for the worst reason: the death of her beloved aunt. Bailey has a past that she is ashamed of and sees herself as a woman undeserving of love and goodness. She’s found faith again, but she can’t forgive herself for the tumultuous and self-destructive ways of her teens. She doesn’t want to face the people of Yancey, whom she expects to be judgmental of her based on her long-ago transgressions. And she doesn’t want to face Cole McKenna.

            But Cole wants to see Bailey. Having endured the loss of both of his parents, he understands the loss of loved ones and knows that Bailey is grieving terribly. He tells himself he wants to keep things platonic and just be a supportive friend, but he remembers all-too-well the feelings he had for Bailey a decade ago. And how she dashed his heart then.

            There’s no avoiding each other completely in the small town where everyone knows one another and news seems to travel faster than the speed of light. Before long, Cole and Bailey find themselves working together, as evidence shows that her aunt’s plane crash was no accident. There’s also a rising body count to make it obvious that something is very wrong. Bailey’s expertise in Russian history proves invaluable to the case, and curiosity gets the best of her. She’s searching and now wants the answers. But in doing that, she may cast herself under the spotlight of the murderer, along with those she discovers she cares very much about.

            It may seem like I’m doing this a bit backwards. Thanks to the publisher, I have read the second, third and fourth books in this series (with the fifth one soon to come my way). But I’ve enjoyed the Alaskan Courage series enough that I’ve wanted to read the one that started the series. I was not disappointed.

            As I’ve felt while reading the other books in the series, the McKennas are a family to want to know. Their faith is deep, their bond is strong, and their love for others is enduring. Pettrey’s got a good storyline going and the characters are created distinctly with characteristics we may see in ourselves and others, so their questions and trials resonate with us. About the only awkward thing is how the characters are all so bloody good-looking and have amazing talents. What I’m saying is, they may seem a little too perfect despite their imperfections. But that’s not the heart of this story. Faith is, first of all, but not in a preachy way. It’s more encouraging and quietly persistent – like water lapping gently against a boat. There’s also an air of mystery to the story, along with the power of love, learning to forgive oneself and allowing yourself to accept second chances. After all, we are all imperfect, yet we are His beloved children!