Review: Where Nobody Knows Her Name by Lynn M. Dannheisser

 

Genre: Thriller

Description:

“Beneath the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, something sinister waits…

When the body of Bonita Key’s former attorney washes ashore in Pine Cay, Layla Leslie’s new job as the village attorney takes a chilling turn. Drawn in by the village’s charm, sun drenched beaches, and a magnetic county sheriff—Layla thought she’d found her dream escape from the scandal she’d left behind in Miami.

But Bonita Key hides more than just tropical secrets.

As Layla digs deeper, she stumbles into a tangled web of vanishing locals, offshore accounts, and a criminal network hiding in plain sight. With whispers of trafficking and corruption echoing through the village’s charming façade, trust becomes a luxury she can’t afford. Even with a relentless Miami Herald reporter by her side, the truth stays just out of reach—and someone is watching her every move.

The last attorney tried to expose the truth. Layla may not live long enough to finish the job.”

Author:

A retired attorney who had previously written a non-fiction book, Lynn M Dannheisser splits her time between the mountains of western Massachusetts and Miami, Florida. For more from Ms Dannheisser check out her website and follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

A disclaimer prior to the beginning of the story makes it clear that the specific location where most of the events take place in this book and the characters are fictional and that if “you find any such resemblance, it is in your imagination, as it was in mine.” Given the opinion many have of some Floridian politicians and since the author is an attorney making that clear was obviously a good idea. That said, if your opinion of politics in that piece of the US hanging off the southeastern part of the country is less than ideal, it makes the events in this book that much easier to believe.

When she’s hired as the village attorney for a small town in the Florida Keys, Layla Leslie (yes, she gets plenty of jokes based on the song) thinks she’s escaping to a more laidback and scenic environment than what she is leaving behind in Miami. What she finds is disconcerting, hard to figure out, and puts her in a position where there doesn’t seem to be any good way out. How, or if, this story resolves keeps the reader guessing to the very end. An intense, fascinating, and all-too-credible (in spite of being complete fiction) tale that once you get into it is hard to put down.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an ARC (advance reviewer copy), so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words