🏝️🐈🐦📿 “Scattered Legacy” (Annalisse Series #3) (2021) 📿🐦🐈🏝️– Book Review
MY REVIEW
Series: Annalisse Series (Book #3)
Paperback: 336 Pages
Publisher: Ewephoric (October 6, 2021)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0999539469
ISBN-13: 978-099953946
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother's birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.”
Thank you in advance to the author, Marlene M. Bell, for providing a complimentary review copy through Prism Book Tours, a positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
My first introduction to the author was with Spent Identity which I didn’t know was part of a series. The end of that book was left slightly open, and I must admit, I was expecting something different from this book.
At the end of book #2 – the next book is to be titled Calico Raven. Which, after reading this one – that title would’ve fit better. There are references to calico and raven in this book, and two of the characters have the nicknames.
But, given the “s” word titles – it made sense to choose that theme and keep with it:
Stolen Obsession
Spent Identity
Scattered Legacy
Most of the time, a book in a series can “act” as a standalone – meaning readers won’t have to read previous books to know what is going on or feel something is missing. Some series are a series by “theme” only and not characters or locations.
This is DEFINITELY a series that should be read together, starting with the first book – Stolen Obsession. While I recently got it, I’ve yet to read it. I was able to read this without that one, though I will try to read it when I have the time.
Events from both books are referenced in this one several times.
This picks up pretty much at the end of book two, and as a result – some characters from the previous books return:
🚗 Alec
📿 Annalisse
📿 Generosa (Alec’s mother)
🔎 Bill Drake (detective)
☕ Helga
🔪 Brad (Alec’s bodyguard)
🐦 Peter (aka: Raven)
There are also new characters as well:
🐦 Leo (a mafia boss; aka: Birdman)
🐈 Joey (Leo’s son; aka: Calico)
💎 Gwendolyn (aka: TieDyeGwen)
This isn’t exactly a clean read, but it isn’t “smutty” or “nasty” either. There is some crude language such as referring to a man’s “genitals” as “nuts”; a reference to “B.S” (🐂💩), and the use of a$$. There is only a slight mention of God despite one of plot points being a rosary belonging to Galileo and appearance by nuns.
There are also some outdated terms: gumshoe, stoolies, and miscellaneous Italian terms as well.
As far as content or triggers – there are mentions of suicide (prior to the start of this book), kidnapping (prior to book), premonitions (putting this on the paranormal side), a deadly virus in Europe (alluding to COVID-19), and child-trafficking (mentioned as what a character is connected to).
Those sensitive to those topics might want to take caution when reading this.
The cover is definitely interesting and intriguing. I was wondering how the cat on the cover was going to play into it. Books with animals as a main or supportive character are tenuous at best, and it often fails more than it succeeds. The cat is definitely a focal point, but not a main character.
This is, like the other books, told in first person from Annalisse’s POV. With the other POVs – Generosa, Leo, Bill, Joey, and Alec – a cross between first to third person. This could be confusing for some readers. As I was familiar with the style from the previous book, I had no real issue with it.
This starts off with Annalisse (Anna) going over the incidents from the previous book – her uncle’s suicide, his arrangement of her kidnapping, and Generosa’s kidnapping. It is also mentioned that Ethan (from Australia) is still missing at the beginning of this book.
In addition to a mystery letter, a female shopper enters the store. It is from here that the story begins with Gen giving some rosary beads to Anna, the customer being a thief, and Alec’s on the phone over a tabloid headline.
Anna has a “vision” of a murdered woman.
At this point, the story diverges into three separate, yet connected plot arcs:
📿 The rosary beads and their connection to Gen which puts Anna on a quest to light a candle for the nun who gave them to Gen per the older woman’s request
🔪 The grisly murder of a woman inside the office of Alec’s car company’s former CFO (the man also had ties to his father’s race team); the man was fired after Alec found him embezzling
🐦 A Mafia boss wanting something back that was stolen
🚗 A rumor that could derail Alec selling Signorile (his car company) – Alec’s father is rumored to have embezzled from his race team to start the car company
💍 Anna still cannot, for some reason, accept Alec’s offer of an engagement
Alec, Anna, Bill, and Brad then head to Italy. There the first order of business is taking care of the issue with Josh (Signorile’s former CFO), the rumor, and the murdered lady.
That brings up the cat (Stella) that the murdered woman (Bonita) had and there are questions surrounding where she got it and potential ties to the mafia.
As that mystery begins to wind and unfold, Anna researches the beads Gen gave her. While looking for the nun Gen mentioned, Anna runs into another lady who is interested in the beads.
In addition to the rumors about Alec’s father; the beads are at the heart of the story.
It really isn’t until chapter 14 (page 177) where the mystery starts spicing up and it gets exciting. Even “Gwen” makes a return visit. And, Alec learns about a mafia connection to his family and company.
What was even more interesting was how when Alec, Anna, and Brad arrived home there was a surprise visit from someone else from a previous book along with a connection that I didn’t see coming.
At one point Bill returned to the states, but it isn’t stated when he did or how.
While the book remains mostly calm with descriptive images, there was a reminder of a decomposing body that I probably could’ve jumped over, along with a “humiliating” scene with a character.
This definitely held my interest as I was reading it, though it was a bit slow at first. After about the halfway mark, I did find myself wanting to keep reading to figure out what was going on.
By the end of the story, the author had expertly tied all the arcs together and delivered an intriguing story.
The ending with the mafia guys (Leo’s family) tends more to the dramatic – think The Godfather (as of note the movie turns 50 this year). It wasn’t a stretch to know what happened when it was read. It did seem rather cliché, but in some ways satisfying.
This has a slight “open” ending with an unresolved scene. While not a cliffhanger, the issue wasn’t solved by the last word of the story. In fact, it created an even bigger set of questions. As a result, readers will definitely want to read the next one.
The series tends more to mystery than suspense and is definitely similar to The DaVinci Code when it comes to that aspect. Those who like Dan Brown’s “Langdon” series might enjoy this series as well.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
Previous books in the series:
Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing (January 12, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 099953940X
ISBN-13: 978-0999539408
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“People die, but legends live on.
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury recently lost her best friend to murder. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act.
Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his mother, feared dead or kidnapped. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?”
Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing (November 18, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0999539426
ISBN-13: 978-0999539422
Click Photo for Purchase Information ➡️
“To find her missing aunt, she has to unearth the secrets of the past. But lies and deceit run through the very heart of their town….
What started out as a promising relationship with adventurer and tycoon Alec Zavos has fizzled into an uncertain future for antiquities expert Annalisse Drury. Returning to Walker Farm in Upstate New York to see her Aunt Kate should have been a welcome homecoming and distraction. Instead, she finds the childhood home she expected to inherit is for sale, without her permission. What’s worse, Kate’s ranch manager makes a gruesome discovery in the barn: the body of a man, dead by foul play.
Annalisse turns in Alec’s direction for help. She and her aunt shelter on his estate in the Catskills while the authorities canvass the scene. But when Kate herself disappears without a trace, Annalisse fears the worst: that one of the many secrets of her hometown has ensnared her family—a secret someone is willing to kill for to keep hidden.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marlene M. Bell is an award-winning writer and acclaimed artist as well as a photographer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living and Sheep Industry News, to name a few.
Her catalog Ewephoric began in 1985 out of her desire to locate personalized sheep stationery. She rarely found sheep products through catalogs and set out to design them herself. Ewephoric gifts may be ordered online or request a catalog at TexasSheep.com.
Marlene and her husband, Gregg reside in beautiful East Texas on a wooded ranch with their dreadfully spoiled horned Dorset sheep, a large Maremma guard dog named, Tia, along with Hollywood, Leo and Squeaks, the cats that believe they rule the household—and do.
She can be found on the following social media networks:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marlenembell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlenemysteries/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ewephoric
Website: https://www.marlenembell.com/
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