DEEP WATERS

DEEP WATERS
By Kate Charles
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover ISBN 978-1-590558-602-0
Large Print ISGN 978-1-59058-603-7
March 2009
Hardcover $24.95
Large Print $22.95
Pages 330
Fiction/Mystery

Our society is definitely addicted to reality television with shows like “Big Brother” to “Idol” We have new celebrities due to these programs that become a part of our everyday lifestyle. DEEP WATERS involves some of the new celebrities from these realities.

Jodee and Chazz became instant celebrities from being on a program called “24/7”. Chazz was the ultimate winner but he also met Jodee who was also a contestant. Their romance was the topic of numerous gossip columns. They married and had a daughter, Muffin. Unfortunately, Muffin is discovered dead, probably of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. While the media is overly hungry for the latest tidbits into their lives, it is difficult even for a celebrity family to properly and completely grieve. When it is discovered that Muffin had a broken bone that had been healed, everyone is pointing fingers at who is responsible for the possible death by shaking the baby.

Investigating this case is Mark Lombardi who works as a police family liaison officer. When he finds that the family needs to make funeral arrangements, naturally, he immediately suggests the woman he loves, Callie, who is the parish curate for this particular area.

Callie is hesitant to become involved. With the possible publicity of this, the vicar should really be the one involved with the family, not her. The family needs her help on a Saturday and the vicar is always off on Saturdays. Both his wife and the vicar are very strict about his working on a day that is to be their time. However, being she is not the vicar, she is constantly balancing personalities, needs, and egos. She also has the unfortunate situation of living temporarily with the vicar and his wife, who is not pleased to have a houseguest, and especially one with a dog.

Added to this, there is a death in Mark’s family. While jogging, Mark’s brother-in-law has an apparent heart attack. While in the hospital, he has another heart attack and dies. Or so it seems. Apparently, someone substituted antifreeze for his sport drink which he used during his run. Also, life at home has not smooth either, being that this brother-in-law had been having an affair with a much younger woman who is one of the finalists on “Junior Idol”.

While Mark’s family is being investigated, the case is taken over by Detective Inspector Neville Stewart who was forced to cut his honeymoon short for his work obligations. His new wife is resenting his choice of his job over his commitment to her.

DEEP WATERS is a balancing act for Callie and Mark. They are balancing their careers, their personal relationship, families, pets, daily routines, and the media hunger for a story. Realistically, life does not always progress as smoothly as either of them would want. The strength of DEEP WATERS is the realistic voices of the characters, especially Callie and Mark. With the intertwining of the plots, both stories are masterfully written into one.

Kate Charles is from the Midwest and has lived in England for more than twenty years. She uses her involvement with the Church of England into her stories.