Secrets in Cypress Bayou by Susan Sands, book two in her Louisiana series, was a wonderful read; small town charm, interesting characters, romance, and intriguing suspense. The town of Cypress Bayou is a small-town full of interesting characters and big secrets, some dark and dangerous. New attorney Carly Bertrand returns to Cypress Bayou, Louisiana, to be close to her family but finding a job in a town with a glut of lawyers will be difficult. Imagine her surprise when she receives an offer from her childhood crush and sister’s brother-in-law, Tanner Carmichael, to help him set up his new law practice. Their first client is a woman searching for her birth mother who mysteriously disappeared decades ago without a trace. Carly and Tanner take the case and soon find themselves drowning in a swampy patch of secrets, political corruption, and danger. And the further they dig, the more it looks like Tanner’s powerful, narcissistic father is involved. As Carly and Tanner work to unravel the mysterious disappearance of their client’s mom and grandma, they had to start figuring out who they could trust, how far this disappearance plot goes, and what happened to these two missing ladies. Working together the attraction between Carly and Tanner grows as they also recognize the strong chemistry between them. It’s not just this case that heats up. I have to admit, Carly’s nana stole the show; she was a sounding board, an endless resource of knowledge, had a sixth sense and knew what was happening, a wonderful cook, as well as a caring and loving person.Ms Stevens wrote a wonderful romance suspense novel that will keep you turning the pages just so you can find out what happened next. This twisty mystery was filled with surprises that you will not see coming, helpful clues and as well as some red herrings. I found myself trying to figure out who had done what and what had happened to these two ladies. I figured out the who-done-it part but was wrong with what happened. The relationship between Carly and Tanner was slow growing and I was happy with how their attraction, and subsequent feelings, grew as they worked together to right wrongs. I highly recommend Secrets of Cypress Bayou to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series.I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
