cover image NEXT STOP, PARADISE

NEXT STOP, PARADISE

Sue Civil-Brown, . . Avon, $5.99 (384pp) ISBN 978-0-380-81180-9

The zany supporting characters from Civil-Brown's previous novels (Tempting Mr. Wright, etc.) are back with their crazy antics and off-the-wall humor in this breezy contemporary romance. Paradise Beach, Fla., is normally a sleepy town, so when Officer Samantha Bartlett receives a call claiming there are giant T. rex footprints on the beach, she expects to discover the remnants of a childish prank. Instead, she finds the DustBuster Brigade—a group of older gentlemen who comb the coast with their DustBusters to keep the town tidy—guarding some very large, deep and unusual tracks. Having heard the report on his aunt's police scanner, Derek Diche, the host of a well-known "mystery debunking" TV show, sets out to examine the tracks for himself, and he ends up butting heads with a fiery female officer. The next morning, a giant egg appears on the beach, and, to Sam's dismay, Derek calls in his camera crew. Although Sam's determined to dislike Derek for his poster-boy good looks and smooth-talking ways, she still can't help trying to convince him that miracles do exist. At times, the novel's plot—complete with alien abductions, renegade FBI agents and unruly town folk—may overwhelm the reader, but the romance between Derek and Sam will have fans believing in magic. (Sept. 4)