Girl in the Water

Marton’s tense nail-biter of a contemporary romantic thriller spans two continents and several years as American Ian and Brazilian Daniela join forces to find the man who killed Ian’s former army buddy, Finch. The story comes to life with descriptions as lush and colorful as the wild Amazonian jungle where Daniela lives a hand-to-mouth existence with her mother. At 15, Daniela is forced into prostitution. Years go by and eventually she’s sold to Finch as a housekeeper and sexual slave. After he is murdered by a mysterious man, a terrified Daniela hides out in his home, which is where Ian finds her when he goes looking for his friend. Since she’s the only one who can identify Finch’s killer, the two form an uneasy alliance. Ian vows to protect Daniela from all men, including himself, which becomes a problem as she begins to fall in love with him. Marton succeeds with an edgy mix of love and danger. (BookLife)