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There are currently 36 member reviews
for The House on Biscayne Bay
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Cindy C.
Full of twists and turns all the way to the end
The story grabbed me almost from the start and held my attention to the end. I liked the female characters and the story they had to tell. The dual timeline was easy to switch between. It is interesting that the house is almost the most prominent character in the book. I also liked the way the author chose to end the book. It is a book I would definitely recommend for all readers and I would like to read more books by this author.
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Diane W. (Oakton, VA)
Trouble in Paradise
Shortly after WWI, Robert Barnes builds a mansion to surprise his wife, Anna, for her fortieth birthday. When he tells her he is taking her to Miami to celebrate, she imagines a romantic weekend and a gift of expensive jewelry. She certainly didn't expect to live there – in the swamp and the heat and among the bugs, iguanas, and alligators. She is not pleased. "This feels like the end of civilization as we know it – a far cry from Manhattan and the sensibilities we have grown accustomed to."
While, eventually, Florida grows on her and to some extent so does the luxurious house, she soon finds that the heat, bugs, and alligators are the least of her problems. When they give their first party, a woman falls into the bay and drowns. The police detective thinks it may not have been an accident.
Fast forward to 1941 when Carmen comes to stay with her sister, Carolina and brother-in-law, Asher, the current occupants of the house. Asher Wyatt bought the mansion in the 30's after it had been abandoned and eventually taken over by the state. Many strange and frightening things have been happening there and it is rumored that they are linked to the original owners.
Is the house cursed? Does it have a ghost? Are the deaths (yes more than 1) accidents – or murder?
This is the first book by the author, Chanel Cleeton, I've read and she has definitely left me wanting more. She does an excellent job maintaining suspense throughout – I was never sure who I could believe and who might be lying. I loved the character of Anna and her comments about Florida, her husband, his friends, and life in general.
Overall, I highly recommend this book.
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Lynne B. (Somersworth, NH)
Historical Mystery Gem
Chanel Cleeton does an excellent job of using early Florida history as a background to a suspenseful mystery. You are immediately drawn into the lives of both Anna and Carmen and follow them through dual timelines, Anna during the 20s and Carmen during the 40s. We are also introduced to Marbrisa, an infamous estate built in the early days of Miami's development and a developing story containing all the intrigue that surrounds these people of wealth and their times. Carmen finds herself in Marbrisa with a quickly intensifying mystery that many think revolves around events that happened during the time of Anna's residence. If you enjoy a well written mystery that combines learning about a historical time period then this is the book for you. I especially enjoyed Cleeton's author notes that explain an even more factual historical connection to Marbrisa, the house on Biscayne Bay.
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Jackie H. (Naples, FL)
Hello Miami
Chanel Cleeton's new novel is very different from her earlier novels which focused more on the changing political environment and its impact on Cuban families. I was intrigued from the beginning with this story.
This is a mystery with lots of unanswered questions. It has themes of wealth and downfall, dreams, infidelity, secrets and murder. I liked the setting of the story in the Miami area during the early boom times, the development of the characters spanning the two generations and the wrap-up. A very fitting ending.
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Shirley P. (Colorado Springs, CO)
Another good read from Chanel Cleeton
I have read two or three of Ms. Cleeton's books and have enjoyed all of them. This novel is no exception. The author is an excellent writer whose words smoothly propel the story. I really like two or more timelines in books and especially when skillfully written so as not to confuse the reader. The main characters are Anna and Carmen. Anna's is the true story and mystery and Carmen is the character following twenty years later trying to figure out and understand Anna's time while living in Mariposa, the "house on Biscayne Bay". As other reviewers have said the mystery is intriguing and the ending both a surprise and fitting. I liked and recommend this book.
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Joanne V. (Phoenix, AZ)
A Good Mystery
I totally enjoyed this book! The author did a fantastic job with her description of the house, the locale, and all the characters. It was an easy and fast read and although there were two separate time periods, it didn't detract from the mystery like some books I have read. Loved the ending and will recommend this book to my friends. Thanks Book Browse for the opportunity to review and will read more books by this author.
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Gwen C. (Clearfield, PA)
The House on Biscayne Bay
Excellent setting for a satisfying novel: Splendid Marbrisa is built in southern Florida where the well described (and fascinating) mansion has beautiful views, swampy alligators and snakes, and unexpected deaths. I found Anna's story to be much more compelling than Carmen's, and really didn't identify with standoffish Carolina at all. That said, it was a compelling, interesting read.
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