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SOUTHERN COMFORT J. M. Jeffries Genesis Press Leslie Cannon |
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OTHER REVIEWS |
PLOT SYNOPSIS:
REVIEW: A murder mystery intertwined with a romantic interlude might not seem like the idea choice for a romance novel, yet it is a combination that J.M. Jeffries enjoys doing and a combination that Ms. Jeffries does quite well.
SOUTHERN COMFORT, appropriately titled, is a novel set in the beautiful Louisiana bayous. A setting so vivid that readers will have no trouble visualizing the plush green plantations, the mansion style houses, mesmerizing lakes and peacocks roaming across the lawns. Combine this lovely setting with feisty police chief Hardesty Arnaud, sporting the “best pair of legs he had ever seen,” and it is no wonder that Special Agent Nicholas Brannigan is quickly torn between returning to his fast-paced life in New York or remaining in the comforts of the south.
Hardesty had just returned to her small hometown and assumed the position as St. Martine’s Chief of Police, when the normally quiet town was faced with its first murder in ten years. Knowledgeable of current events, Hardesty quickly realizes that the visitor murdered in her town is not the average tourist. She knows that the FBI would send an agent to St. Martin, but nothing could have prepared Hardesty for the sexy Nicholas - a man from whom even a casual touch of his “nutmeg colored fingers” makes it difficult for her to think clearly.
Readers will come to love the strong characters in SOUTHERN COMFORT. Hardesty is every bit the self-sufficient, independent woman that women will have no problems identifying and empathizing with. However, Ms. Jeffries is careful not to make Hardesty super-human, and allows readers to watch as this strong woman deals with insecurities remaining from her childhood experiences. Nicholas, too, has insecurities remaining from his childhood; insecurities that have made him a determined goal-focused, and often times stubborn man. It is the stubbornness of both Hardesty and Nicholas that provides much of the story’s humor and sexual tension, as they try to avoid falling for each other.
Jeffries sends a very powerful message in SOUTHERN COMFORT that lets readers know that loving someone does not mean the loss of one’s self but merely the enriching of one’s life. Readers are shown this as Hardesty comes to terms with the fact that she can allow herself to love Nicholas and yet be her own woman. Ms. Jeffries also shows the importance of family bonds and child-rearing environments in the development of one’s psyche. Though Hardesty and Nicholas come from non-traditional families, readers will readily empathize with the joys and tests that evolve from their individual family experiences.
SOUTHERN COMFORT’s fairly moderate tempo allows readers time to enjoy the lush, richness of the bayou, along with the book’s mystery, comedy and budding romance. Parts of the mystery, however, proved to be a tad bit too predictable.
The book’s secondary characters are lively individuals that serve to enrich the story with humor, warmth and mystery, while not taking the spotlight off the book’s hero and heroine, a strong point that can be contributed to Jeffries’ gift with words.
Yet again Ms. Jeffries has clearly shown the ability to take an unusual combination and create a fun, refreshing story that is bound to have readers readily waiting for future works bearing the authorship of J.M. Jeffries.
JULY 2002