Cliffhanger

by Susan Page Davis

A charming themed inn, breaking waves, and a missing guest. What more could one ask?

The Novel Inn’s reopening goes smoothly until a guest vanishes. The new owners prepare for their first large group—a former squad of cheerleaders meeting for a reunion. Things go awry when the head cheerleader fails to show up. Sisters Kate and Jillian, the innkeepers, enlist the help of their brother Rick, a local police officer. They’re confident the missing woman will be found, but they soon learn to expect the unexpected, even during a walk on the beach.

Genres: Fiction, Christian, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

259 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2022

About the author

FROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: I'm a native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!

Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.

I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.

For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

Reviews

[Debbie Wentworth Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since their parents' death a few months before, Kate, Jillian and Rick have taken over their parents' inn, the Novel Inn. Unique because each guest room is named and decorated for a different literary character, such as Horatio Hornblower, Elizabeth Bennett, Galadriel and others, the inn is nearly booked full as eight former cheerleaders come for a twenty-year reunion. Only, one doesn't show up. She disappears, but her rented vehicle is found abandoned on a side road. Rick, as a police officer, seeks the missing woman, joined by Jillian and Kate as unofficial helpers. The small police station is also searching for a group of antique thieves who have now killed a woman. When the missing cheerleader is found only to be kidnapped from the Novel Inn's parking lot, the search takes on a desperate aura.

Cliffhanger is a pleasant cozy with people who seem like normal individuals, a retired teacher, a former office worker and a police officer. The suspense stays high. Set on the Maine coast in an inn I'd love to visit, it's a plot-driven story with a strong faith element. It's clean. I've read several of Page's stories and look forward to reading more.

[Jen Dodrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mystery!

Davis is an excellent writer and a master at creating a solid mystery. This is book 1 in the Skirmish Cove Mysteries, and I've already got book 2 in queue!

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

No real reason given. Frustrating.

[Edward Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to visit Skirmish Cove and Novel Inn where this story is set. However, I would not want to be near the place at a time when villains are running loose as they were in the book. I believe the town and the inn are fictional although possibly based on some real places. I have never visited a themed inn where the rooms were named after fictional characters and the décor included pictures and other memorabilia of those characters. The beach area sounded typical for the New England coast based on what I have seen and read about. Most of my beach experiences have been on wide sandy beaches, but this was a rugged rocky beach where people had to get to high ground when the tide was coming in or risk getting washed off a boulder. Much of the focus was on a woman who was on her way to Novel Inn for the 25th reunion of her high school cheerleading squad. After making a wrong turn and turning back, something hit her car and caused her to wreck. I continued puzzling over the accident through much of the book, trying to figure out what suddenly slammed into her windshield. The author kept sprinkling clues about what was happening with her as well as the owners of the inn and the rest of her cheerleading squad. The title of the book grabbed my attention and kept it. I enjoyed the book.

[Ausjenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy

This is Susan Page Davis's 100th book. The book is the first in a new series and another excellent read. At the moment I am loving reading and watching Mysteries and could see this book as a Hallmark Mysteries series. This series introduce us to sisters Jillian and Kate who run the Novel Inn. Each room is named after a character from literature and I will admit I didn't know all of them. But with rooms like Anne Shirley, Elizabeth Bennett, Horatio Hornblower and David Copperfield and the rooms decorated in the era of each character I would love to visit.

The book starts preparation for a cheerleading reunion at the newly reopened inn. The sisters are preparing the inn for the women but when one doesn't check in the mystery starts. Jillian and Kate's brother is Rick is a local police officer and is called in to help find the missing guest. There are lots of twists and turns in the case. I enjoy this type of mystery with Amateur sleuths who tend to fall into this tasks. If you like this sort of mystery I am sure you will enjoy this new series. I personally can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Beth Westcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd like to vacation at a place on the Maine coast called the Novel Inn, where each room is named for a character from a well-known classic novel. However, a weekend of reunion for a squad of cheerleaders at the inn is mysteriously and fearfully disrupted by the disappearance of one of the cheerleaders before she arrives. Innkeepers Kate and Jillian are kept busy seeing to the comfort of their guests and trying to find the missing woman. She appears only to be kidnapped. Local homes are being robbed and drones are buzzing about, and then the unthinkable...Join Kate, Jillian, and their police officer brother Rick as they try to unravel the mystery and suspense.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the cliff

Don't let fear of "cliffhanger" books scare you off--this one actually features a person hung on a cliff. This is a stand alone book, precursor to the series. The Novel Inn features guest rooms named for famous fiction characters (don't expect a wakeup call if you stay in the RIP Van Winkle room!) When a guest fails to show up for a cheerleaders reunion, inn owners Jillian and Kate launch a search and get in some serious trouble of their own. Very good read, something I have come to expect from author Susan Page Davis.

[Jody Coran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written. There was mystery inside the mystery, more a suspense being a mother of a Type 1. While I enjoyed that aspect and am appreciative that she incorporated it into this mystery, I can't help feeling she could have done a little more. Explanations and cause and effect with the type 1. Yet, that's because I live in that world, for the last 14+ years. I haven't read a mystery novel like this with the main character having type 1 diabetes. I look forward to reading more by this author. Especially this series!

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so happy I won this book! Susan Page Davis writes the BEST clean suspense, and when I heard the premise of this book I had to read it! Can you imagine an inn that has rooms based on literary characters? I would love staying in a place like that!
But, I digress. The book is perfect, in my humble opinion. Lots of twists and turns. I can see where there is so much potential in these characters and that setting, and thank goodness this is #1 of a new series!

[Martic · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nice cozy mystery! I thoroughly enjoyed Jillian and Kate as they worked to discover why one of their B&B guests didn't show up. Of course, I also like the fact that the story's set in a fictional town on the coast of Maine and that the B&B has rooms named after famous book characters-Scarlet O'Hara, Hercule Poirot, and Anne Shirley for example.

For her 100th book, Davis still works her "magic" in storytelling.

[Deborah Troxell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovering that your car has been stolen is not a good way to start a weekend getaway with old friends. Danielle is determined to have a good time anyway and heads to her reunion in a rental car. Emergencies keep coming her way as she heads to Novel Inn on the coast of Maine. The inn's owners, Jillian and Kate, are working hard to keep their guests happy and find a way to solve their mysteries. I will be reading the next book in this series soon!

[Charline Romine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing Cheerleader

This was a very good mystery! It made my heart beat really hard in a few places. The brother, Rick, a police officer and his two sisters, Jillian and Kate inherited the Novel Inn after their parents passed away. They got reservations for a group of 8 women, former cheerleaders, for the weekend. All were waiting for Danielle but she never showed up. And there starts the intrigue. Good sleuthing.

[Anne-Marie Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good debut. I liked the pace of the plot and was very interested in the success of The Novel Inn. The rooms were decorated according to characters of great novels. A guest is missing from the group of cheerleaders reunion and is found 2 days later after a car accident due to a drone and a kidnapping. The motive was not clear though. I want to continue with the series though.

[Laura Hamby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Novel Novel

This was a fun and intriguing read! It is perfect for book lovers who especially love a mystery. Many twists and turns but easy to follow. Definitely as charming as its location. I am glad to see it is just book 1 in the series! I love the concept of the Inn! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Karen Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting and entertaining fast read

This is one of those books you won’t want to put down until you’ve reached “the end”

It’s well written, filled with the perfect amount of suspense, and it is very picturesque in its description of the story’s New England backdrop. You’ll want to visit Skirmish Cove, or at least try to find it.

[Scott Kalas · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good start

Susan Paige Davis is an author I’ve add to my author’s to follow. She has two other series I’ve enjoyed Mainely Mystery series and Blue Specual. It looks like I found me a third in Skirmish Cove.

[Lisa Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! It was so engaging, I could hardly put it down. The mystery, the twists and turns all kept me on the edge of my seat. Very clean, no profanity or inappropriate content. Susan Page Davis never disappoints. I can’t wait to start the next one in the series!

[Kandes · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a nice fast paced mystery to read while camping. Definitely kept my attention and I was pulled in immediately even in the midst of chaos that is camping.

Not sure if I will continue the series because the ending was just dragged onnnnnn. But might pick it up later.

[Marilyn Nabors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Ms. Davis again held me glued to each page! Story telling at her best. She makes all of her characters and the settings come to life.

[Janet Mertes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gooooood!!

Really enjoyed this book, mystery , family. Would recommend to anyone who likes mystery and with out any smutty language or scenes.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyed

Great novel and characters. I really enjoyed the whole novel. Sweet, clean, Christian romantic suspense. Looking forward to the next in this series.

[Jennifer Cagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery

Great clean mystery with lots of action and a little romance thrown in to keep it interesting. I really enjoyed thus book!

[esc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Mystery

This mystery was hard to put down before the end. I loved meeting the ladies that ran the inn and look forward to their next adventure in book two.

[Cindy Bergvall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging mysteries!

This is an author I wasn’t familiar with. I liked the characters and the setting Good mystery. Quick read but just the right amount of suspense

[Barbara Maddox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very readable story and even though I figured much of it out half-way through, it was still interesting following the characters as they solved the case.

[Connie Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger is aptly named! I was on the edge of my seat several times! The characters are well defined and interesting.

[Dawn Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time reading a Susan Page Davis book.
I didn’t really care for the writing style of this author.