Jaden Skye

Death by Honeymoon by Jaden Skye packs a punch. This novel is short in length but contains good writing, a great story line, and interesting characters. The premise is that Cindy's husband Clint dies under tragic yet mysterious circumstances during their honeymoon on Barbados. Cindy is bereft over Clint's death and eventually comes to believe that his accidental death was anything but accidental. Of course no one believes her, including her sister Ann. Until Ann drives Cindy's car to run show more errands and finds that the brakes don't work. If things aren't bad enough Cindy has to contend with in-laws that are blaming her for husband's death.

Cindy isn't willing to back down from her theories and launches her own investigation into Clint's death and returns to Barbados. Was Clint's murder related to his job? What could possibly have been so important to kill for? Will Cindy find the answers before she becomes the next victim? Cindy may have spent the first three weeks after Clint's death moping and grieving but she makes up for lost time. Death by Honeymoon makes a perfect weekend read for anyone interested in a quick-read suspense story. show less

'She suddenly realised that it didn't matter. Maybe it wasn't about ever getting over it. It was about finding the truth, getting justice for Clint, stopping worse things from happening. There was no time for self-pity. She had a big job ahead.'

Plot

On the eastern shore of Barbados, Cindy and Clint are enjoying their honeymoon when suddenly their married life is cut short. Clint's body is found washed up in the ocean; drowned in a freak surfing accident. The local police close the case and show more Cindy is left to grieve.

Cindy isn't convinced that her husband was killed in an accident. Clint was an experienced surfer; he knew the ocean well. Cindy is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding her husband's death, but soon finds herself and her family in danger. As she investigates, she uncovers secrets about her husband, and realises she didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

My thoughts

I got this book as a freebie on Amazon for my Kindle, to read as part of a challenge on my Goodreads group. The challenge is to read as many summer-themed books as possible before 10th October, so as this one was free, I thought I'd give it a go.

Whilst I enjoyed this book, there was nothing that particularly stood out for me. There was nothing that made this an amazing book, but it was an enjoyable and quick read. I read this in a few days; the plot was fast paced and interesting. I did find myself sucked into the story; as Cindy uncovered more about Clint's death, I really got engrossed in the story and wanted to know what really happened.

I did guess the outcome of the book before I finished it, but as it's a mystery book, it's natural for the reader to come to their own conclusions before the end, and this time my guess was right. The ending is made fairly obvious throughout the book, but it was enjoyable watching it all unfold at the end, and knowing that my guess was right.

Cindy is a strong character. Of course she's devastated by her husband's death, and all she wants to do is lock herself away from the world. But as she comes to realise that Clint's death may not have been an accident, she's determined to prove her theory and find who's responsible. I really liked this about her; she loved her husband deeply, despite not being together for long before they got married. Their married life was planned and cruelly snatched away from them, and she's very brave to delve into a potentially dangerous situation.

The Author

This book is the first in The Caribbean Murder series by Jaden Skye. Jaden has also started a Romance series, with the first book, 'A perfect Stranger.' show less

Death by Honeymoon by Jaden Skye is a mystery about love and loss. Cindy and Clint finally have what they want; married and ready to start their lives together, much to the disappointment of his family and friends. Heading to Barbados for their dream honeymoon, Cindy wants nothing more then to enjoy her husband's company. So when Cindy suddenly falls ill and stays in the room for a nap, the last thing she expected was to never see her husband again.

Several weeks after Cindy is left widowed, show more she starts trying to make peace with what has happened and move on. But while going through some of Clint's belongings she realizes that not everything is what it appeared. She knows that what happened to Clint was not an accident and she has to solve the mystery before she meets the same fate.

Death by Honeymoon starts out well. I felt for Cindy and the pain that she was going through. Her heartache and actions were believable. As the story progressed, I found the emotion weakening and the story shifted into a somewhat predictable pattern. I felt as though the truth came out and was accepted a little to easily by all parties involved. Though I am curious to see if the author's writing style has evolved for book two in this series, I probably won't be in a rush to read it.

If you are looking for a quick and easy mystery that contains little suspense, consider giving Death by Honeymoon a try. Even though I found this to be just an okay story, you may feel differently and enjoy it. show less

Death by Honeymoon by Jaden Skye is a light mystery, full of love and longing, with scenes from the beautiful island of Barbados. She does a great job of building a love story, and then takes us to the shattered life of Cindy, a young woman now looking for answers.

On the beautiful West side of Barbados, Cindy and Clint cement their love, their honeymoon is in just the perfect spot. The West side of the island so infrequently used by tourists is the very draw, Clint is an experienced surfer, show more and this area is known for its waves. The beauty and the companionship are everything Cindy always wanted. Even with the difficulties from Clint’s family, their marriage still went through as planned. Here in this beautiful and enchanted place their love just continued to grow. Cindy has trusted Clint more than she has trusted anyone. She understands that no matter what, he would be there for her. As their honeymoon draws to a close, she is sad, only a few more days and they would again face the real world with its challenges from both Clint’s family and his job. But until then she would enjoy every minute. A beautiful lunch and then more surfing is set for the day, but when Cindy takes suddenly ill and becomes extremely tired, she assures Clint that she will only take a small nap, and meet him on the beach in an hour.

When Cindy finally wakes, she finds that several hours have passed, and as she goes searching for Clint, she cannot find him. Panic sets in and alarm sets her nerves on edge. She knows something is wrong Clint would never disappear. When his body is found in the surf, her life begins to fall apart.

Cindy is unable to understand how this could have happened, his parents suspect her of some nefarious deeds, which cuts her to the quick. She is unable to operate on her own, unable to leave her room or even talk to Clint’s friends. Her Sister Ann is there for her. In her grief, Cindy’s mind takes some strange turns, and she is even now convinced that Clint was murdered. With nothing to go on, she finally finds something to believe in again. Going through his files, she begins to question everything she knew about him. Returning emails to his friends and asking questions, she is nonetheless surprised when the brakes on her car fail, and her sister is almost killed. The police find the brakes tampered with but have nothing further to go on.

Not knowing where to go for help, she finally determines that the FBI would be the only safe place to start. Without evidence, they are unable and unwilling to help her. She must go back to the very place it all began, Barbados.

Cindy seems so clingy and helpless in much of the prose although she strengthens her resolve towards the end. She operates on gut instinct and bullheadedness, and stays the course following her beliefs. When vindicated and she begins to find the clues to the mystery, she puts her own and her sister’s life at risk. Yet she is determined to find the answers. She begins the story with no self confidence and is more self reliant at the end.

This is a light read full of mystery and longing. The romance is wonderful, and the story quite interesting. If you enjoy a light mystery, and romance, with a bit of sadness this is the read. The story is written well and moves along at a quick pace.

This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material. show less