Widow Sandra Winslow moves into the old beach home along the coast of Rhode Island. The home, given to her by her grandfather, is all that she has left after the death of her husband, Victor Winslow. By all accounts, Victor was the consummate politician and perfect husband and son. Only Sandra knows what happened on the bridge that fateful February when the car she was driving careened off the bridge and landed in the frigid water below. Though Victor's body was never found, Sandra survived and was exonerated at the inquest. But the townspeople and media feel otherwise as the author credibly exhibits their disdain, making it believable and not overdone.
Feeling the pressure to start anew, Sandra enlist the aid of "handyman" Mike Malloy to restore the beach home so that she can sell it and move on. But she wasn't bargaining on her attraction to Mike, at first in an elemental way she hasn't felt before. There is more than just physical desire, though, as Ms. Wiggs develops their attraction in such a way that they reinforce the empty spaces in each other's lives.
Their emotional baggage seems almost insurmountable, with Mike's difficulties as a single divorced dad, and Sandra's conflicting feelings concerning her apparently happy marriage. In a compelling parallel to Sandra's own parents, who are considering divorce, Mike and Sandra must learn to work through each others differences to achieve a relationship worth saving. Complex characters, a hunky hero, and a constant undercurrent of mystery, lend creativity to this novel that is so much more than a formulaic romance. A must read!
Two years later, Sandra remains the town pariah. She decides to sell her family home, but knows the historical house needs costly renovation. Victor's friend Mike Malloy needs the money badly after getting killed during a divorce. Though he believes Sandra murdered his pal and he does not really want the job, he accepts the work for the fee he will earn. As he becomes acquainted with Sandra, he realizes that she could never have killed her husband. As he falls in love with her, he wants to prove her innocence not for his own need, but for hers.
PASSING THROUGH PARADISE is an engaging romantic suspense that never stops entertaining readers. The story line takes off once Mike makes up his mind to prove to the world what is heart knows. Sandra is innocent. Though Sandra should have filed a liable suit against an obnoxious reporter and a final twist leaves a key character seem disjointed, the lead couple makes the tale succeed. Known for her fabulous historicals, Susan Wiggs scores with this superb thriller that hooks the audience from beginning to end.
Harriet Klausner