Title: The Trees Beyond the Grass
Series: Cole Mouzon series
Author: Robert Reeves
Genre: Murder Mystery
Length: Novel (402 pages)
Publisher: Spartina Publishing (early release through B&N September 21st 2013, other retailers September 23rd 2013)
Heat Level: No heat, this first installment is about the murder and mayhem
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Cole Mouzon exists to the outside world as a successful lawyer, loyal son, and brother – all unaware of his private turmoil and the mental wall that holds him together. But, during a visit back home to Charleston, he receives a call from the FBI that a stranger has been found poisoned and mutilated. What Cole learns next threatens to bring down the wall and expose him to the sharp emotions behind it when he is told that there is more to his childhood nightmares than just dark places. Betrayed by his memory, the clue to his past and his ultimate survival rests in a stranger, Cash Calhoun, a man he has never met but has been tied to his entire life. Together, they embark on a hunt to find the truth held in the dark shadows of Cole’s mind and the marshy landscape of the Holy City before a hunter from Cole’s past destroys their newly discovered bond and their lives.
Steeped in southern drawl and suspense, THE TREES BEYOND THE GRASS, the first in the Cole Mouzon thriller series, is a riveting story about the amazing, but sometimes destructive, power of our minds to protect us from the evils of life, while undermining our ability to discover true happiness.
Look for book two of the Cole Mouzon series, WHEN ASPENS QUAKE, coming Spring 2014.
Product Link: https://squareup.com/market/the-spartina-company-ltd/the-trees-beyond-the-grass
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/Title/8sc54MgoyUmbQXJvJjQMPg
Reviewer: Tams
Review: This story is deeply rooted in the South, with backdrops from Denver, Atlanta, and South Carolina. Mystery, intrigue, and suspense will grab you from the start and hold your attention throughout as you travel with Cole from his home in Denver to where he grew up in Charleston. The bits and pieces of scenery and history in this book all but become a secondary character; they are so detailed and precise.
Cole Mouzon is an accomplished attorney in Denver who is headed back home to visit his family and childhood friend, Ann. He is completely unaware that a serial killer has him in her sights until his sister calls him frantic after a FBI agent contacts her trying to find Cole. This only adds to his recent stress brought on by a resurgence of a recurring nightmare he thought was long since gone. As the story progresses the reader is slowly given more details about Cole’s past that even he wasn’t aware of, and his connection to the killer that stalks him.
Poinsett is sick, twisted, and demented. She will stop at nothing to make the people she believes responsible for ruining her life pay, with theirs. Her murderous rampage spans over several years and state lines with meticulous preparation, always followed with the painful delivery. Her depravity knows no bounds, and Reeves description of what’s going on in this woman’s mind while she’s stalking Cole sent chills down my spine. I’m very much reminded of Charlize Theron in Monster.
This book was emotional and intense. Strong secondary characters like Cole’s sister the cop and the alcoholic FBI agent who is still grieving over the death of his wife round out this suspenseful story. I especially liked Cash Calhoun. The professor that Cole shares a past with that neither of them even realized they shared. A past that will shape and mold the possibility of a future, if they make it out of the marsh alive.
The story leaned toward the over descriptive a couple of times, but it was always gripping, I was always intrigued, so the latter was easily overlooked. I wanted something more to develop in this installment with Cole and Cash, but that budding romance is definitely there, biding its time. I cannot wait until the next book in this series.
No naughty bits this time around. Cole and Cash are positively gay and attracted to one another, but they don’t have any adult time yet. The ending hints toward Reeves exploring their relationship further with the next book, and I’m excited to see where he takes them. Anyone that likes murder mysteries and suspense stories will want to read this book.