Hidden Sanctuary by Sharron McClellan

Tru Palmer gift for finding things hidden in the ground led her to the middle east where her company was looking for oil. There she met an old woman named Efra who was the first person who truly understood Tru’s gift. Efra assumed the role of teacher and Tru began to learn the story of the people now known as Marians. Then a member of the Adriano family attacked Efra and stole the tiles she had sworn to protect. Efra explained that the village was doomed to die in seven days unless the tiles where returned. Knowing that she has no other choice, Tru sets out on an impossible quest to find where the thief had hidden the tiles, retrieve them and return them within next seven days. Will Tru succeed or will an entire village die, including the one person who can explain the true meaning of her gift.

In some respects this story is similar to the previous one, in that a new character is introduced with a personal quest that links them with characters from the previous stories. While this story was very good, I felt that some of the characters from the previous story acted differently than I would have expected. On the other hand, I loved Efra and wished she played a greater role in the story. Like the other stories, this book doesn’t stand completely alone, so you should definitely read the previous novels first. You’ll be glad you did.

Details: Bombshell #114, November 2006 (The Madonna Key #5)
Excellence Rating: Great
Steaminess Factor: Sensual
Warning: Topics depicted in this book may offend members of some religions
Warning: This book deals with graphic violence and death