Jessica Bird
Ballantine Books/Ivy Books
Romance
$6.99
438 pages
The
opportunity of a lifetime is offered to Archaeologist Carter Wessex when her
friend, Grace Woodward-Hall asks her to solve the mystery of 1775 buried on Farrell
Mountain. Through the Hall Foundation, which offers grants for the discovery
and preservation of American history, Carter will be able to experience her
passion of exploration.
According
to historical documentation, an American hero was murdered, a fortune in gold
disappeared and an Indian guide was named responsible. Historians question why
Americans were transporting gold while they had captured Farnsworth, a British
officer? What happened to the remains of the men? Was the Indian guide, Red Hawk,
actually responsible for the murders?
A
devious looter and thief claims he found human remains on Farrell Mountain and
the crucifix of one of the early Americans. Conrad Lyst trespassed on Nick
Farrell’s land, was run off by the barrel of a shotgun and told never to
return.
Even
if Carter accepts Grace’s grant encouraging her to establish a dig, she faces
the same obstacle as Lyst. Nick Farrell is a corporate raider who despises
trespassers and is having a difficult time raising his nephew, Cort, after his
mother’s death. Before a social gathering, Carter confronts Nick asking him to
allow her and a collaborator to do an investigation on his property. He tells
her to leave, but Cort has other plans for this beautiful woman. The teenager
shows her the area in question and she is immediately awed when she realizes
it’s the exact description Farnsworth wrote about in his diary. No sooner does
she glimpse history, does she get chased off the property.
Farrell
puts two and two together, with the help of his assistant, and realizes that
Carter is the daughter of William Wessex, that she lives in Vermont and is one
of the best archeologists in the country. And he wonders what it would be worth
to Wessex to make up with his daughter. Farrell puts his plan in action to see
that Wessex, his silent business partner, owes him something. The negative
aspect of this arrangement could be caused by her success in unearthing the
remains of the early Americans. Tourists would then search for the gold. Nick
considers the pros and cons and has a change of heart. He also has the actual
crucifix. When Carter’s collaborator, Buddy Swift and his daughter arrive, the
adventure and danger begin.
HEART
OF GOLD introduces a strong-mined career woman to a man who sets his goal at
reorganizing businesses for his personal gain and who couldn’t even describe
what love is. But sooner or later someone comes into his life and breaks down
his barriers, makes him believe that he can love and do more than go through
the motions of existing.
Four
hawks out of five
Denise
Fleischer, GWN Book Reviewer
September
12, 2003