I won a copy of this book through the monthly Early Reviewers scheme. I must say that the authors have done a fantastic job in spinning a story so gripping and interesting. It isn't a drag at all, isn't unnecessarily stretched and I was easily able to finish it in a couple of days-so it is quite a page turner. Camille's adventures in the beautiful and vividly mysterious island of Orcas is truly an intriguing joyride. Can't wait to read the sequel! ( )

I received this book in exchange for an honest review, and because I'm horrible at getting around to ebooks it has been waiting for over a month. However once I decided to start reading it this afternoon I couldn't stop til I finished it and now I'm sitting here annoyed that book 2 isn't already waiting as well. Orcas Intrigue does a remarkable job of describing the characters in a way that makes them immediately important to you as a reader, which is tricky. I loved how real and down to earth they all seemed, and found myself laughing hysterically at a scene where Camille is talked into a tasting of a flight of beers, epecially once the adorable sheriff makes an entrance. It's not a long book, and I do love books that manage to keep me occupied for days at a time, but I will settle for the fact that there will be more coming to the story of Camille Tate, and I cant wait! ( )

Running away from a failed relationship, Camille takes a job as a caretaker on an old estate on Orcas Island. From the minute she arrives, Camille experiences odd things. She believes she has witnessed a murder, and the police don't seem to care. The former caretaker seems to have disappeared suddenly under mysterious circumstances, and no one is willing to talk about it. Camille sort of makes friends with the woman at the mansion next door, and sort of finds herself in a new relationship, though she hasn't gotten over the old one. Meanwhile, she's trying to figure out if a murder actually happened, and why she's getting mysterious messages.

On top of all this, it turns out Camille has a special special talent: she can disappear. For quite some time I assumed that this was metaphorical: when things get stressful Camille gets quiet and unobtrusive. Oh no. Turns out she literally disappears. I thought that was odd and out of place in what was generally meant to be an atmospheric mystery.

That said, the atmosphere in the book is well done. The author captures the environment and remoteness of Orcas Island well. The fog, the damp, and the forests are vivid. I enjoyed the mystery build-up, but this mystery is not properly resolved. While we do find out who the bad guy is, there are still huge holes left in the mystery. I hate that. Apparently this is the first of a trilogy. I would read the next one to see what gets resolved. I'll see how I can deal with the disappearing act. I'm not so fond of that. ( )

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Very interesting, fast-paced story engaging you completely. Mixing descriptions of the extremely beautiful Orcas islands and potential/real murder and crime and just a little bit or just a hint of romance (past or present, who knows) represents a good recipe for success. Enjoyed reading it! Can’t wait for the sequel. ( )

This review is for all of you cozy mystery/ light romance fans out there. This is one of those light-weight reads that works so long as: you are not expecting the story to resolve itself at the end of the book; you don’t mind if the characters are just a little too good (or bad) to be true; you are okay if the lead character has a unique “talent” that dips the story (ever so slightly) into the realm of magical realism/paranormal; you don’t let it get to you if the dialogue tends to dip into the realm of low-brow (and is a bit repetitive) and you like to read stories that are set in the Pacific Northwest.

Laura Gayle – a pseudonym for two writers – has written one of those perfect lazy Sunday reads. Nothing taxing for the brain to analyze, wonderful presentation of the Orcas Island setting, a cast of off-beat islanders and well-to-do (financially rich) main-landers to chuckle over and enough talk about food and drink that you will probably want to have some nibbles at your side while reading. The mystery is nothing special and as I mentioned, if you don’t like reading stories that close off with a bunch of loose ends that haven’t been dealt with, you may not find this story to your liking. For me, I am okay with loose ends and I am also okay with the downplayed mystery angle as I enjoyed the story more from the perspective of "young main-lander from Seattle transplanting and trying to settle into island life" than for the mystery our heroine stumbles across and becomes mired in. I also like how the story manages to amp up the level of suspense, even though I did end up questioning some of the motives and actions that transpire.

Overall, a fun, lightweight cozy read and I am a tad curious to see what may occur in the next book in the series. ( )