Some books are like a hot cup of chai tea; you sip them slowly, savoring the spices on your tongue.
Other books are like a glass of cold water you desperately need to slake your thirst after a hot day, and you gulp it down as rapidly as you can, each sip better than the last.
Lynn Willis’ “Wink of an Eye” is that satisfying, desperately-needed water. I couldn’t get enough of Gypsy Moran (An aside: Selfishly, I love that his last name is also my mother’s maiden name!), her sexy Texan detective, long and lean and rough in the all the right places.
Gypsy stumbles into the pages after driving eighteen hours from somewhere. Details slowly seep in from his ruddy-haired sister Rhonda (I LOVE that every single character in Lynn’s book is multidimensional; no flat, made-up-for-convenience people in this story! They’re all lively!) and a twelve-year-old boy, Tatum (how could you not love that name?). Tatum begs Gypsy to take on the case of his father’s suicide, a tragedy which haunts the town but has been shushed for mysterious reasons. Rhonda’s husband Rodney, a cop who had worked with Tatum’s father before he died, is just as insistent for Rhonda and Gypsy to stay out of the mess.
One way or another, Gypsy reluctantly agrees to take the case. This decision unfurls additional layers of secrets, from missing girls to cutthroat town politics to the savvy and beautiful reporter Sophia Ortez to his long-lost high school sweetheart, the tempestuous Claire. And to lots of trouble.
What you’ve got to see for yourself is the terrific Southern dialogue and descriptions that make this story a dream to read aloud especially. I had the opportunity to attend Lynn Willis’ book reading at a local Barnes & Noble, and the lines jump off the page in a way that is as real and genuine as a smart-mouthed Texan sitting on your couch sharing gossip and secrets.
The best news of all? Lynn is working on a SECOND book about Gypsy!
{Susie Boles Books} 