Rani Garroway is on vacation when handy-man/gardner Flint Cottrell
shows up on her doorstep on a rainy October night. He's to do some repair
work on the property she is renting for her three week vacation. It's an
amazing coincidence that he also writes article on legends and treasures,
because she just so happens to be in possession of a copy of the Clayborne
ring, the object of his latest article. Coincidence? Copy? After being
shot at and receiving a phone call informing her that there is rumor that
her uncle, who had willed her the ring, may not have died by accident,
Rani isn't so sure.
Flint Cottrell is a wanderer with a cloudy past who knew her uncle. He
considered him a friend and he wasn't so sure that the death was an
accident either. He talked his way into the job where Rani was vacationing
so that he could keep an eye on her. He never expected the ring's magic (or
may be it was Rani's) to affect him. He usually debunked legends with
true facts. It wasn't long before he knew his wandering days were over,
but he had to convince Rani. And before something happened to her.
The Clayborne ring legends could make interesting stories on their own.
The owner of the ring always got her man, though he may have had to use
extreme measures to get her. Rani fit right in to the legend with her
affinity toward cats and a power, which Flint quickly recognized, over one
man.
The Secondary characters included the Reed Lake post mistress Mrs. Hobson,
who leads Rani to think that the green glass of her ring isn't glass at
all; Mike Slater who may or may not be an artist also on vacation; Charles
Dewhurst, was this man really a friend of her uncles; and Zipp the cat,
who hates strangers but takes an instant liking to Flint.
I really enjoyed the intrigue and answers that almost came from nowhere,
you have to read carefully to get hints of who might be involved and still
there is a twist. The final twist in the ending was priceless and so
different from the usual mutually agreed upon ending for the couple (or
since it's usually marriage should I not say beginning.) This couple
seemed to trade places, from where he was pushing her and she resisting,
they ended up with he would not be rushed and she needed to push. Great
ending!
Annetta Sweetko
