Black Sands

This is the second book in the Aloha Reef series, and I liked it better than the first one. Mano, a peripheral character in Distant Echoes, becomes a central character in Black Sands, and we are introduced to Annie, a vulcanologist. Annie's sister has gone missing, her mortgage is past due and she hasn't told her domineering father, and a volcano is on the verge of erupting. Throw in a casino developer who is less-than-savory, a boss who has a secret past, and a brother who comes back from the dead, and you have quite a story! Annie has to confront her fears that threaten her career and learn to turn everything over to God. In the course of trying to find her sister and help her brother who is being framed for murder, Annie realizes that she is in love with Mano. Can she overcome her shyness to tell him how she really feels? Can Annie save her sister from being sacrificed at the volcano on the pretext of an ancient religion? Can she stand up to her dominant father? Did Annie's mother actually commit suicide, or was it a murder made to look like a suicide? Yes, all of these plot lines are wound together to a great conclusion that involves a dangerous lava flow and some wild dolphins. This was a great suspense novel, and I highly recommend it.