Orcas Intrigue (The Chameleon Chronicles) (Volume 1)

by Laura Gayle

Paperback, 2016

Call number

MYST GAY

Publication

Book View Cafe (2016), 214 pages

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Romance. Suspense. HTML: Camille Tate has always run away...but vanishing whenever life gets too frightening has never solved anything. When a broken heart sends Cam to remote Orcas Island to try her hand at caretaking and writing a screenplay, she finds quiet beaches and cozy bookstores, plus a host of intriguing folks, including a rugged boat-builder, a glamorous neighbor, and a reassuring sheriff's deputy. But an escalating nest of mysteries and the haunting sense of being watched soon leave Cam wondering if she can believe her own perceptions. As intrigue turns to danger, she must decide whether there is anyone she can trust, or if it's time for her to vanish yet again..

User reviews

LibraryThing member flusteredduck

I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a beautifully written book - smooth and mellow like the heroine's favourite coffee. It is a cozy mystery with the twist of the heroine possessing the power to blend into

her surroundings making herself disappear like a chameleon. This is mentioned frequently and the emotional implications of it are obviously part of the heroine's personality but it isn't explored in detail. The book actually reads like an introduction to a much more in depth story with hints and trails for later events being dropped like bread crumbs at regular intervals without ever leading to anywhere, at least in this novel. There is a lot of time spent on the setting and the development of the mystery but very little time spent on the mystery's solution which, as a result, doesn't feel resolved at the end of the novel. It also doesn't make sense. Again, this makes the book feel like a preamble to something else. It is still an enjoyable lazy afternoon read but it is too obviously the first part of something and not a stand alone story. This makes it unsatisfying and ultimately a let down.

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LibraryThing member lulu150

I thought that this book was okay. It had enjoyable characters like Camille and Jen. It did take me a little bit to get into the story and when I finally did it ended. I think I will need to check out the next book to see what happens next.

LibraryThing member Renz0808

Orcas Intrigue (The Chameleon Chronicles) by Laura Gayle follows the story of Camille Tate who is running away from a tragic past and a broken heart. She finds herself taking a position as a caretaker of a estate on the remote Orcas Island so she will have plenty of time writing a screenplay.

Instead of quiet time to write she finds herself drawn into a couple of mysteries the most disturbing being what happened to the caretaker before her who strangely disappeared. The book held my interest throughout. I enjoyed the story. The part that I didn't like is that the book ends without resolving anything. The main plot is continued in the next book. I really dislike it when writers don't finish the main story-line and expect readers to buy the next book if they want the loose ends tied up. Despite this I did enjoy reading this book I just don't know if I will pick up the next book on principle.

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LibraryThing member hazel1123

I enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and there is good tension throughout the entire book about the plot. Like a previous reviewer I was a little frustrated with the totally unfinished nature of the ending. The book was good enough that I will probably buy the next book.

LibraryThing member Alleighkat

I felt like I could almost touch the scenery, great story telling and a great start to series.
You know that feeling that something wasn't just right with an area but couldn't put your finger on it, that's the underlying story of the book. Characters you'd want to met and a beautiful setting. Ready

for the next book!
It starts with a murder, so what looks like a murder, then a missing person, interesting characters and an exciting conclusion that lesaves you wanting more.
I did receive this book as a free download but I'll be buying the next

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LibraryThing member lkernagh

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.

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LibraryThing member lahochstetler

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.

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LibraryThing member KarenM13

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!

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LibraryThing member Tanny1322

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!

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LibraryThing member JLLeonard

I was hoping for more character and plot development. Maybe in the next book.

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