South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
‘Reef Road’ steeped in Palm Beach mysteries; ‘They Come at Knight’ an action-packed thriller
Reef Road is located on the north end of Palm Beach, away from the mansions and the exclusive clubs, but with its own appeal. It’s a street with a “famous beach” where surfers flock, where the police patrol but only occasionally, and where it seems Linda Alonso, one of the protagonists of this clever thriller, lives.
It’s also where a hand, wearing an unusual ring, recently washed up.
A series of three seemingly unrelated stories infuse the plot of “Reef Road,” Deborah Goodrich Royce’s third novel. Working more like vignettes, these glimpses at the lives and motives of people quickly intersect and overlap as Royce delivers a rich story that’s also steeped in Palm Beach history and society.
Linda prowls the beach “day after day in her pointless pursuit of relief ” because this is where her controlling husband took their two children before they disappeared. A couple of miles away, reclusive author Noelle is trying to work on her latest novel, or maybe it will be nonfiction. She’s not sure. But she knows she seems to be blocked as she becomes obsessed with a crime that occurred more than 70 years ago. The decadesold crime that makes up the final part of this triptych is the still-unsolved murder of a 13-year-old girl that occurred in her home where she was making a cake.
“Reef Road” smoothly alternates between these stories as Royce ingeniously shows how the three situations are related. The young murdered girl was the best friend of Noelle’s mother, whose grief and angst over her friend affected her life and how she raised her daughter, named after her friend. Noelle the writer has immersed herself in the details of the crime, determined to try to solve the murder. Noelle also becomes consumed with Linda, befriending her and even stalking her, convinced Linda isn’t as upset as she appears to be. The shadow and legacy of the murdered child hangs over Linda and Noelle.
Royce ups the ante by setting “Reef Road” during 2020 as the pandemic was just taking over the country. Masks, travel restrictions, fears of getting sick and isolation affect both women, driving each a bit mad as the beginnings of the pandemic did to many of us. Myriad Palm Beach landmarks such Green’s Pharmacy and the Society of the Four Arts add to the story’s authenticity.
Meet the author
Deborah Royce Goodrich will discuss “Reef Road” at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Society of the Four Arts, King Library, 101 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach, in person with virtual option available. Free but reservations required; visit fourarts.org/kinglibraryprograms/for information.
Goodrich will be among the 50 writers participating in the Author Fair beginning at 11 a.m. Jan. 28 at Miami-Dade Public Library, Main branch, 101 W Flagler St., Miami. Visit mdpls.org/ for details on readings, book signings, discussions.
Action packed
At the heart of “They Come at Knight,” Yasmin Angoe’s second actionpacked novel about elite assassin Nena Knight, is the theme of survival. That might seem at odds in a story about a skilled killer, but Nena survived a childhood of abuse and her mission focuses on corrupt and dangerous leaders whose actions threaten the vulnerable.
Nena works for the African Tribal Council — the Tribe — a coalition that keeps its power under the radar as its works to provide aid to help support African villages. Along the way, ruthless business and political leaders need to be eliminated. The Tribe also is Nena’s family. Her adoptive father, Noble Knight, is its leader, assisted by his wife, Delphine; her sister Elin is head of finance. Nena has never forgotten that Noble and Delphine — who are most certainly now her parents — rescued her when she was a teenager who had been sold into captivity.
In “They Come at Knight,” Nena and her “Dispatch” team have targeted the heartless General Konate but are trapped when they invade his Kenyan compound. Barely escaping, Nena and her team try to find out who betrayed them, but must first focus on the theft of money and supplies earmarked for poor African villages. Traitors are rare in the tight-knit Tribe and could ruin everything the Knights have worked for.
Angoe smoothly moves the story from Miami and Ghana, where Nena splits her time, to London, where her parents live, to myriad places in Africa.
While solid action drives the plot, Angoe delves into Nena’s personal life, which includes the end of a recent romance, her mentoring of a teenage girl and her excitement at becoming an aunt to Elin’s baby. Nena believes her “job” is necessary for the greater good but each time she must steel herself, renaming herself Echo to get her through the situation.
Angoe’s Knight series is an exciting addition to the thriller genre.
Meet the author
Yasmin Angoe will discuss “They Come at Knight” with Oline H. Cogdill during a virtual interview beginning at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 through Books & Books. Visit crowdcast.io/e/they-come-atknight-a to register. Details also at booksandbooks. com/event.