THE BEACH HOUSE HOSTAGE

The solitary car parked in the upscale mall garage, unlocked and with bags of Christmas presents in the trunk, was the silent witness of a dramatic and life-threatening incident. Lisa vanished, and her husband, James, and their two children entered a whirlwind of commotion, fear, and hope caused by her unexpected disappearance.

Evidence points to Allan, one of James's competitors, who holds a grudge against him for allegedly using bribes to win major public works contracts unfairly. However, the detectives soon found other leads that could explain the incident. First, the couple's relationship had deteriorated, so what if Lisa decided to leave her husband? Second, James had been maintaining an extra-marital affair with Lisa's best friend without her being aware. Would they plan to get rid of her? Third, their son is involved in a secret double life, trapped in gambling debts with some obscure characters who wouldn't doubt using violence to get paid back.

The police had to unravel those stories through a labyrinth of lies and deceit until the unrelenting pursuit of the truth led to Lisa's release in a dramatic rescue operation. Then, however, the shocking discovery of the reasons for her abduction crushed Lisa's joy when reuniting with her family.

Booklife review: A high-stakes kidnapping with multiple suspects and motives forces a detective and her partner to uncover the clues and rescue the wife of a millionaire in the third novel from Elustondo (author of Turtle Creek). The Beach House Hostage ratchets up the intensity early on with the kidnapping of Lisa Walker, wife of Houston businessman James Walker. Low on violence, and high on classic whodunnit puzzles, this polished mystery will appeal to readers who enjoy a good crime puzzle without the gore-but with a welcome connection to the real world.

Elustondo deftly establishes multiple motives for Lisa's kidnapping, all of which feel plausible. A lack of cooperation and clues that point to multiple suspects help maintain the possibility that anyone could be the kidnapper up until the very end.