Review: The young lovers willingly sacrifice their vacation not only to save the ladies’ podcasts but also to help break up a human trafficking ring.

JJ and Jo find the ideal spot to get away from their busy work lives—Magnolia Bluff offers Flower Bed & Breakfast, a quaint country destination within the beautiful Texas Hill Country.

They pull up to the picturesque building only to discover a crowd of citizens anxiously awaiting a special podcast, created by a group of local women, to start. Flower B&B is the sponsor of today’s show in this multi-day series. The couple works through the human log jam. As they check in, they learn that a cyber-attack may prevent the show from airing.

JJ, a technology guru, is convinced by Jo to help the group meet their broadcast promise. While he’s working on the issue, Jo spots a girl in the crowd with fear in her eyes who flashes the international help sign. The teenager vanishes into the throng. Fearful young people signaling for help strikes too close to home for Jo.

Their romantic vacation becomes a journey from one crisis to the next as these vacationers help the evangelizing ladies even as risks are multiplying. Threats expand to include all the podcasters, the show location owners, and suspected missing teens.

Authorities discount the gossipy group’s allegations that Mateo Hernandez built a wall around his property for more than privacy. JJ and Jo work to assemble the necessary clues to convince Chief Jager that Hernandez is a bigger menace. Their nosing around places them both in harm’s way. When Jo is attacked it becomes personal.

This romantic getaway isn’t even close to plan. Lives are at stake, and the young couple won’t accept failure.

Review by Jan S:

JJ and Jo are finally taking a much-needed vacation and choose a small Texas town to decompress and enjoy stepping back from their fast-paced lives. Jo is a celebrated fashion model, and JJ spends his days bringing down cybercriminals.

No chance of having to deal with publicity or technology hacks at the quaint bed and breakfast in Magnolia Bluff.

And yet, when they arrive, JJ is immediately sucked into helping a group of ladies who are under a cyber attack meant to prevent their daily podcasts from being streamed. From that starting point, the plot thickens and gets more and more complex.

The young lovers willingly sacrifice their vacation not only to save the ladies’ podcasts but also to help break up a human trafficking ring.

The mystery surrounding the newest resident of Magnolia Bluff, who erected an eight-foot wall around his ranch, deepens with each page of the book.

The characters in this story are believable. Lily, the owner of the B&B, became one of my favorites. She caters to her customers but stands her ground when threatened. I love the small-town setting where everyone knows everyone.

Having lived in a small town for many years, I related to the setting. I enjoyed how the authors added a unique Texas flair to the story through the cuisine and descriptive settings.

Review by Book Editor:

Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey have successfully blended three plot points aka enigmas: romance, technology hacking, and death threats in their latest literary adventure. Their novel entitled The Flower Enigma is Book Five in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles.

Both Breakfield and Burkey are two of the founding members of The Underground Authors. Breakfield and Burkey write as a team and have published a series of books in their Enigma Series. The Flower Enigma is their first cozy mystery, a definite page turner, indeed.

The action begins when Jo and JJ arrive at the Flower B&B in Magnolia, Texas, a small town situated in the picturesque Hill Country of Texas.

Both are highly accomplished professionals. Jo, a famous fashion model, and JJ, a much in demand forensic technology expert. The couple plans to spend several days at the Flower Bed & Breakfast to decompress from their “I’m so busy I don’t have time to eat” jobs.

JJ and Jo reveal their Good Samaritan characteristics in the first action-packed scene when they overhear the conversation between Lily, the owner of the B&B, and her friends who are having difficulty accessing the internet for their weekly podcast which they use to promote local businesses in the small town.

The Flower B&B is the sponsor and the highlight for the current podcast. The ladies have limited technology skills, so much so that if a glitch occurs, they can only panic.

Plans for a restful, romantic retreat are put on hold as JJ goes to work for the ladies. He discovers that they are the victims of a cybercriminal. However, both Jo and JJ soon realize that there are
more serious crimes occurring in the small town when they discover a human trafficking ring.

Could the cyber criminals and the human traffic criminals be connected? Working with the local police, JJ and Jo set out to right the wrongs perpetuated in what appears to be an idyllic, quaint West Texas village. Their quest provides plenty of twists and turns and narrow escapes, enough to keep the reader aka amateur sleuth busy into the wee hours of the night.

Please click HERE to find The Flower Enigma on Amazon.