6 RAINIER DRIVE

Author: Debbie Macomber ISBN: 077832334X 9/2006 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: MIRA

Dear Reader, As you may have heard, we've recently had quite a shock. My husband, Seth, and I lost our business, The Lighthouse restaurant—to arson. The investigation continues. The prime suspect is a young ex-employee named Anson Butler, who disappeared right after the fire. So Seth and I are trying to sort out our lives. (And let me tell you, this kind of crisis in not good for a marriage.) In the meantime, life goes on for everyone else in Cedar Cove—with marriages, births, reunions and even the occasional scandal. One of the most interesting pieces of news is that Cal, who works on Cliff Harding's ranch, is now rescuing wild mustangs from Wyoming. I have to run—I'm meeting an old friend, Warren Saget, for lunch. Let's talk soon, and I'll fill you in everything that's happening in town! Justine

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

6 RAINIER DRIVE is the sixth book in Macomber's Cedar Cove series. I really enjoyed book five, and I had the same experience with book six. In fact, I think the series has picked up steam over time. There is a lot of effort put into explaining previous events from the other books, so you'd probably be able to follow even if you hadn't read the previous books, but why not read them? I ran into Debbie Macomber a couple of weeks ago at an event, and apologized to her for being behind in my reviews, but the truth was I was spending time catching up on the series before I read the new one! The nice thing about reading such a popular author is their backlist is easy to find.

Macomber has set a series of mysteries through the books. This one solves the mystery of who burned down The Lighthouse. I hadn't figured it out at the end of the last book, but I am proud to say I figured it out as soon as I started this one, not that it decreased my enjoyment.

The romance of teenagers Allison and Anson continues to be poignant. Maryellen's pregnancy and Jon's relationship with his family are major parts of the book. We also visit with other popular characters, those who've been there since the beginning and those we've picked up along the way. For instance, Linnette's family was a major focus of the last book and she is still a major character in this one. There are also a couple of new characters, who will clearly be a focus in the next book, coming in September 2007. One in particular, Bobby, is a favorite of Macomber's and will continue to be important, I'll bet. There is room for new characters, because it appears that many of the current main characters are leaving Cedar Cove. I bet you can't wait until the next one comes out and neither can I! Luckily we have her Christmas release to look forward to next. I'm getting to it, Debbie!

Heather Hiestand