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Mary Deal

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The Howling Cliffs (Sara Mason Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Mary Deal (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 178 ratings

Book 2 of 3: Sara Mason Mysteries

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Sara Mason joins in searching for Huxley's MIA brother's remains in the Vietnam jungle. She is joined by her friend Esmerelda.

Later in Hawaii, Sara learns that a six-year-old neighborhood girl had gone missing ten years earlier. Something odd is going on at the nearby forest cliffs; someone wants this cold case to stay cold.

But even after attempts are made on Sara's life, she pushes on with the investigation and pursues the leads that take her on a path of danger. Can she solve the mystery of the Howling Cliffs?

Praise from readers:

"Detailed and rich, the descriptions of Kauai made me feel like I was really there, and I became totally absorbed in the atmosphere. As a history buff, I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspect of Vietnam as well the behind the scenes forensics. Howling Cliffs is a must read for all mystery fans." - Kim Murphy, Amazon Review

"There is great depth to both her characters and locations that many books lack... Another wonderful mystery by Mary Deal." - Hilary H. Hall, Amazon Review

Editorial Reviews

Review

Whether in the devastated jungles of Vietnam, with all its hidden war time tragedies, or the Hawaiian Islands with all its mysteries of paradise lost and found, Mary Deal is a voice to be heard.

I have read five of her books which have swept me away and into her world of characters and fantastic settings and mysteries. The Howling Cliffs - Sara Mason Mysteries Book Two, sequel to River Bones, is an exciting read. One thing I have noticed in reading her well-rounded and in-depth characters is that a little of Mary is in every one of them. The characters are smart and strong and resilient, as well as determined where others might give up. In silencing the voices that say, this is not my fight,or this has nothing to do with me, Mary's characters, like Sara, fight on when most of us might turn our heads and go on with our daily routines. Her characters are varied and unique in so many ways. In all her books, I have seen so much passion for life and people who are determined to find the truth in every situation.

I love to read Mary's novels because there exists in each an inherent will to survive, even when it appears the world wants to run you over with a bulldozer. She develops strong women that love passionately, yet can stand strong on their own and still get the job done no matter what may come. I find myself picking up her books one after the other and being transported into the pages as if I was standing to the side of each person deducing what will happen next, or who did what or why. I highly recommend this book, and all her books to anyone wanting to not only escape into her stories, but also to learn through her life experiences, that giving up is not an option, and that life is grand. Thanks,Mary, for sharing your words and world. ~Richard Nedervelt, Art Critic and English Teacher, Honolulu, Hawaii and Shanghai, China

In a great sequel to the first book in the Sara Mason Mystery series, The Howling Cliffs by author Mary Deal will keep readers turning the pages from start to finish. This story follows the continuing exploits of Sara Mason and Huxley Keane. They are first in Vietnam, working to recover the remains of a soldier who was MIA. Huxley returns to the States to get the remains identified, and Sara returns to Hawaii to wait for his return. Instead of waiting peacefully, however, she ends up getting involved in a new cold case investigation, and puts her own life in danger when it becomes pretty evident that someone is willing to stop at nothing to keep the cold case just that. Cold.

I very much enjoyed The Howling Cliffs. Author Mary Deal has done a great job in creating characters that her readers will connect with and care about. Her story lines are interesting and engaging, exciting and adventurous all at the same time. With the added intrigue of the romantic relationship between Sara and Huxley, the story has interest from all angles. Readers who enjoy a great, edge of your seat mystery would certainly enjoy The Howling Cliffs. I am pleased to recommend this book,and look forward to seeing more in this series by author Mary Deal. I certainly hope that she is already hard at work on the next installment. I, for one, will be keeping my eye out for the next book! ~ Chris Fischer for Readers' Favorite

Just finished reading The Howling Cliffs and couldn't stop till done. Wonderful read and beautiful alive picture of the Garden Isle, my favorite. I could visualize the neighborhood where the story takes place.
~Gordon Dunne, San Mateo, CA

From the Author

The Howling Cliffs - Sara Mason Mysteries Book Two follows Sara Mason and her love interest, Huxley Keane, into the Vietnam jungle searching for his MIA brother. When I wrote River Bones - Sara Mason Mysteries Book One, I realized the subplot of Huxley's life couldn't be pushed into the background because he is so much a part of Sara's life. Here then is a brief synopsis of both stories and you will see how they tie together, as each book in the series will do.

River Bones - Sara Mason Mysteries Book One: Sara is stalked by a psychopathic killer in California's Sacramento River Delta. She meets Huxley Keane, the love of her life, and then loses him. But Sara and Huxley have built a history together, she having learned that he searches for the remains of his brother and the daughter of their mutual friend, Esmerelda, among other MIAs in Vietnam. Later, Sara agrees to become a decoy for the Sheriff's Department and falls into the clutches of the elusive madman who leaves no live witnesses as human skeletons keep turning up.

The Howling Cliffs- Sara Mason Mysteries Book Two: Sara and Huxley are deep in the jungle in Vietnam where they find one MIA's meager remains. As Huxley flies back to the United States to get them identified, Sara becomes involved in a cold case on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Knowing someone wants to put an end to her investigations to keep a cold case cold, and tries to kill her to do it, leads to a half-crazed homicidal maniac who is just sane enough to keep suspicion off himself.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077WWY4BC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Creativia; 2nd edition (December 2, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 2, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3344 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 521 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B087SMHX1P

Best Sellers Rank: #251,114 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #3,289 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- #4,008 in Cozy Animal Mystery
- #5,002 in Crime Thrillers (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 178 ratings

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Mary Deal

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Mary Deal was an Associate and Contributing Editor of the print magazine, Mississippi Crow, and newspaper columnist for Kauai, Hawaii's local newspaper, The Garden Island. She was Founder and past President of Kauai Writer's Roundtable. She has become a multi-genre author in both fiction and nonfiction. She writes the stories in whatever genre her Muse presents. Her books and other writings have won numerous awards.

She is the author of six suspense novels: "The Ka," a paranormal Egyptian suspense and Amazon Best-Seller, "River Bones, Sara Mason Mysteries Book One," set in her childhood hometown area. "Down to the Needle," a thriller, taking place along the West coast. "Legacy of the Tropics," is set in the Caribbean and Hawaii Islands. "The Howling Cliffs, Sara Mason Mysteries Book Two," set in the Vietnam jungle and on Kauai in Hawaii. "Dead to Life - Sara Mason Mysteries Book Three" is set in Honolulu, Hawaii. "Off Center in the Attic - Over the Top Stories," a collection of short stories and flash fiction pieces. "Write It Right - Tips for Authors" is a reference volume of writing tips for authors from fledgling to published and beyond. Another nonfiction is "Hypno-Scripts: Life-Changing Techniques Using Self-Hypnosis and Meditation." "Sea Cliff," a contemporary romance, is set in San Francisco, California.

"River Bones - Sara Mason Mysteries Book One" was a Finalist in the 2011 National Indie Excellence Books Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards. "Write it Right - Tips for Authors - The Big Book" was a Finalist in the 2015 National Indie Excellence Awards. "The Howling Cliffs - Sara Mason Mysteries Book Two" won a Bronze in the 2015 Global Ebook Awards. "Hypno-Scripts: Life-Changing Techniques Using Self-Hypnosis and Meditation" was a 2016 Finalist in both the National Indie Excellence Book Awards and the International Book Awards. It won a Silver in the 2016 Global eBook Awards. "Down to the Needle" won a Bronze in the 2017 Global eBook Awards. "Down to the Needle" was the Winner in the Suspense category in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Sea Cliff was a Finalist in the 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards.

Her short story, "The Last This I Do" was nominated for the coveted Pushcart Prize. Her first feature screenplay, "Sea Storm," was a Semi-Finalist in a Moondance International Film Festival Competition.

Her Web site, www.marydeal.com offers writing tips with examples, covering topics to aid authors to smooth out their own prose. She accepts articles and short stories from published authors. The site also promotes authors of any genre.

Mary Deal, a native of Walnut Grove in California's Sacramento River Delta, has lived in the Caribbean, England, the Hawaiian Islands, Arizona, and now resides in Winterville, North Carolina. She is also an artist (painter) and photographer maintaining two online galleries.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

178 global ratings

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LoveToRead

Great read!!

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2023

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Having read Mary Deal's previous suspenseful book River Bones, I had to read The Howling Cliffs and was not disappointed. It’s a thrilling read, and I couldn’t put it down. I love the character Sara Mason and her neighbor, Birdie, is a dear. Her amazing K9 is unforgettable. The suspenseful murder mystery keeps you on edge, and I am not giving any spoilers here. I highly recommend this series and give it five stars. I am looking forward to reading Book 3 in this series.

2 people found this helpful

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Pamela Foley

A GREAT MYSTERY STORY

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2015

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I was initially drawn to this book because of Vietnam and the search for the remaining MIA American soldiers. When I was in high school, we used to wear bracelets representing the POW’s that were being held while the conflict was still ongoing. I have no idea if the person I wore on my wrist every came back. Then I met my late husband who had served three tours in Nam. He had also been a POW and was one of the lucky ones that escaped. So the concept of this story resonated with me.

The book starts with Sara, Huxley and Esmeralda deep in the Vietnam jungle, searching for the remains of his brother and her daughter. They are with a group of other people searching for remains of their own loved ones. Mary Deal does an excellent job setting the stage and I became involved with the characters as they stumbled upon a few golden links and a barely legible, partial dog tag. Who did it belong too?

The main story starts when Sara returns to her new home in Hawaii, and becomes involved in a cold case disappearance or murder of a girl who suffered from Down’s syndrome. And the girl that disappeared was the sister of her reclusive, psycho neighbor Maleko. As Sara searches for the truth, she is faced with death several times, as the killer tries to eliminate her.

This story is rich with the history and layout of Hawaii and its culture. A little too much for me. The pace of the story died with too much information. But once the action started, it was so fast paced, I couldn’t keep up. And there’s plenty of action. I loved Sara and her strong-willed nature. And I adored her other neighbor, Birdie. We should all have someone like that in our lives.

I thought the ending for the murder mystery a little confusing and anit-climatic, but that was only one ending. The real ending, that made me bawl like a baby, was the identity of the person behind the partial dog tag. Even though I guessed it, the presentation was so well-written that I had to cry for their loss and acceptance.

If you’re intrigued with Vietnam / Hawaii and you love mysteries, drama and action, you’ll want to read this book. I give it 4 feathers.

4 people found this helpful

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Berk Rourke

A fast and great read.

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018

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This page turner held my attention for a continuous read today after briefly starting yesterday evening (July 3-4). I have read the entire book and the reviews as I often do before reviewing any book I read. Here are some comments about reviewing a book. First I think anyone who does not read the entire book is both a fool and a troll if they offer a review. In that respect this book starts and ends with Sara's and Huxley's on-going search for the remains of MIAs in Vietnam. Thus it ties itself together front to end while engaging through the rest of the book in a Sara Mason mystery that is an attention grabber to say the least. Secondly, about reviewing, I start every read with the idea that the author deserves my approval simply because they have had the courage and the creative juices to do the hard work of putting a book before the world. The author or the publisher must persuade me to reduce my five star initial review, my starting point. Nothing in this book persuades me to lessen my initial outlook. Finally, I seldom offer any information about the actual story I have read because to do so ruins the read for others. So I will not tell you what this story divulges. I will say that the characters are beautifully created so they seem real as you read this fictional story. The content deals with difficult topics which most authors choose to ignore and does so in a manner befitting an actual investigation of criminal activity. If there are criticisms to be offered they might relate to the notions a trad editor would apply to this book. This is not a trad publication, but an Indie publication. That does not forgive errors by authors or their publishers, but the errors in this book are so miniscule in nature and so difficult to see that only a trad editor would and has trolled this story. IT IS A WORTHY BOOK, A WORTHY READ YOU SHOULD NOT IGNORE. I enjoyed it immensely. Few books hold my attention as well as this one did. A great read.

2 people found this helpful

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Bobbie G

Why the Howling Cliffs?

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2020

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This is a really chilling thriller/ mystery. I highly recommend it. This book is the second one in this award-winning series that began with our Main character Sara Mason returning to her hometown, and finding a mystery about murders where the killer is stalking her. The Howling Cliffs could be read as a stand-alone book too, but I'd recommend reading both books. The Howling Cliffs begins with Sarah Mason going a search mission for MIAs in Vietnam's jungles with her fiance Huxley. From there,this Sara goes to Kauai, Hawaii to establish a home for Veterans there. However, in Hawaii too she finds mysterious things going on, and murder. It looks like the killer thinks she knows too much and is out to kill her. The title comes from the area of cliffs where if a dog goes to, it will howl there. Could it be the dog senses something that we humans are not aware of?What I liked most about this book, is the way the author carefully develops her characters esp those of Sara Mason and her sweetheart Huxley. I also really enjoyed how Deal uses local color, tradition, and customs in telling her story. For example, in one part Sara is making a fruit salad of all kinds of tropical fruits. In fact, the only three I knew we're star fruit, guava, and papaya. It reminded me of when I had the pleasure of going to Open International Market in the French Quarters. They had such an array of colorful fruits I had never seen before! Check this out for an edge of your seat read. I know you'll enjoy it!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Kenna McKinnon

Well done - two stories in one

Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2021

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This book is full of action and intrigue, not a lot of surprises as to whodunnit but there are a few twists. The character development is excellent. There are really two threads to the story, one takes place in Vietnam looking for missing in action veterans, and the other in Hawaii locating long missing bodies and a present danger to Sara, who is hot on the trail of the perps. Huxley, her love interest, is mostly not present in this tale and that's a nice twist as well, as it gives Sara time to develop her character and interests on her own. Huxley is portrayed still as a caring and very three dimensional persona in his own right.

The action flags at times with details but the color and depth these give the obvious research gives a gritty and very true to life nature to the jungles of Vietnam, the treatment of women by the Vietcong, the American presence in Vietnam including the devastating effects of chemicals like Agent Orange, and the long lasting effects of war and MIA personnel on the survivors and loved ones who simply long for resolution.

Again, in Hawaii, the descriptions and character development are intricate and seem to be the result of the author's longstanding familiarity with the islands and again, thorough research and interest in the psychology of human beings and animals. There is a sympathetic dog character, very well done.

As a writer and reader, one can learn a lot from this author.

Amazon Customer

Hypnotically engaging, a cracking read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2020

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What is it that I like so much about the Mary Deal books? Not just the excellent stories. She writes hypnotic central protagonists with often subtle motivation; not police or private detectives, but characters that sometimes stumble into a captivating plot. One such is Howling Cliffs, the second in the Sara Mason series.
Sara is a Games software designer that has, almost by accident, become deft at solving cold cases, murder, disappearances etc. Whilst Howling Cliffs stands alone as a tremendous read, I would recommend reading book 1, River Bones, first. It will give you a greater insight into the character, Sara Mason. This time Mason is on a small island in Hawaii and becomes wrapped up in a historic case of a missing Down syndrome child; my heart was immediately tugged just before it began rapid palpitations as the plot thickened. It is Sara’s fascination with the case that leads to at first, harassment and, escalating to attempts on her life.
In this book the scene moves from the California Delta to a small island of Hawaii, where Sara Mason is setting up a home, a sort of a halfway house for misplaced, returning or MIA veterans – this is just a back story that contributes to the delightfully complex narrative and why Mason is in Hawaii.
All of this would be good, but Deal adds more. Her wonderful secondary characters, for me, make this a truly excellent read. Birdie Crew, a feisty elderly woman neighbour. A mysterious and also elderly, Chinese couple, who live opposite the new home. All weave their own stories into the core narrative making this a colourfully deep story. I think Birdie and the Chinese couple have a story in them, along with a patrol officer who takes the harassment claims seriously.
And the mystery of the howling cliffs? Read the book and you will find out - it is a gem.
I have read many books by Mary Deal and I long to read more. I not only recommend books 1 and 2 of this series, I recommend you look up other books by Mary Deal. I have already purchased my next read, Sea Cliffs.

Vickie Emms

Even Better Than the Last Book

Reviewed in Canada on September 9, 2018

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Mary Deal continues to put out these thrillers, now I can't wait for the next in this series on Sara Mason.
If you thought River Bones was good, The Howling Cliffs is even more chilling and exciting. Sara is on an island in Hawaii called Kauai where she purchased a home. However, in trying to get some renovations done things keep happening to stall her progress. She is onto something that happened years before in the disappearance of a little girl. Whenever she walks past a certain point on a trail, the dogs start howling so she sets out to find out why. She is living on edge due to earie things happening to her, is she being pushed over a cliff? Who moved the steps on her trail behind the house? And who fell instead of Sarah? She has a great neighbor who has a dog she loves taking for walks. There is a lover who is not there to help her and she has a cop who is interested to a point. How does this all pan out in the end and who is caught for the murder of a little girl from years ago. This book is chock full of interesting dialogue and things to keep you interested. I am in awe of the words that the author comes up with. A definite lead to another book as some things are still not solved from the first two Sara Mason Mysteries.

Sashadoo

A cold case, a real live killer, a great edge of the seat thriller.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2016

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Having read previous books by this author I looked forward to her latest offering, The Howling Cliffs, and I was not disappointed. Ms. Deal delivers again with a clever and intricate long awaited sequel to River Bones, which begins with Sara Mason working as part of a team seeking the remains of M.I.A. in the hot and steamy highly polluted jungles of Vietnam. When Sara returns home she goes to Kauai to set up an R & R home for returning veterans and suddenly finds hersefl thrust into a cold case involving the disapearance of a young girl some years before. When an attempt on her life is made, Sara realises that the murderer, or person responsible for the young girl's disappearance, is still on the islnad and is intent om ensuring she does not find the truth. As more incidents take place, one almost costing the life of her friend, a race begins in which Sara must unmask a killer before she becomes his next victim. As always, Mary Deal takes us on a visually stunning journey,with vivid descriptions of the beautiful scenery of Kauai, as unlikely a backdrop for murder as you can think of, and also of the ravaged jungles of Vietnam, still, after so many years, trying to recover from the devastating effect of 'Agent Orange' used during the Vietnam War to clear vast swathes of potential cover for the enemy. I loved the book and especially enjoyed the very clever little twist in the tale which added an element of surprise right at the end. Highly recommended reading.

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