I did not know this was the second book in a series; however, it reads similar to a stand alone. The plot centers around a pregnant woman who has "vicious" of herself being shot in the shower. The mystery aspect and thrilling plot keep you turning the page to see what happens next. I loved the focus on adoption too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly to others. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, given my reaction to the previous installment, which initially attracted me with its Louisiana setting. This time around, Charlie Cates finds herself in the Southwest (mainly Arizona near the Mexican border) and while author Hester Young succeeds once again on geography-based atmosphere, I happen to find this location inherently less interesting. Entirely subjective, of course, but this fact nevertheless means that I require even more from the characters and plot than I would if the setting were of personal interest to me.

In the preceding book, I described Charlie Cates as "a grieving yuppie New Yorker type who gets dropped into the middle of a Southern Gothic," and here we experience a Charlie who is no longer grieving, but is arguably more irritating. She's still a yuppie New Yorker type but this time gets dropped into the middle of a kind of bizzare Mexploitationesque saga. I wonder if this will be the series' MO: dropping this psychic wasp yuppie into various regional tales.

Charlie is now in a relationship with Noah, from Book 1, and they're expecting a baby because they've decided to stick together even though they barely know each other and spend half of the book arguing and not telling each other important things. They're called to Arizona (and Charlie can't get outta Texas fast enough!) following the violent deaths of Charlie's estranged mother and surprise!sister, and from there get drawn into a convoluted, border-crossing plot of sex and drugs and adoption and trafficking and suspicious cops. It's effective, but a little over the top, and does sometimes feel a little exploitative given the whitey white whiteness of the main characters. (To be fair, Charlotte is aware of her own whiteness; I'm just not sure whether that's enough.)

As with the first book, I'm still not convinced that the book wouldn't actually have been better without the supernatural element. I'd somewhat rather have Charlie as a doggedly persistent investigative journalist with good instincts. Even a one-off psychic vision, upon her mother's death, might have been preferable to the persistence of Charlie's visions of, for example, a strange dead girl leading her to various plot points.

All of that said, this book was entertaining. There's a lot going on, and Young juggles admirably. I also really liked some of the secondary characters, such as the retired policewoman who was Charlie's late-mother's life partner (she was satisfyingly used as a red herring, too!). This series is great pulp, but not great literature. I'm curious to see what might come next -- hopefully it'll involve Charlie leaving Noah and the kid(s) behind temporarily, to go deal with a murder mystery in... I don't know... the Pacficic Northwest or something.

I feel like it has been an absurdly long time since I’ve done a traditional review (because it has). However, this lovely little book came out on Valentine’s Day and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it.

A little over a year ago, I was in one of the biggest reading slumps of my adult life. On a whim*, I picked up Hester Young’s The Gates of Evangeline and absolutely loved it.

So I was both excited and nervous to read The Shimmering Road**, Young’s second book featuring journalist Charlie Cates. I am happy to report it’s an enthralling read and a solid follow-up to her first novel.

Charlie, expecting her first daughter, is now in Arizona, searching for clues that might help solve the murder of her mother and half sister. Plagued by recurring nightmares, she can’t help but worry about the fate of her unborn daughter and that of her half-sister’s daughter, even as she gets drawn further into the mystery surrounding the murders. Her c

The novel is fast paced, unexpected, and a pleasure to read. The Shimmering Road, as is its predecessor, is everything a page-turner—with a supernatural flare—should be. Admittedly, I loved Gates of Evangeline just a little bit more and I missed the southern Gothic aspect, but it was nice to revisit characters I enjoyed.

This was an excellent sequel to The Gates of Evangeline. I would definitely read that one first as you get an excellent mystery as well as getting to know Charlie and Noah and their backstories. This one has them headed to the mexico-Arizona border for what proved to be another top notch gothic mystery. The setting was perfect, I could feel the heat and see the desert like surroundings. I enjoyed the pace, it's not super fast but just fast enough that you want to keep reading just one more chapter. I quickly became involved in Charlie's dreams/visions again and the mystery was another one I couldn't figure out! There were times in this book as the first that I felt that Charlie could be condescending and in the beginning she was complaining quite a bit but as I got further I could get past those observations. I loved her and Noah together. I look forward to the next novel!!

Charlotte “Charlie” Cates is still grieving the loss of her son. In spite of her grief, she is eager, but anxious, for a new start with boyfriend, Noah, and their soon-to-be born baby. This should be a joyous time for Charlie, but children in danger are able to telepathically reach out to Charlie for help through her dreams. The latest nightmares she is having seem to indicate she and her unborn baby are in danger, so she is afraid of getting too excited about the upcoming birth of her baby. In addition, she also feels compelled to help a young niece she never knew existed and this situation could be putting her in even more danger.

I have been eagerly waiting to read “The Shimmering Road” which is the follow-up to Hester Young’s outstanding “The Gates of Evangeline”. Most of this book is set in southern Arizona, which is a setting I like, and the plot is just as suspenseful as the prior book, but it somehow doesn’t measure up to Young’s debut. Although I like the desert setting, I miss the gothic New Orleans atmosphere of “The Gates of Evangeline”. Also, the way Charlie and Noah deal with their relationship is frustrating and takes away from the suspense of the story. For as strong as each character is individually, the interactions between the pair is often immature. Relationship conflicts have their place in a novel, but Charlie and Noah sometimes seem like high schoolers instead of grown adults who have each been married before.

On the positive side, the plot is interesting and both Charlie and Noah find themselves in unbelievably dangerous situations that will leave you in fear over what will happen next. When not dealing with Noah, Charlie is a brave, likeable character to root for. In addition, with all she has experienced in her young life, Charlie’s six-year-old niece Micky is an old soul and a delightful character who really adds to the story. There is just enough of the paranormal with Charlie’s ability to tune into messages from children in peril to make this a unique, but relatable series. Although “The Shimmering Road” is the second book in the series, it’s not necessary to have read the prior book first, but readers who enjoy this book will want to check out the first one, too. I am hopeful there will be a third book and another adventure for Charlie.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Penguin Group/Putnam. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Charlotte "Charlie" Cates keeps having nightmares about harm coming to her and her unborn baby. Before she can get to the root of the issue, she receives a phone call that the mother who abandoned her as a child has been murdered. She also finds out that she had a half sister she never knew about that was killed as well, and has left behind a young daughter, who has also been appearing in Charlie's visions. Charlie heads to Tucson to see if she can delve deeper into the double murder and how she might help her newly discovered niece. Charlie quickly determines that her mother Donna and her half sister Jasmine had some questionable friends and associates. Charlie's visions become more disturbing and Charlie isn't sure who to trust and who to suspect, but she needs to sort through the tangled web before time runs out for herself, her unborn baby and her niece.

The Shimmering Road was the first novel I had read by Hester Young. The Gates of Evangeline, the previous novel in this series, has been on my to-read shelf. I'm looking forward to going back now and reading it for more insight into Charlie Cates. I do feel that you can read The Shimmering Road as a stand alone, as I did, and follow the storyline and characters without any issue.

I really enjoyed The Shimmering Road. It kept my attention from page one, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. There were just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I hope there are future installments in the Charlie Cates series.

I received this book courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons Penguin Group through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Charlie Cates series. The first book The Gates of Evangeline I absolutely LOVED (5 stars) so when I heard there was a series being made I couldn’t wait until the next book to come out!

This book takes place 5 months after the first book. Charlie and her boyfriend Noah are living in Texas awaiting the birth of their daughter.

All that is disrupted when Charlie gets a phone call from her aunt informing her that her mother has died along with her half sister that she never knew existed who left behind her own daughter, Micky.

Maybe it's the hormones or some deep rooted sense of obligation but she decides to go to Arizona to meet her niece and possibly adopt her.

When she arrives she gets more than she's bargained for as she's thrown into the drama and speculation surrounding her mother and half sisters murders.

Full of action, a murder mystery and some family drama once again Young does not disappoint!
4.5⭐️’s

Unfortunately I was unable to finish this title, therefore I will not be leaving an online review.

This book did not interest me as much as I thought it would.

The Gates of Evangeline, our first introduction to Charlie Cates and her special talent, was a great story in part because of the setting. A mansion set in the Louisiana bayous comes ready-made for spooky happenings. The two go together perfectly, so well in fact that you accept Charlie's talent as normal. After all, in such a setting one expects ghosts and hauntings.

In The Shimmering Road, Charlie's adventures take the reader to Tucson and Nogales, Arizona. The harsh desert sun is the exact opposite of the shadowy bayou, and the story suffers for it. Gone are the Gothic feel, the danger hiding within the shadows, and the general mood of danger and apprehension. Now, there are no shadows and no places to hide. Readers find the danger on the Mexican side of Nogales in murky bars and rundown hotels, but the relentless sun still sets the mood as decidedly not spooky or mysterious.

Charlie too is different. In this story, she is nine months pregnant. This should not be a big deal, but her actions do not coincide with her thoughts and emotions. On the one hand, her thoughts and words are very much that of a hyper-hormonal pregnant woman on the verge of giving birth. Her thoughts are irrational, her reactions are even more so. However, her actions are anything but that of a pregnant woman. It is as if her every waking thought is about her child, but when it comes time to, say, investigate strip clubs in Mexico, asking questions that she knows will put her in danger, she does so without a thought. The disconnect is aggravating. In fact, it is almost as if her pregnancy is another convenient plot device to be used when the situation calls for drama and ignored when it doesn't.

Putting that aside, Charlie spends most of the novel discovering firsthand the disparity between the United States and Mexico, particularly those unfortunate souls caught in the severest of poverty in border towns. Given the ongoing controversy regarding a wall between the two countries, the subject matter is timely. However, one cannot read the novel without wondering just how much license Ms. Young took in creating her story. The funny thing is that you don't wonder if Ms. Young exaggerated things but if she added some rose tint to her outlook. Given how neatly her story ties together in the end, you end up with the suspicion that Ms. Young sanitized her Nogales and Tucson, which is saying something because the picture she paints is not pleasant. You are also left with the feeling that what she presents is just the way things are there, and there is not much anyone can do about it. It is a rather defeatist impression you get, and I cannot work out whether it is intentional or not.

The Shimmering Road is not necessarily a bad story, but it does not stand up to comparisons to The Gates of Evangeline. In spite of its obvious weaknesses, Charlie's search for answers is entertaining if not wholly engaging. Like the first novel, the story is essentially a stand-alone with minimal references to what occurred in Louisiana and a mystery that is completely resolved by the last page. I don't know that I am committed to Charlie enough to want to find out what Hawaii holds for her (the setting of the final novel), but The Shimmering Road gave me some mindless pleasure for a few hours.

The Shimmering Road is Hester Young's second novel featuring Charlotte (Charlie) Cates, a journalist who sees dark visions of the future. While this book could technically be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading The Gates of Evangeline first in order to put The Shimmering Road into context.

Charlie and her boyfriend Noah are awaiting the birth of their daughter. Against her better judgement, Charlie has agreed to try living near Houston with Noah, but it's not working well for her. She feels adrift, missing the hustle and bustle of New York City, and she is also still mourning her young son Keegan, who has been dead just over a year. Plus, she and Noah are trying to figure out what's next for them and their relationship. Charlie's pregnancy was unplanned, and the two of them don't know each other all that well. They both have a fair amount of baggage to contend with, making life a bit of a struggle.

And as if all of this isn't enough, Charlie is plagued by visions of a pregnant woman being shot while showering. Is the vision a warning of things to come, things that will put Charlie and her unborn child in danger, or are they simply the product of an overly anxious mind? Charlie doesn't know the answer, but she's determined to protect her baby at all costs.

Charlie is surprised to receive a phone call from an aunt she hasn't spoken to in a long while. She learns that her mother, who abandoned her as an infant, was the victim of a double homicide in Tucson. At first, Charlie figures this has nothing whatsoever to do with her. She didn't know her mother, and, quite honestly, she and Noah have enough on their plates right now, but then, Charlie learns the rest of the story. It seems she had a half-sister, the second victim of the unsolved murder, and the younger woman has left behind a six-year-old daughter. Now, Charlie and Noah are headed to Tucson to meet Charlie's niece and figure out what can be done for the child.

Once in Tucson, Charlie begins to discover quite a bit about the mother she never knew. She's initially pretty resistant to getting involved, but once she meets her niece, she realizes she needs to get to the bottom of things. The police are calling the murder drug-related, but friends of her mother insist she'd been clean for years. Plus, things in the witness statements aren't adding up for Charlie, and with the help of a retired police officer - who also happened to be Charlie's mother's lesbian lover - she begins digging into what really happened on the night of the murders.

The Shimmering Road is a fast-paced thriller with hints of the paranormal and a strong romantic arc, and as such, is the kind of book likely to appeal to readers of various genres. At first, though, I wasn't sure how much I'd like it. I struggle with books with strong spectral elements, and the synopsis made me think ghosts would be involved here. Fortunately, Charlie's visions rarely feature them, and I soon found myself totally engrossed.

The author does an absolutely fantastic job in her descriptions of the book’s setting; I loved how she takes such pains to make the reader feel connected to the Arizona desert and to the Mexican border towns Charlie and Noah visit. It adds an extra layer of authenticity to the story that I really appreciated.

The relationship between Charlie and Noah is very realistic. It's still in its early stages, and Ms. Young does a great job showing us its growing pains. It's obvious these two people care deeply for one another, but they're still struggling to make things work. It's possible they want different things out of life, and those things sometimes get in the way of their feelings for one another. Their disagreements aren't silly or childish. Instead, they paint a picture of two mature adults attempting to build a life together in the face of a lot of unknowns.

Charlie's character is constantly evolving, making her a relatable heroine. She's understandably bitter about her mother's abandonment, but works hard to put those feelings behind her for the sake of her niece. She wants to build a good life for herself, Noah, and the children, but she knows she can't do that until she's able to put the past behind her. She's not afraid to really look at her feelings, a very rare quality in many of today's heroines.

I can't say enough great things about this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an action-packed thriller with some deep underlying themes. I hope Ms. Young decides to write a third book about Charlie, Noah, and their family. If she does, it will be an auto buy for me.

review by AAR's Shannon

I was lucky enough to win an egalley of this book in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks so much!