Into The Darkness by Barbara Michaels

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

When Daniel Mignot, the roguish and mysterious founder of a majestic jewelry empire, dies after a sudden illness, his granddaughter, Meg Venturi, is drawn back to Seldon-the small New England town she ran from so many years ago.  Expecting only to pay her respects and to act as a pillar of strength to her fragile Gran, Meg receives the shock of her life when she learns her beloved grandfather has left her the local antique jewelry store that was his greatest joy.  With this inheritance comes another, even more startling, legacy as Meg is forced into a business partnership with the man Daniel Mignot selected-the man half the town whispers was responsible for the old millionaire's death.

Amidst rich blood-red Burmese rubies, shimmering baroque pearls of a deathlike pallor, and a delicate gold ring whose foreboding message reads "Here I lie and wait for you," Meg is haunted by a mysterious and increasinly dangerous chain of events.  And when she discovers a legacy of dark revelations older and more intriguing than the glittering jewels they surround, Meg must wage a battle of wits to protect something even more precious-her very life....

This was my third Barbara Michaels book and I keep falling in love with them harder the more I read.  For me this book was all about secrets that families keep and the lengths people go to make sure they are never found out.  The suspense is build up slowly with a few hints of danger and malicious gossip floating around in the air.  The tension slowly builds until it boils over in a chaotic finale that gives you the pay off you are wanting the entire time you are reading this.

Like the other two heroines I've read in Michaels' books, Meg is a strong, feisty indiviudal who doesn't have any problems giving her opinions or holding her own against the rest of the characters.  She has her own distinct personality that is shaped by her and her own experiences, she isn't overly influenced by her family, eventhough she has a strong sense of loyalty to them. 

I'm really looking forward to reading even more of her books, though I haven't got one lined up yet.  So if any of you have a favorite book of hers to recomend, please do so.

This will qualify for the Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge 2010 hosted by Carolyn of Book Chick City.