The Light (Wake-Robin Ridge #4) by Marcia Meara #bookreview #supernatural #mystery

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews

The Magic is Back!

For Robert MacKenzie Cole—or Rabbit, as he’s known to all—the chance to accompany his family to see North Carolina’s infamous Brown Mountain Lights has him nearly dizzy with excitement. And what better night to watch this unexplained phenomenon unfold than Halloween?

But when the entrancing, unpredictable lights show up, Rabbit gets far more than he bargained for. He’s gifted with what folks in the Appalachians call “the Sight,” and it’s this extrasensory perception that enables him to spot the one light different from all the rest.

In his biggest challenge to date, Rabbit—aided by his daddy and his newest friend, Austin Dupree— begins a quest to learn more about the mysterious light. Their investigation unveils a web of cons and corruption none of them expected and exposes a brutal murder along the way.

Throughout all, Rabbit is unfaltering in his commitment to do whatever it takes to understand the truth behind the glowing orb and to determine how he can help it. After all, it followed him home.

Every book in this series has not only warmed my heart, but offered an immersive and compelling supernatural mystery.

I’ll say it again – I’d love to join this fictional family. I’d be quite happy with them at Angel House in the NC mountains. Until reading this book, I wasn’t familiar with the Brown Mountain Lights, but it’s a fascinating, true mystery that goes back hundreds of years. I liked how the author cleverly worked this phenomenon into the plot and turned part of it into a puzzle for Rabbit to solve. Austin is a wonderful addition, and the sibling type relationship that develops between him and Rabbit is one of my favorite parts of this story.

With the “web of cons and corruption”, I was confident I knew the direction the story was headed – but I was quickly proven wrong. I love a good surprise. What might have been more of a predictable, but no less engrossing mystery developed into an unexpected redemption story with a bittersweet outcome and a new friend.

This is a feel good, addictive series that I’m sad to see come to an end, but I’ve heard rumors the author may be considering extending it? I really, really hope? I’ve enjoyed every page and made friends with a little boy who grabbed my heart and didn’t let go.

54 thoughts on “The Light (Wake-Robin Ridge #4) by Marcia Meara #bookreview #supernatural #mystery”

  1. Rabbit’s back! I have book one and have high hopes of getting to it soon. I feel like I know Rabbit, but I want to get to know the character better. And, of course, being a North Carolinian, I love the setting. Excellent review, Teri!

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    2. Thank you so much, Tessa. I do hope you enjoy this series when you have a chance to check it out. As for those North Carolina mountains? My very favorite place in the world (so far)! The books are set on a fictional ridge placed near Chimney Rock, not too far south of Asheville. Just having a chance to write about the setting here and there makes me happy!

      Thanks again for taking a moment to comment, and happy reading! 😊

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        1. I agree, Tessa! I’ve been there many times, hiked the trail as shown in Last of the Mohicans again and again, and never tire of that entire area, including Lake Lure, Bat Cave, and all the many beautiful spots along the Rocky Broad River. I may be a Florida native, but my heart is in those mountains. I’m already excited to be revisiting them in my next story! 😊<3 *happy sigh*

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    2. I know exactly how you feel, Jan! (I think most writers do.) I hope you enjoy meeting Sarah, Mac, Rabbit, Branna, and the rest of the cast and crew when you get a chance to check these books out. In the meantime, thanks for taking a moment to say hello, and Happy Holidays! 🤗💖

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    2. Thanks, Yesha! I poured a lot of my heart and soul into it, so I do hope it all comes together for readers the way I envisioned. And I hope you’ll enjoy the series, if you get a chance to check it out. In the meantime, Happy Holidays! 🤗💖

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  5. You have just made my day, Teri! I haven’t even taken the first sip of my Earl Grey, and I’m already dancing on metaphorical air! 😁Thank you so much for not only the lovely review, but for loving Rabbit & Crew so much. These folks are very real to me, and dear to my heart, so your words are especially meaningful.

    BTW, I’ve been struggling with a few things in the final Riverbend novel, and made the decision this week to put it aside for now, work on something else, then take a fresh look at it again. Guess what I’m going to be working on instead? Yep. The spinoff novella series from Wake-Robin Ridge: Cole, Cole, & Dupree, featuring Rabbit, his dad, and his newly “adopted” brother Austin Dupree. I’m very excited about getting this underway, and best of all, to know Rabbit will be whispering in my ear the whole time I’m typing. And I hope when I get it finished, you’ll enjoy this new approach to the Cole family adventures.

    Thank you again sharing your thoughts on The Light. Off to reheat and enjoy that cup of Earl Grey now … as soon as I read your review one more time. *happy sigh* 🤗💖

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        1. I will give you a heads up when I’m ready to publish the first one, Teri. If I figure out how to do a Pre-order, I might even try that this time around, and if so, will be sure you get word of it. I hope I can do this idea justice, but again, I’m trusting Rabbit to tell me just what to write! (Some authors have big, hunky men or curvaceous bombshell women for their Muse. Me, I have an eleven-year-old boy. Huh. 😄)

          Thanks again for the review and the encouragement. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate both! 🤗💖

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  6. Gwen M. Plano

    What a wonderful review of Marcia´s book. She is a gifted writer and a lovely person, and Teri, I’m elated she is recognized on your site for both. Congratulations, Marcia, and thank you, Teri. 😊

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    1. Thank you so much, Gwen, for those very kind and heart-warming comments! (I feel the same way about you, you know. 😊) And believe me, Teri’s beautiful review helped lift my recent “somewhat” sagging spirits, and now I’m more eager than ever to move on with some new adventures for Rabbit & Crew.

      So glad you stopped by, and I’m wishing you a blessed and peaceful holiday, my friend! 🤗💖

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    1. Glad you feel that way, Staci, because I’ve shelved Riverbend 4 for now, and am getting things set up to work on the first of my WRR novellas, Cole, Cole & Dupree. Rabbit & Crew are getting ready for their first “official” Investigative Services adventure. Hope you’ll enjoy it.

      Thanks so much for stopping by today and taking a moment to say hello. Here’s to wonderfully Happy Holidays at your house, complete with the aroma of fresh-baked cookies. 😉😄💖

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    2. Thank you so much, Rosie! I hope you have a chance to check it out, and if so, that you enjoy it! (And the upcoming spinoff novellas, too.) And thanks for stopping by today, too. Happy Holidays! 😊💖

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        1. Writing away here, Rosie. I did get slowed down a bit by a bad fall/concussion and some health issues (including breakthrough COVID), but slower isn’t the same thing as DONE, right? I’m still here, and plan to keep on writing as long as I can remember what words are! 😄 And just thinking about a new Rabbit tale is getting me all revved up again!

          Good to chat with you, and hope you have the Merriest of Christmases! 🤗💖

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    1. The infamous Brown Mountain lights are quiet interesting to read about, Miriam. Every kind of explanation in the world has been bandied about, some of which make no sense at all. (Since they’ve been observed for several hundred years, saying they’re probably “car headlights” is just silly.) So, after studying everything I could get my hands on, I decided to let Rabbit take a look. 😄 I expect his thoughts on the topic will turn out to be true, but who knows what future study will uncover?

      Thanks for stopping by to say hello, and Happy Holidays! 🤗💖

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        1. I sure hope so, Miriam, but of course, reading is a subjective thing. Hope YOU’LL enjoy the series when you get a chance to check it out, though. Thanks for the congratulations! 😊

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    1. I always try to include humor in my stories, even amidst the drama, or the spooky bits. And Rabbit gives me lots of opportunities to do so. Hope you’ll enjoy the books if you get a chance to check them out, and thanks for stopping by! Happy Holidays! 😊

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    1. Thank you so much, Craig. A great review like this one really gets the day off to a good start, doesn’t it? I’ll be smiling for days to come! And thanks for stopping by, too! Happy Holidays! 😊

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    1. Thank you so much, Diana! You have no idea how much that means to me, and Teri’s review still has me dancing! So glad you’ve enjoyed the Wake-Robin Ridge series to date, and hope you’ll like the spinoff novellas coming up soon. I’m really looking forward to going along on another adventure with Rabbit and crew! And thanks so much for stopping by today and taking a moment to comment, too! Happy Holidays!! 🤗💖

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  14. alexcraigie

    As a fully paid-up member of the Rabbit fan club I was delighted to see this wonderful review of The Light! Rabbit’s burrows into your heart, but the story itself is gripping and masterfully done. Congratulations to Marcia and thanks to Teri for putting my thoughts about the book into words. xx

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      1. Keep that kind of talk up, Teri, and I’ll be whipping through this first novella in NO time. (If I could ever find a moment to start it! 😉) All these lovely comments are really getting me fired up, though, so I expect to get going VERY soon! Stay tuned for Cole, Cole, & Dupree Investigative Services, Motto: We Can Help! It’s coming, I promise! 😊😊😊

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    2. Aw, thanks so much, Trish! It does my heart good to know you love this little boy Sarah told me about in a dream. (She said there was a little boy alone in the mountains, and I needed to tell people about him! If only my other plot/character ideas would come to me so easily!) By the time I got up in the morning, I knew who he was, why he was alone, and exactly how his path would cross Sarah and Mac’s.

      Little did I know that folks would enjoy this gifted child so much. He’s such a joy to write, too! Alas, I’ve been waiting several years now, but no other voices have spoken to me in the night! *sniff* But it’s okay. I’ll never get tired of telling mountain tales as seen through his eyes.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a moment to say hello! Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

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    2. I was so pleased to read this review, Robbie, and so glad you enjoyed it, too. Here’s hoping you get a chance to read about Rabbit one of these days, and that you enjoy meeting him, as well. Maybe he’ll pull you right into his world, too. 😊

      Thanks so much for stopping by, and Happy Holidays! 🤗🎄🤗

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