Published: Dec. 01, 2011
Words: 59,666 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781466191730

Short description

The story of a budding serial killer stalking young women on Anna Maria Island and the one person, Anne Serafini, destined to stop him or die trying.

Tags

mystery, murder mystery, paranormal, serial killer, florida, women sleuths

Available ebook reading formats

Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book	Sample First 15%
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy	View sample
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy	Download sample
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy	Download sample
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy	No sample available
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Buy	No sample available
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy	Download sample
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy	Download sample
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Buy	No sample available
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	Buy	No sample available

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: Deb Novack on Jan. 29, 2012 :
I simply could not put this book down. It is a fast-paced story and does not become boring as some mysteries can. You know just enough about the characters and their past to understand their present. The story keeps you guessing at every twist and turn, and you think you know who did it but you find out at the next chapter that you did not. I would love to read more by this author. By the way this story also has a little bit of paranormal.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Lori M on Jan. 29, 2012 :
I am thankful that I was able to receive a free copy of this novel by the author (Shannon Esposito). This is the second novel I have read from this author and, for me and hitherto, her writings fall into the "cozy mystery" genre. A genre I am only newly acquainted with but now love!

In this novel, 27-year-old Anne Serafini is obsessed with her destiny and fate. And for good reason. It seems no matter where she has been or where she has traveled to in her short life death and tragedy and violence are always right around the corner and right on her heels. Too much so to be coincidental. Death and violence stalk her and follow her like a magnet. Anne feels there has to be some sort of cosmic conspiracy at work to make the unbelievable BELIEVABLE. How could death and violence ALWAYS be at the precipice of her existence?

Trying to leave her past behind (and trying to run away from ongoing death and violence) Anne finds herself crossing the bridge that leads to Anna Maria Island with either fate pushing her there or simply out of her own volition to try to find a peaceful place to settle down. She wasn't sure of either herself. In any case, perhaps Anna Maria Island just may bring Anne peace for once in her life or at least for a little while anyway. I am quite sheltered when it comes to geography so I was pleased to find that Anna Maria Island is a real place (off the coast of Florida). Sometimes it can make a book more interesting to have the setting in the novel taking place in an area or town that actually exists. Anna Maria Island is an ideal place to relax and getaway from it all. A perfect setting for the author to choose for having this ideal place become just the opposite -- in the form of fiction.


Having been on the Island for only 3 days (3 glorious days) it seems inevitable that the fate of death and/or violence will make itself known on a regular basis in Anne's life.

Anne is enjoying the sand and the ocean in the wee hours of a beautiful morning on the quaint little barrier island only to find a short distance away that what she thought at first might be a dead dolphin having washed up on the beach. Anne knew that happened on occasion and it was always a sad thing but, unarguably, just another part of life. From where she was she could not exactly see if ocean life WAS what she was seeing so she casually walked over to find out. As she got closer the stench was gut wrenching and what she began to see was even worse. It was the decomposed body of a very young girl zipped up in a plastic bag. Just great. In less than three days on the beautiful island death seems to have found Anne again. It was only a matter of time whereby she out that the girl was only 19 years old.

Prior to Anne's arrival on the Island, and unbeknownst to Anne, another teenage girl had been murdered just three weeks prior to the second victim that Anne had been the first witness to. It didn't take long for the locals, the police and the press to realize they had a serial killer on their once peaceful piece of paradise. Anne could only think of what the gods, fate or destiny had in mind for her this time. Arriving at yet another place to begin her life without tragedy and horror yet, within 72 hours, death came nipping at her heels once again. She knew now not whether to stay on the island or to begin again on her merry way to escape such an awful fate that seems to have her in an iron grip on her life. Poor Anne had no other place to go so her decision was to stay. At least for a little while anyway.

From that point on, this novel is your regular whodunit. Later on in the novel Anne finds out something about herself and her family that is not terribly original. For me, this has been my third or fourth novel over the last decade that included a very similar family theme. I will not hint at it or go into what it is to avoid spoilers.

When I learned more about who the serial killer was and WHY he was killing... that was also like a déjà vu for me from one of my favorite movies of which I will not reveal. So the reason or the WHY for the serial killer in this novel to continue killing was not terribly original either. Yet, like all storylines, each one is different in its own way and I really enjoyed THE MONARCH's storyline!

I really really enjoyed the cozy mystery, the suspense, and the colorful, warm and loving cast of characters in somewhat of a small town area -- Anna Maria Island. Small enough anyway for people to know people and who are the locals and who are the tourists. The author describes the wonderful strength of character (for both male and female characters) working together for the benefit of the common good of their island home; trying their best to fight off and find the rotten insect who has invaded their comfort and their home. This story leaves the reader relating to, and getting to know, each character and learns what Anne's place and purpose in this tale is.

While the reader is exposed to a protagonist who happens to have a supernatural inherent ability to attract death and violence on a regular basis... let it not deter any reader for its total unbelievability. I say this for the following reason :

Approximately a year ago I read a review from a reader about a certain book on Amazon. I have no idea what the book was now and what the book was is really irrelevant. It was part of the review for it that has forever stuck with me. This particular reviewer DID NOT LIKE THE NOVEL BECAUSE he (or she) thought that the fiction story was TOO unbelievable because it was impossible for the protagonist or the characters to have that many terrible things happen to them. Well, like the protagonist "Anne" in THE MONARCH, I am living proof that it CAN happen and DOES happen! I have lost EVERYONE I had ever loved before the age of 33 (and most before that). Since then, trauma and tragedy and never-ending bad luck continues to stalk me. It is a complete enigma and those who have known me and been around me for decades can't even believe themselves everything that happens to me. I certainly don't "go looking for" such ongoing tragedy or even expect it. But now, and after so many years of it happening over and over again, it no longer surprises me. Therefore, THE MONARCH touched me in a personal way in that regard.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: John Davis on Jan. 08, 2012 :
I will start with a disclaimer: I was given a free review copy of this book. The gift provided me with exposure to the book, but in no way made me feel obligated to provide a positive review. The content of the book did that on its own!

This is a fantastic, wonderful, and delightful book! Amazing! It is a page-turning paranormal mystery {a la Dean Koontz}. It has romantic elements, but no real romance to distract you from the edge-of-your-seat action and suspense. I actually managed to read this book in a little under 24 hours, including the time I spent sleeping. That is how engrossing this story is.

So why, then, did I give it four stars? I did so because I found numerous spelling {adrenaline is the correct spelling of that word} and formatting {a paragraph with center justification for no reason, missing " at the start of a quote, letters and words in strike-through, words obviously left in a sentence from an earlier revision that should have been deleted but weren't} that annoyed me enough to break the trance that the storyline otherwise provided. I left me, the reader, feeling as if I'd just sat down to a delicious dinner only to be interrupted every five minutes by the telephone ringing. And for that, I docked a star. But only one star as the rest of the novel is fantastic.

This is the story of Anne who has found herself located on an island in Florida where a serial killer has just started his series of gruesome murders, and the local police department is in need of a forensic photographer; something Anne just happens to be. Anne's back-story is revealed as the mystery develops, a masterful intertwining of past and present that feels natural and honest. The ending suggests that this could be a one-off or the start of a series that features Anne. I hope it will be the latter.


Is this worth its price on SmashWords? Yes, and then some!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: John Davis on Jan. 08, 2012 :
I will start with a disclaimer: I was given a free review copy of this book. The gift provided me with exposure to the book, but in no way made me feel obligated to provide a positive review. The content of the book did that on its own!

This is a fantastic, wonderful, and delightful book! Amazing! It is a page-turning paranormal mystery {a la Dean Koontz}. It has romantic elements, but no real romance to distract you from the edge-of-your-seat action and suspense. I actually managed to read this book in a little under 24 hours, including the time I spent sleeping. That is how engrossing this story is.

So why, then, did I give it four stars? I did so because I found numerous spelling {adrenaline is the correct spelling of that word} and formatting {a paragraph with center justification for no reason, missing " at the start of a quote, letters and words in strike-through, words obviously left in a sentence from an earlier revision that should have been deleted but weren't} that annoyed me enough to break the trance that the storyline otherwise provided. I left me, the reader, feeling as if I'd just sat down to a delicious dinner only to be interrupted every five minutes by the telephone ringing. And for that, I docked a star. But only one star as the rest of the novel is fantastic.

This is the story of Anne who has found herself located on an island in Florida where a serial killer has just started his series of gruesome murders, and the local police department is in need of a forensic photographer; something Anne just happens to be. Anne's back-story is revealed as the mystery develops, a masterful intertwining of past and present that feels natural and honest. The ending suggests that this could be a one-off or the start of a series that features Anne. I hope it will be the latter.

Is this worth its price on SmashWords? Yes, and then some!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: A.B. Shepherd on Dec. 30, 2011 :
Am I really the first reader to post a review of this novel on Smashwords? Wow! I feel...I'm not sure. Honored? Privileged? Surprised?

In the vernacular of my Aussie hubby this was a "fan-bloody-tastic" book! It had everything that I love in a novel - fast paced, great suspense, a little romance, and a touch of the paranormal. The author leads you along the path she wants you to follow and you follow eagerly because you can't wait to see what happens next!

Brilliant job Shannon Esposito!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: A.B. Shepherd on Dec. 30, 2011 : (no rating)
Am I really the first reader to post a review of this novel on Smashwords? Wow! I feel...I'm not sure. Honored? Privileged? Surprised?

In the vernacular of my Aussie hubby this was a "fan-bloody-tastic" book! It had everything that I love in a novel - fast paced, great suspense, a little romance, and a touch of the paranormal. The author leads you along the path she wants you to follow and you follow eagerly because you can't wait to see what happens next!

Brilliant job Shannon Esposito!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: