"The Sunshine Solution" takes readers on a gripping journey through the intricate world of investigative journalism and political intrigue, presenting a sequel that lives up to the high standards set by its predecessor, "The Power of Rain."
In this installment, readers reunite with Elizabeth "Digger" Doyle, the fearless investigative reporter whose tenacity earned her a reputation for exposing the shadowy secrets of politicians in the fictional city of Las Vistas. Having landed her dream job in Santa Fe, Digger's world takes an unexpected turn when her new boss requests her to spy on a political rival's multimillion-dollar solar energy project announcement. Suspicion arises as Digger senses a cover-up, leading her to embark on a thrilling investigation that unravels a web of deceit. Digger and a former newspaper colleague act as detectives, following a team of imposters from the ancient walls of Chaco Canyon to the twisting streets of Santa Fe, to a struggling Native American pueblo community. The pursuit brings Digger into conflict with powerful forces bent on revenge by harming her wife Maria and destroying a man's political career.
"The Sunshine Solution" takes readers on a gripping journey through the intricate world of investigative journalism and political intrigue, presenting a sequel that lives up to the high standards set by its predecessor, "The Power of Rain."
In this installment, readers reunite with Elizabeth "Digger" Doyle, the fearless investigative reporter whose tenacity earned her a reputation for exposing the shadowy secrets of politicians in the fictional city of Las Vistas. Having landed her dream job in Santa Fe, Digger's world takes an unexpected turn when her new boss requests her to spy on a political rival's multimillion-dollar solar energy project announcement. Suspicion arises as Digger senses a cover-up, leading her to embark on a thrilling investigation that unravels a web of deceit. Digger and a former newspaper colleague act as detectives, following a team of imposters from the ancient walls of Chaco Canyon to the twisting streets of Santa Fe, to a struggling Native American pueblo community. The pursuit brings Digger into conflict with powerful forces bent on revenge by harming her wife Maria and destroying a man's political career.
The fuzzy black-and-white picture showed a young teen, face
wasted and body rail thin, pulling away from an older man. The
man was tall, well-dressed, Hispanic. He looked as though he was
trying to drag her down the street. The flier headline screamed,
“Saturday night on Central Avenue: Orlando Garcia likes them
young. Is this the man we want running our state?”
Orlando Garcia stared at the flier his aide had handed to him.
She said she found it on her lawn that morning. His stomach
churned. There had already been the rumors, the attack ads. He’d
fought those off, but piece by piece they’d cut at his credibility. He
knew now that the moment people saw this picture his political
future would be over.
It didn’t matter that the photo was not what it seemed, that
he was not harming the girl but trying to stop her from another
drug overdose. None of that would make any difference now. He
wished he could make it disappear, undo its existence on this
earth, roll back the clock. But one shredded flier made no difference.
There were probably hundreds of fliers out there by now,
and thousands of eyes would see them—HAD already seen them.
That was how the political game worked. Your opponents would
seek out a tiny vulnerability, something meant as a good deed
2 rosalie rayburn
in a dark world, and they would forge it into a deadly weapon.
He could try to fight back, but he would always see the doubt in
people’s eyes. He’d seen that happen before to other candidates.
You never got over a smear like that. It was over, everything he’d
worked for.
He squeezed his eyes shut and felt dizzy, as if he stood at the
edge of a cliff, hearing the voice inside his head praying to a god
he no longer believed in to deliver him.
There would of course be no deliverance. When Orlando
opened his eyes, the pieces of the poster still littered the floor;
what had happened, had happened. He could see no way out.
He’d failed them: his family, his supporters. He sat down at his
desk, found a notepad sent to him in thanks for his contributions
to helping the homeless, and wrote a note to his wife, pleading
for her understanding. He wrote a note to his son and daughter,
begging them to look after their mother. Then he went out to the
garage, got in his car, backed out without looking, drove out of
the city, and onto to the freeway, speeding south through a night
sharp with stars, heading toward the canyon. Yes, that would be
the place.
The Sunshine Solution is an intriguing story, beginning with two women getting married in New Mexico. Maria, one of the women, is plagued by running into her ex, Izzy, and those encounters play a significant part in the story. The other woman, known as Digger (her real name is Elizabeth), is a former investigative reporter for a defunct newspaper, is now working for the State of New Mexico. Her investigative journalism skills often ignite her "spidey sense" when she discovers irregularities in a solar farm project proposed for the state.
The intricate premise of this book is quite interesting, especially with the current trend for government agencies to encourage citizens to convert to alternative energies. A little-known company approaches a gubernatorial candidate and gets him excited about locating a large solar project in New Mexico. The candidate, who's always been interested in converting the New Mexico sun into energy, falls for the sales pitch. I will not reveal what happens next, because I would be giving away too much information. I want you to read the book.
I enjoyed reading this book. However, it has some things that need to be corrected, namely, random dashes appear in places where, I believe, might reflect layout issues. For example, the word "Fermin" as a location shows up many times. Several times, it's in the text as "Fer-min," not "Fermin." This happens all over the book. This type of error drives me, as a reader, up the wall. It's especially bothersome when the author has managed to develop an interesting plot, terrific characters, and descriptive prose that demonstrates the author's ability to pique the reader's imagination.
I appreciate the author's creativity and ability to tell a story; she succeeds in that regard. The book flows well, keeps the reader engaged, and contains plot twists that aren't always predictable. I will be interested in seeing the sequel to this book, as announced at the end of the book.