Reviews

Imperceptible Danger
Review by Cheri Rosenberg

In D. C. Elmore’s Imperceptible DANGER, we meet world-renowned photographer Tristin Dobbs who thinks nothing of taking risks in her professional life; she even photographs sharks at close range. The thirty-three year old is adept at surviving in the wild and taking on dangerous assignments to further her career, but when it comes to matters of the heart, Tristin is much more cautious. She is attractive to both men and women and according to those who know her; she could have her pick of dates. If that’s true, then why is she single?

Tristin’s sister Lauren is the owner of the “Wilderness Escape,” which sponsor organized guided camping trips. Out of the goodness of her heart, Tristin agrees to go on the fourteen-day excursion to take professional photographs for Lauren’s next brochure. She could think of better ways to spend her vacation than with a bunch of city girls “who think spending a couple weeks in the woods is going to miraculously change their lives forever…” (p. 2-3) until she meets the lovely lawyer Danielle Eason.

Danielle is breathtaking, “…her eyes sparkling with unparalleled beauty.” (p. 11) A novice camper with perhaps other things on her mind than back packing, Danielle has brought a suitcase along for a hiking adventure. Tristin, the more experienced camper, decides to help Danielle and is immediately taken with the girl’s radiance. She allows Danielle to share her backpack and sleeping bag. They become instant friends and partners for the remainder of the trip. Tristin falls in love with the beautiful secretive stranger thus beginning a tempestuous affair.

During the cookouts, camping, and hiking, Elmore introduces and develops each character using dialogue that is lively and believable. The setting is adequately described, “The rays of sunlight that managed to weave their way through the thick greenery created a kaleidoscope effect on the forest floor.” (p. 56), as the campers explore, get to know one another, and the reader learns about them. The lead tour guide, Kate Kirkland, an earth mother type, acts as a mentor and protector of all the girls, especially, Tristin. It is fun meeting all the girls and sharing their adventure. All is well until accidents begin to happen and Tristin suspects someone is sabotaging their campsite—but who is doing it and why?

D. C. Elmore throws in lots of plot twists to keep you guessing along with humor, drama, and sex to keep you engrossed in this romance/action/adventure novel. I laughed out loud when, “[Tristin] had managed to alleviate the puffiness earlier in the morning thanks to the twenty-minute treatment of a makeshift ice pack using ice cubes, a washcloth, and duct tape.”(p. 2) Whoever heard of using duct tape as part of a beauty regimen? I like the poetic way Elmore describes her character’s emotions as in, “Tristin felt as if her heart had turned into a hummingbird beating its wings as it swooped in to smell the sweet scent of a flower high upon a mountainside.” (p. 9)

Imperceptible DANGER is D. C. Elmore’s first published work and is a wonderful beginning to a promising career. Elmore is currently working on several projects including a screenplay, a children’s story called The Adventures of Radius and Chukka, and other novels. Unconditional, a love story, is coming out in March 2005 and Malicious Intentions, a murder mystery, is coming out in June 2005. I highly recommend this new author and feel Imperceptible DANGER, a five star novel, is the first of many titles we can expect and enjoy by D. C. Elmore.