Romance and terror in a tropical paradise.

Sun, sand, surf. How could Blanca Castellano turn down the offer of a promotion to beautiful Rio de Janeiro—especially when it's a step up in her career in Madrid?

The job is a dream come true. A promotion, a new culture to explore, great colleagues to work with, including a sexy photographer named Carlos. There's also a chance to make a name for herself by exposing a powerful story: child sex exploitation in Rio's poverty-stricken neighbourhoods.

But the return to Rio also means the return of nightmares from Blanca's childhood—nightmares that began after her first trip to Rio, as a child with her parents on vacation.

As Blanca and Carlos investigate child exploitation in Rio, the shadows of Blanca's nightmares become dark memories of something she cannot yet understand. Shadows of Carlos's past, too, stalk them—until they become a terrifying and dangerous reality. Together, Blanca and Carlos must learn the identity of a murderous puppet master.

If you like raw emotions and a plot that twists and turns from the beach of Ipanema through the sordid favelas and the soaring luxury of Leblon, you won't be able to stop turning the pages in Lucy Appadoo's  first book, In Rio's Shadows from the Women Of Strength Series.