Dare To Die by Carolyn Hart

She came in the rain. Alone. On a bicycle.

Annie and Max Darling are completely unprepared when the arrival of a mysterious young woman shocks their sea island and stirs up more than just gossip.

It turns out that Iris, the beautiful stranger, is a former resident of Broward's Rock. Her arrival throws the normally happy town into a downward spiral that pits neighbor against neighbor.

Things take a turn for the worse when Annie befriends Iris and invites her to attend the Darlings' party at the pavilion where Death is the uninvited guest. Suddenly, Max and Annie find themselves in the middle of a fight they don't understand and at the mercy of an unknown assailant who's trying to kill them--and all they know is that it is one of their friends.

When I began reading this novel, I was not aware that it was part of a series of books. For me, it was slow reading and I had a very difficult time staying interested in it. Very rarely will I put a book down without finishing it, however, I came close to it on this one. I did manage, finally, to read the whole thing and am sad to say that I would not recommend it.