Here’s the set-up for Lisa Bird’s Cutting the Net, 5 stars, just $2.99 on Kindle:

The cave breathes her name. Like a siren singing on a lonely beach, it calls her into its numbing center. And what’s worse, Elizabeth Lawson can’t seem to resist it. Like a friend it welcomes her and allows her a place to hide in secret from a world she doesn’t understand. Like a drug it creeps under her skin, leaving her shaking with need. What starts out as an escape becomes an obsession and quickly graduates into an addiction. Escaping her father’s recent death and a move halfway across the world to the Solomon Islands – a place she had never heard of before – she grasps for anything that might make her feel normal again.

The windy shadows stalk her, calling her back to pay tribute every day – and each day she returns like an obedient child. She finds herself venturing deeper and deeper into the darkness. Human skulls stacked in a pyramid next to the entrance of the cave don’t frighten her away. Drawings burned into the edges of the rocky walls depicting entire villages being cruelly murdered by a winged headhunter don’t sway her focus.

She explores until at last she finds a beaded net that shimmers in the light covering a doorway to the dark depths of the inner cave. She has a choice. She makes it quickly. But when she slices the net to obtain a strand of beads, she awakens an evil that makes death seem like a kind friend. As the shadows begin to swirl around her, she realizes her mistake a second too late.

From the reviewers:

Harry Potter in the South Pacific! In this captivating story, Lisa Bird tells of how Elizabeth and her three younger brothers move to live with their aunt and uncle in the Solomon Islands after some untold tragedy with their parents. There she encounters and unwittingly releases an evil spirit that attacks her, giving her magical powers. She joins up with the local good guys who are dedicated to fighting this evil, and much adventure–and romance–ensues. A great story, made even better by the author’s description of living in the Solomon Islands, so vivid that it seemed like she had lived there herself. — Bookreader

This is the first book in a amazing new trilogy and I already can’t wait to read more! The story pulls you in and sweeps you away to a tropical paradise where mythical creatures come to life. The combination of mystery, action, and young love keeps you turning the pages, eager to see what happens next. – Jaclyn C. Gotch

This is a wonderful book from a first time author who possesses the storyteller’s gift. I could not put the book down once I started reading it. The author creatively weaves together traditional myth with modern day characters resulting in a story with adventure, discovery, and love. I highly recommend this book and look forward to future books by this author. – Avid Reader