I Don't Know If I Want Your Help . . . "Colby Law" by Debra Webb

To solve the most heinous murder in Texas history, Colby investigator Lyle McCaleb has an unusual mission: find and protect the killer's long-lost daughter. The complication: she's tough, gorgeous rancher Sadie Gilmore—Lyle's first and only love. And now the mysterious past she barely remembers is threatening her very existence.

Lyle regrets leaving Sadie broken-hearted seven years ago. And as he investigates and gets deeper into danger, he finds it almost impossible to maintain his professionalism around her. But another dilemma threatens their newly rekindled relationship. Can Lyle regain Sadie's trust while concealing the secret that may devastate her?

According to the publisher's blurb, this is the 48th book in the Colby Agency series, and while this is the first book in that series that I have read, I had no difficulty making heads or tails of the story.  It was kind of a reminder of some of the really awful serial killers in recent years--John Wayne Gayce or the buy in Wisconsin or the one from Seattle--the Green River Killer--all are terrible and that was the sense I had about Sadie's father, a man who was on Death Row and who was seeking to gain some favor from the Colby Agency investigator.  As if that weren't bad enough, the killer's wife, also accused of the murders, has now been released and she is sort of a loose cannon in the story.  All the way through the reader is not really given any help in deciding if she is one of the good guys or indeed one of the killers who has just managed to escape prosecution.

Anyway, this is a very well-written story, one that is full of the tension that goes with a very good murder mystery as well as lots of sexual tension.  There is tension between Sadie and her adoptive father, a man who wants to control her and whose control she battles every step of the way.  The old wounds of Lyle's defection seven years earlier are still very raw, and so there is a great deal of upset and people rubbing each other the wrong way present in this story.  But it is not the kind of adversarial wrangling that drives me crazy in some romance novels.  All of the tension here is such that it all  makes sense and as the story progresses, there are patches of relief--sort of light in a dark sky, and even amid their working to get past the hurts of the past, Lyle and Sadie find some common ground that makes his presence as her protector slightly more tolerable.

Throughout this story, however, there is that current of on-going evil, sort of the ripple effect that the evil perpetrated by these serial killers continues to invade the lives of Sadie and others in the story.  And the sadness for me is that no matter how hard the innocent try to get away from the evils pushed off on them, it just keeps rearing its ugly presence.  And make no mistake:  there are innocents here who didn't even know about the crimes when they were committed.  

This is released in the Harlequin Intrigue imprint, and while lots of folks still have a bit of prejudice of the Harlequin books -- left, no doubt, because of the cookie cutter novels that were published in the past, still this is a very compelling work and one that is truly readable and which has lots of twists and turns.  It was a very good reading experience, and for those who like some mystery mixed in with the romance, this will do it for you.  I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

This novel was released by Harlequin Intrigue in May, 2012.

He's Her Knight With A Hammer & Saw: "Tool Belt Defender" by Carla Cassidy

It's Party Time...

That’s the “invitation” shoved under her door. It’s got Brittany Grayson fearing for her life…and her sanity. She’s sure the monster who once held her captive for months is dead, so why his chilling words in the note? His menacing face in the window? And why won’t anyone —even her lawmen brothers—believe that somehow he’s after her again?

Brittany just wants a normal, independent life in Black Rock. Romance is out of the question… although she’s okay as friends-with-benefits with Alex Crawford, her hunky, marriage-phobic contractor. Alex, a single dad, has his own good reasons not to fall for Brittany. But none of them matter when the race is on to find the killer who’s kidnapped her.

This is the fifth book in the "Lawmen of Black Rock" series but it is the first of the novels that I have read. I have also not read any works by this author before but I have to start out by saying that I really enjoyed this book. It was not a difficult or complicated novel, but there was certainly enough going on that it wasn't simplistic. The five Grayson siblings are featured in each of the five novels, and this final book in the series highlights the experiences of Brittany Grayson, a sheriff's deputy in the community of Black Rock, Kansas, and a woman who was kidnapped, imprisoned and terrorized for four months by a psycho serial killer who styled himself as "The Professional." Now the killer is dead and Brittany is seeking to live again: moving back to her own home, planning for the future, thinking through her professional options, and even moving forward with her plan to build a large deck in back of her home so that she can participate in the family traditions of backyard barbecues and gatherings.

This is where Alex comes in--tall, good-looking, strong, and wearing that tool belt low on his hips. Yummmmm! And it is Alex at her front door who begins to awaken that sense of being human again, for the first time in eight months. According to the description of our hero in this book, one would have to be really dead not to have a reaction to hunky Tool Belt Man. Brittany also has an opportunity to meet and become friends with Alex's six-year-old daughter Emily, a little girl who is brilliant and mature beyond her years, but who still possesses the winsome aura of innocence and whose presence forms the heart of Alex. Throughout the book the scenes with Emily as she interacts with Alex and Brittany are some of the nicest parts of the story. And there is no doubt that as Alex and Brittany begin their friendship and as it quickly deepens into a physical affair, there is deep respect and genuine kindness in both these people.

Ms Cassidy has written a book that is fun to read yet has threads of tension running throughout--the tension over the re-appearance of "The Professional," the sexual tension that escalates between Alex and Brittany, and the tension within Brittany herself as she deals with her PTSD, her sense of not being safe, and her worries over her future. A very positive aspect of the book is the continuing presence of Brittany's brothers, their continuing care of her, the support of friends and community that Brittany re-discovers during her recovery, and the feeling that there is a far greater extended family surrounding her than she first believes.

This is the kind of novel that makes for good reading without a large time commitment but one that is appealing in its subject matter as well as one that keeps the reader's interest throughout. It is a very good story and one that is well-worth the time and effort to enjoy. I give it a rating of 4 0ut of 5.

This novel was released by Harlequin under their Romantic Suspense imprint in December, 2011.

Run, Run, as Far and As Fast As You Can: "Going Down" by Shelli Stevens

One man wants her heart. The other wants her dead…

Eleanor Owen needs to get out of Chicago and quick. It’s not that she doesn’t want to obey the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It’s making it to the witness stand alive, should a dirty cop make good on his threats.

Tiny, remote Wyattville, Oregon, looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it’s hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town’s infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible.

Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something. Question is, what? He vows to feel out her secrets—including what she feels like beneath him. Preferably naked. Until then, he’s not buying the story she’s selling. Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart as her ex is to her life…

Before I even get to the book review, I have to start out by commenting that even if I wasn't fascinated already with this series of stories about the Wyatt Boys, I would read this book simply because of the cover. What a hunk! (I may be old but I'm not dead!!)

I also started this series by reading Book 2 in this series and it made me realize that I really wanted to read all three of the stories about these brothers. This is the first in the series and features brother Tyson Wyatt, the hunky, sexy, unmarried sheriff of Wyatt, Oregon, a small community on the Oregon coast and the choice of Ellie Owens in her search for an out-of-the-way place to hide. And wouldn't you know it? Almost the minute she gets to town and settles in to her new digs she is spotted by the sheriff--after all everyone knows when someone moves or moves out--and he likes what he sees. And wouldn't you know it? Almost before she has ten words out of her mouth his policeman instincts kick in and he just knows that she either lying about almost everything she says or she is hiding something pretty major.

This is a story that highlights the horrors of spousal abuse as well as the fear and terror that can become a reality in someone's life who runs afoul of organized crime and those who have corrupted law enforcement officers. When a woman like Ellie realizes that not only is she in danger from her ex, she is also in danger if she seeks justice or cooperates in the efforts to put him in prison. And those dangers are coming from someone who should have been there to "serve and protect." Now I know that Chicago police have a long and theatrical-level history of corruption among its ranks, but recent decades have seen effective efforts to root out those cops who gave all the good ones a bad name. Yet we all also know that there are still dirty cops in many metropolitan police forces. Ellie ran and she ran as far as she could go--all the way to the Pacific Ocean and she ran right into a wall of rock--the check of Sheriff Tyson Wyatt--who, under almost any other set of circumstances, would have been her wall of choice.

This is a compelling story of fear and terror, danger and hiding, friendship and caring, and most of all, family. More than anything else, Ellie needs to find a haven emotionally as much as she needs a physical one. And that's what she finds through her friendships with the Wyatt family. Yet the more they seek to befriend and surround her, the more she hunkers in to keeping her secrets. This story is beautifully written and the detail of the Pacific Northwest, the characters that populate that delightful community, and the strong bonds that connect friends and family are just as compelling as the primary story of Ty and Ellie. It is also a delight to see two people come together who are genuinely good people, who ordinarily would have very ordinary goals in their lives and who could find true happiness under almost any set of circumstances. But the backstory of this novel is full of tension and terror. Add in the sexual tension between Ty and Ellie as well as the constant knowledge on the part of the reader that Ty is in the dark and the potential that has for upending their relationship and you have a romance story that keeps the reader glued to the page. It's my kind of novel!

This novel was released in mid-2010 but it is one that is fully contemporary and based on a situation that could easily happen to anyone. The author has a style that is incredibly readable and is a writer who demonstrates that she knows how to use language effectively. She draws word pictures that are sharp and edgy, caring and emotional, effective in communicating the finer points of the story and the lives of the characters. So I hope that you will get this novel and enjoy. It is well worth the effort. I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

You Can Run But There's No Place To Hide . . . "Play Dirty" by Lorie O'Clare

Heartthrob bounty hunter Greg King knows how to work it—and he knows that he can have any woman he wants. But there’s more to Greg than meets the eye…and he’s still haunted by the memory of his beautiful, estranged wife. Much as he’s tried to move on, he’s never been able to stop wondering why Haley left him. Or what he could have done to make their marriage better—and make her stay…

After putting a vicious criminal behind bars, Haley King had no choice but to leave her loved ones behind and enter the witness protection program. Turns out that, in her new life, Haley has once again found herself in serious trouble—and needs help from the only person she can trust: her husband. Now, as old secrets threaten to tear them apart and danger closes in from all sides, it’s up to Greg to keep Haley safe…and convince her that this time, he’s playing for keeps.

Greg & Haley King have been married a very long time. But the last six years of their marriage have been hell. Not only that, they have been totally out of touch with one another due to the fact that Mrs. King has been living under an assumed name in the Witness Protection Program. So Greg and their two sons, Marc and Jake, have been busy moving forward with their business as bounty hunters, but Greg's personal life has been on hold. The relationship between these two very serious people forms the underpining of this novel and provides the sexual tension that keeps the interest level so high. Add in the fact that this is a mystery/suspense/action novel complete with international players and unfriendly foreign law enforcement personnel, and you have a novel that is edgy, with very sharp and rough characters, and lots of unanswered questions.

I have to take issue with the publisher's blurb as to Greg's puzzlement over his wife's leaving. He knew why she did it. That he disagreed with her decision is never in doubt. But the curious factor here is that for neither one of them did time or space ever dilute their emotional intensity or their certainty that the other was the only person they could ever love with this kind of intensity. Yet while those six years apart did not dilute their love for one another, it did bring about some serious changes in both these people and in their sons. Haley missed out on the last years of her sons' maturation process and when she came home, they were no longer boys. She also made some important discoveries about her professional abilities and about the role she was prepared to resume in the marriage if ever they could be together again. For Greg, these years were misery personified, and for a man who was the quintessential Alpha male, he came to a point where he had to accept that being willing to accept Haley as she was did not mean that he was weak or inept. Learning to give as well as take, to cooperate rather than always having to be in command was a journey of discovery for this talented and able individual.

This novel is really about how two people learned some important lessons about themselves and then faced the challenge of integrating those changes into a relationship neither was willing to give up. Greg faced a woman who was no longer satisfied to be at his beck and call, putting aside her opinions and thoughts, allowing him to set the pace of their lives. Now Haley knew that she was good at her profession, knew how to investigate with the best of them, could handle herself in a crisis, and wanted to be Greg's partner, not just "the little woman." Quite a change for this hunky guy to absorb. His challenge: keeping his wife and his marriage, but having to accept this person who was almost like a stranger in many ways.

Haley's challenge was patience--she knew Greg's strengths and she was also aware that he had a gentle side that he didn't want anyone to see. She needed him to show it to her and to be comfortable doing so. That she loved him more than anyone else on the planet gave her the strength to go after him and to insist that he find these deeper strengths within himself.

I really liked the mystery/suspense/action aspect of this novel. I know that for many this was not a plus and the wide range and number of background characters was confusing for some, but I think that is the kind of story this author writes. It seems that she really functions on many levels and her stories reflect the fact that she "digs" complicated, multi-layered, heavily populated novels and this one certainly is that kind of novel. I appreciated that quality as I get a little irritated and impatient at the simplistic stories. That is not to say that there aren't times when I just want to indulge in romantic fiction that is a boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love-and-live-happily-ever-after kind of novel. This is not one of those, and if that is what the reader is seeking, lots of luck. Not here, and not often with Lorie O'Clare. For those of us who are looking for the deeper and more challenging reading experience, this is more to my taste.

I first encountered this author through her paranormal romances and reviewed two of those for The Book Binge and found them to be fine reading experiences. This novel is a new direction for me and one that I have enjoyed a great deal. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I give this a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

What Shall I Do? I Left Him But I Still Love Him . . . Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’ s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

The witness protection program is one with which more people are now familiar due to recent television series and the kinds of protective custody that keeps good people away from the bad guys against whom they have testified in court. In this novel the heroine is in very real danger and finds that not only her job and home are on the line but her life may well be forfeit as well, not because she has testified in court, but because she witnessed a murder first-hand.

As is almost always the case with all of us, when we are in deep trouble, the first people we go to are those who either are or have been important figures in one's personal life. Thus, Megan knows one person who knows how to keep her safe if anyone does, and that is the man who she has essentially "kicked to the curb" and a person who she still loves deeply. To Will's credit, in spite of his shattered emotions and a relationship gone bad for reasons he really doesn't know, he comes to Megan's rescue, pulling strings and requesting favors of former cop associates to find the man whose murderous actions are now putting Megan's life in danger.

This love story has several layers that draw in the interest of the reader. First, there is the tension of finding the person who committed the crime Megan witnessed. Then there are her problematic relationships with law enforcement and the officers who really don't believe she saw anything. No physical evidence to support her claims, so she must just be some dipsy doodle female out for some attention, right? Add in the upended love relationship between Will and Megan and the pressures to end the affair from Will's mom and Megan's grandmother, and you have a story that has lots of push/pull in it. There are some developments in the progress of the story that are surprising and some twists and turns near the end that sort of came out of the blue. Megan's own unsettled emotions about Will don't help any, either.

I liked the messy nature of this story because, after all, life at its best is messy. Human relationships are never clear and concise and progress along sharp and clearly defined boundaries. Certainly this love affair was messy. I got the feeling that Megan wanted to let go of a lot of the drama in her life--I'm not sure she really could--but it just seemed to follow her around. And when she began to experience some serious threats to her life and livelihood, the situation went downhill fast. I liked Will a lot--a man who loved deeply and with great loyalty, one whose open acceptance of Megan, a black woman, never waivered. He was a person who accepted her rejection of him but his hurt lay primarily in the mystery as to why she would reject him in the first place, especially when he was so sure that his deep and abiding love was returned. I liked that he was able to put aside his anger and hurt in order to see her safe, even if there wasn't any future for them together. It is the mark of a true friend.

What I didn't like was the prejudice that lay at the heart of both family's opposition to this interracial couple. I really didn't like Will's mother who went behind her son's back to undercut any future they might have together, to be very clear that Megan was not welcome either in Will's family or his social circles. She was clearly an emotional and selfish "barracuda" who perceived Megan's insecurities and anxieties and used them for her own purposes. The opposition of Megan's grandmother was far more complicated and grew out of years of discrimination that has scarred and warped her responses to white folks in general and to any white man who would potentially love her granddaughter. What I disliked most was Megan's unwillingness to put her love for Will in a priority position. She loved her grandmother and wanted to be a support for her at the end of her life. After all, her grandmother was all the family she had. Yet a love as deep as Megan's and one which appeared to be moving toward marriage would have to be the "forsaking all others" kind of love. I didn't like at all that she would rather jettison Will and any future they had together just to keep from revealing his mother's back-biting and resistance to the marriage; she also chose to place the ease of her grandmother's emotions over her own future. On the surface this would seem unselfish. I don't think so. Will needed to know the depth of his own mother's prejudice and make his own decision about what his relationship would be with his parents. Megan took that choice away from him. And most of all, he really needed to understand the full scope of her reasons for ending the affair. If she loved him, she owed him that. I just don't think Megan really had emotional maturity as evidenced by her choices.

All that being said, this is a love story that is complicated by the tension surrounding the witness of this murder. It is one that is not warm and fuzzy given that Will and Megan were embroiled in their recent hurtful history. I have to admit that the book held my interest from page one. As such it was, at least for me, a good read. There were some emotional ups and downs and at times I really could empathize with Megan's anxiety over the entire mess. There were times when I was irritated at her for some of her choices which seemed not to be well thought out. But in the final analysis, I found this book to be a very interesting one, and one that highlighted some of the issues surrounding interracial relationships and the choices that inevitably lay before couples who seriously consider long-term involvement. It also highlighted the power of personal ambition and the addictive nature of some very dysfunctional relationships which can and do lay at the heart of choices that are unwise and, in the long run, destructive.

This is the first Wynter Daniels book I have read and I liked her writing style, her way with words, her ability to tell a story that developed the characters but was not overly wordy with internal monologues. Because of the social issues involved she could have so easily gotten on a "soap box" of sorts as some novelists tend to do, yet she did not. She just let the story tell itself and allowed the reader to draw one's own conclusions about the prejudice and resistance to an interracial relationship. There was certainly lots of love in this narrative but there was also that underlying tension caused by the insidious nature of the push to kill her. I think lovers of mystery mixed with romance will probably like this book. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

This novel was released 09 May 2011 by Carina Press.

Review: Murder in Plain Sight by Marta Perry

Marta Perry, author of more than 35 books, has once again set this murder/suspense tale in the context of the Amish culture as it clashes with the outside world.

Few Americans really know much about the Amish culture or the philosophy behind it. Originating in Germany and East Europe, the Amish are a people who are non-violent, guided by their religious beliefs as stated in their guidebook know as the Ordnung and who have chosen to preserve their way of living in a separatist setting. Without the so-called modern conveniences of the 21st century, they embrace the values of family and friendship as they draw their life from the land and are supported and strengthened by their faith. Membership in the Church comes only in adulthood after a time known as Rumspringa, a period during which teens are free to explore friendships, employment, and even living in the outside world among non-Amish folk called the "English." When one of these young people determines that the Amish life is what they choose, they return fully, are baptized into the Church, and become a permanent member of the community.

This novel tells the story of an Amish teen who is in the midst of his Rumspringa and who is found unconscious right next to the dead body of an "English" girl, holding the weapon that killed her. He is charged with her murder, placed in prison to await trial--a world that is totally foreign to him and against which he has no protection. He is truly like a lamb being led to the slaughter. An elderly local attorney has taken over his defense, but he feels completely unprepared to try the case. Mrs Geneva Morgan, matriarch of a local family that is prominent and whose businesses employ a large number of the citizenry, calls in an attorney from a New York law firm in the hopes that someone from outside the area can better find the real killer.

Jessica Langdon is relatively new as a member of a private law firm having begun her law career as an assistant district attorney. Her firm wants her to get a plea agreement and close the case quickly. But Jessica doesn't feel that is the right thing to do, especially after meeting the accused and meeting his family. She is also introduced to Mrs. Morgan's son, Trey, the actual CEO of the Morgan Family holdings. He is reserved, overbearing, sometimes friendly and sometimes not, convinced of Thomas' guilt, and resentful that his mother is making such a fuss and getting involved with what is turning out to be a very controversial case.

This is a wonderful look-see into the Amish culture and how it clashes with the "English" world. It is a story that is full of friendship and caring, and the developing attraction between Jessica and Trey is central to the book. It is also about Jessica's own journey toward professional maturity as she must make some decisions that could well put her relationship with her father in danger.

Marta Perry writes out of her own experience and exposure to the Amish culture as a life-long resident of Pennsylvania. She writes with respect and admiration for the strength of their connections to one another, their values and the positive influences they bring to any community in which they interact. She has created a novel that is one more of her "keep-the-reader-on-the-edge-of-the-chair" stories, with twists and turns and surprises all throughout the narrative. Probably a seasoned mystery reader will find the resolution to the tale more easily, but this is still a great book and holds the reader's interest from start to finish. While Jessica and Trey's love story is central to the tale, this is not erotic romance but gentle and winsome. It is truly a delightful book.

So I recommend it to all who enjoy contemporary romance and who enjoy discovering ways of living that are out of the ordinary. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.