Saturday, May 10, 2008

NO ONE LEFT TO TELL by Jordan Dane

Publisher AVON
Date published April 2008
ISBN 978-0-06-125375-1
Romantic Suspense
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Lil




Detective Raven Mackenzie has come from a long line of police officers and has worked homicide for two years. She and her partner become involved in investigating a curious murder. The body of a dead man is found in a chapel and their only lead takes them to a place where they must tread lightly.

The Dunhill Corporation and its head Fiona Dunhill are not likely to be terribly helpful. A curious bargain is struck with the promise of cooperation if their head of security Christian Delacorte is allowed free rein working in conjunction with the detectives.

And so begins a wary circling between Raven and Christian as both try to find answers. A bond slowly grows between them but personal loyalty pulls at this man just as private nightmares threaten him.

One doesn’t often come across such an intricately plotted tale. Association between characters and past events are slowly and teasingly unraveled. Readers will feel like they are discovering actual pieces to a puzzle and experience the satisfaction of fitting each hard-won section.

The hero has an agenda apart from the police since Fiona has been much like a mother to him. A horrific event in his childhood has done much to shape him into the man he is today. That time haunts him still and one is completely drawn into Christian’s coming to terms and healing of psychological wounds during the story.

Raven is the type of heroine who can hold her own in a battle either of words or fists as the hero discovers. She is a cop to the marrow of her bones but as a woman she gives Christian room and opportunity to prove himself one of the good guys.

The author gives as much care to the secondary characters as she does with her primary ones and it enriches the story. The relationships are moving, chilling, and exhilarating as focus turns from different sets of characters. We are left curious enough about some of them that we hope there will be tales in which they star.

Ms Dane is a grand addition to the romantic suspense genre. She debuted with a book called No One Heard Her Scream. If that book is as wonderfully written as this is, she is likely headed towards general acclaim. Of course, that means that there will literally be NO ONE LEFT TO TELL.

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