TGIF! Last day of holiday vacation for me, back to life, back to reality!
Today I am sharing with you a book I read with my Book Besties, romantic suspense that was very heavy on the suspense and kept us all on our toes!💕
My Thoughts
A riveting romantic suspense with a large dose of suspense and a dab of romance, that kept me on my toes!
Jayne Ann Krentz is a comfort read for me, I remember reading her ages ago… there are few authors I read both in my 20s and my 40s and JAK is one of them…. this is the third book in this series and the first book I read… from what I can tell each book is self-contained and about a different foster brother…. I think what I missed from not reading the previous books is the villain was not completely fleshed out… other than that I believe this book can absolutely be read as a standalone, but after reading this book you might want to go back and check out the other brothers stories….
Jack is a consultant for the FBI working cold cases… having lost his mother to a fire a lot of his investigation involves cases of fire, he also has some dream/sleep issues…. I have to admit I never completely understood or bought into some of Jack’s dream scenes in this book.. I think he was hunting for people in his dreams, I’m not sure, I have to admit this was a pretty confusing part of this book… in all honesty this did not need to be included, but that’s my opinion…. The positive side of this dream searching was this is how he met Winter Meadows… A meditation therapist with a fabulous name! Soon after meeting, Jack and Winter had the bad guys after them… this pursuit took them up and down the California coast…
I really liked how they investigated the criminals, I liked how Jack looked into the cold cases and put the pieces together… I liked the chemistry between Jack and Winter I thought it very organic… and I really love the character of Winter… I would have really enjoyed an entire book just about her she was very strong and resourceful and sassy…. I also would have really loved some more scenes with all three of the brothers, I really would’ve liked to see that bond more… but perhaps that is something I missed in the previous books?
A fast-paced, action packed, tension filled story that will appeal to fans of romantic suspense! Recommend!
*** many thanks to Berkley for my copy of this book ***
About the Book
A man’s quest to find answers for those who are haunted by the past leads him deeper into the shadows in this electrifying novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Promise Not to Tell.
Quinton Zane is back.
Jack Lancaster, consultant to the FBI, has always been drawn to the coldest of cold cases, the kind that law enforcement either considers unsolvable or else has chalked up to accidents or suicides. As a survivor of a fire, he finds himself uniquely compelled by arson cases. His almost preternatural ability to get inside the killer’s head has garnered him a reputation in some circles–and complicated his personal life. The more cases Jack solves, the closer he slips into the darkness. His only solace is Winter Meadows, a meditation therapist. After particularly grisly cases, Winter can lead Jack back to peace.
But as long as Quinton Zane is alive, Jack will not be at peace for long. Having solidified his position as the power behind the throne of his biological family’s hedge fund, Zane sets out to get rid of Anson Salinas’s foster sons,starting with Jack.
The Besties
Be sure to check out the rest of the girls blogs today!
Mackenzie @ PhDiva
Holly @ Dressed to Read
Jennifer @ Tarheel Reader
Excerpt
She heard the key in the lock. The door opened. The creep was silhouetted against the light of the hallway fixture, a balding, big-bellied man dressed in an undershirt and trousers.
He did not see her sitting there in the shadows of the upper bunk. He moved into the room, heading toward the lower bunk.
He reached down and started to pull the covers off of Alice’s thin, huddled body.
“Go away, Mr. Tyler,” Winter said. She switched on the penlight and began to move it in an intricate pattern. “You’re not supposed to be here. You don’t want to be here.”
She kept her voice calm; soothing but firm.
Startled, Tyler halted and instinctively averted his gaze from the narrow beam of light.
“What the hell?” In the next breath he softened his voice to a drunken croon. “What’s the matter, honey? Couldn’t sleep? I know it’s hard adjusting to a new house and a new family. But you’re in a good home now. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of you and Alice.”
“Go away, Mr. Tyler,” Winter said again. She kept the penlight moving, faster now.
Tyler was distracted by the light. He stared at; looked away and then gazed at it again.
“I’m going to take poor little Alice to my bedroom,” he said. “She’s afraid to be alone.”
“Alice is not alone,” Winter said. “I’m here with her. Go away. You don’t want to be in this room. It’s hard to breathe when you come in here. You can’t catch your breath. Your heart is pounding harder and harder. You wonder if you’re having a heart attack.”
Tyler did not respond. He was transfixed by the motion of the light. He started to wheeze.
“When I say Winnie-the-Pooh you will realize that you can’t breathe at all when you’re in this room,” Winter said. “You will leave. That is the only way to ease the terrible pain in your chest. If you stay in this room you will have a heart attack. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Tyler’s voice was now that of a man in a trance; expressionless.
The rasping and wheezing got louder.
“Winnie-the-Pooh,” Winter said in a tone of soft command.
Tyler came out of the trance gasping for air.
“Can’t breathe,” he said, his voice hoarse with panic. He swung around and lurched out into the hallway. “My heart. Can’t breathe.”
He staggered down the hallway and stumbled toward the kitchen. Winter jumped down to the floor.
“Winter?” Alice whispered from the shadows of the lower bunk.
“It’s okay,” Winter said. “But you have to get up and get dressed. We’re going to leave now.”
A heavy thud sounded from the kitchen. It was followed by an unnatural silence.
“What happened?” Alice asked.
“Stay here,” Winter said. “I’ll go take a look.”
She went to the door. With the penlight in hand she moved cautiously down the hall. Alice climbed out of bed but she did not wait in the bedroom. She followed Winter.
Tyler was sprawled on the kitchen floor. He did not move. His phone was on the floor close to his hand. Panic arced through Winter. She wondered if she had killed the creep.
Alice came up beside her and took her hand, clinging very tightly. She looked at Tyler’s motionless body.
“Is he dead?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Winter said. “I’ll check.”
She squeezed Alice’s hand and then freed her fingers to cross the kitchen floor. She stopped a short distance away from Tyler and tried to think about what to do next. In the movies and on television people checked the throat of an unconscious person to find out if there was a pulse.
Gingerly she reached down and put two fingers on Tyler’s neck. She thought she detected a faint beat but she couldn’t be certain. He might not be dead yet but it was possible that he was dying. It was also possible that he was simply unconscious and would recover at any moment. Winter knew that neither outcome would be good for Alice or herself.
Posted by arrangement with Berkley, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Jayne Ann Krentz, 2019.
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