Product Reviews

The latest Feehan novel “Murder game” is the seventh story in the ghost walker series. This is Kadan and Tansy’s story. I’m going to start out by saying that I have so far enjoyed all the ghost walker books and this one was no different.

People are dying in the most gruesome manner and Kadan has been brought in to investigate. There is a fear that some or all of the other ghost walkers may be involved because of the characteristic of the murders and the efficiency of the murderer. Kadan is therefore under orders to keep his investigation a secret from the other ghost walkers. Kadan is determined to catch the killer and prove that his “brothers” are not involved. To do this he sets out to enlist the help of Tansy.

Getting her to work with him may not be so easy. Tansy is one of Whitney’s enhanced girls. She has retired to the Sierra mountains in search of peace an solitude after years of turbulence. From the time she was a teenager she worked with the police and FBI to catch the vilest of murderers using her enhanced gifts. Unfortunately due to her emphatic talent she is unable to rid herself of the voices and presence of the murderers and the victims even after the case is closed. Because of conditioning by Whitney throught her life she was never taught the necessary defenses to shield herself. This led to a nervous breakdown and her subsequent withdrawal from society.

Kadan catches up with her in the mountains where she is working her freelance job, taking pictures for National Geographic. Kadan’s first reaction to Tansy is unnerving to him and he quickly realizes that she is the woman Whitney paired him with. He has to work hard to convince her to work with him, as she is terrified that she will find herself back in that place near self destruction.

Finally she agrees to work with him and together they set out to track down a killer. They soon realize however, that the situation is infinitely more dangerous to Tansy as the murderer is a `hunter’, and a `dreamwalker’, exactly like her. Stopping him and protecting Tansy will require a joint effort with the other ghost walkers.

I loved this book as Kadan and Tansy are very evenly matched. Kadan who before was very cold and distant suddenly became very intense and human. Tansy was no push over as she stood up to him and gave as good as she got.

I particularly enjoyed the humor that was interjected into the story as Kadan was teased unmercifully by his “brothers” once they realized who Tansy was to him. I also enjoyed the love scenes which, were more intense and more regular than is Ms. Feehan’s style. I did not however think it detracted from the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one.

OK, here goes again. Sarah McCartys latest “Promises Reveal” was a bit of a disappointment for me. I’m an ardent fan of the promises series and I couldn’t wait to read her latest, so I was quiet disappointed by this story. If you are like me and you like your erotic romance to have an emphasis on the erotic, you too will be disappointed.

This story like the others is set in the old west at a time when men were strong and silent and women were expected to be seen and not heard. Evie Washington is a woman who feels that she should be able to make her own decisions and live her own life without some man telling her what to do. She is also a talented artist and this is what lands her in trouble. Evie decides to shake up the town and paints a nude portrait of a faceless man. The town immediately draws the conclusion that the portrait is that of the town’s reverend Brad Swanson. With her reputation in ruin Evie and Brad are forced to wed.

Brad Swanson finds himself being forced to the alter to marry Evie although he had always sworn that he would never marry. Even though he has denied that the portrait is of him the town folks do not believe him. Brad finds himself in a position where even though he does not want to get married, he is looking forward to showing Evie that her preconceptions about him are all wrong.

Brad and Evie get married and the marriage starts off on very shaky grounds. This is further complicated when Brad’s past comes calling. Brad now has to protect Evie and his beloved town even though it will mean the revelation of his less than sterling past.

Here are my problems with the book;

• I thought the premise of the story - the shot gun wedding- a little weak. I thought if Brad and Evie really wanted to get out of marrying each other the could have done so.
• The love scenes were a little censored compared to the other “promises”. I suspect that the reason for this is due to the publisher, Berkley in this case, as opposed to the other books which were published by Ellora’s Cave.
• I was not as drawn to the main characters Brad and Evie as I had been in the previous stories and I felt that Ms. McCarty could have spent a little more time developing them
• I found Evie to be a little childish as she flies off the handle at every turn instead of trying to get an explanation.
• Brad on the other hand became quiet annoying with his constant harping on the fact that events of his past made him unworthy.

If you are a fan of Ms. McCarty and the “Promises” series you may still want to read this one. But be warned it’s not one of her best.

If you want to read more reviews before making up your mind, click on the link;

Sayre Lynch left her family and her home in Louisiana ten years ago vowing never to return. She however, breaks her vow and returns when she hears of her younger brother’s death. Sayre is devastated to learn that her younger brother, Danny, has allegedly committed suicide and she is wracked with guilt over his death. Before killing himself Danny had attempted to speak with Sayre on the phone. Due to the position she took on her family 10 years ago she refused to take his call. Now she wonders if there was anything she could have done to prevent his death.

Sayre comes from a family who, for all practical purpose, own the town due to the fact that they own the Iron foundry, the town’s only industry. The livelihood of the town and everyone in it is tied into the fortunes of the company. Therein lies the problem, as her father and older brother have a strangle hold on the town’s inhabitants who are solely dependent on Hoyle Industries. In a town where the Hoyles are Kings, corruption is the order of the day.

When Sayre goes home to see her younger brother laid to rest, she realizes that nothing has changed. Her father and older brother are still as corrupt as ever. Much to Sayres chagrin they have hired a shrewd new lawyer, Beck Merchant, to work with them.

Her plans of leaving town immediately after the funeral are delayed, when the sheriff notifies the family that Danny’s death may not have been a suicide. Sayre decides to stay, as she is determined to find out who killed her brother and also to liberate the town from the clutches of the Hoyles.

She is immediately caught up in a web of deceit that threatens to overwhelm her as she finds herself having to deal with the painful memories of the past. Not only does she have to battle her family, she also has to battle the growing attraction she feels toward Beck Merchant. An attraction that she finds unacceptable as she sees him as no better than her corrupt family.

Beck is a man with his own agenda. however when he meets Sayre he finds himself unable to resist the attraction between them. Beck too has his own past to contend with and his own reasons for being the Hoyles “hired gun”.

Sayre and Beck come together despite their obvious differences and despite the fact that they seem to be on different sides of the issues. Sayre feels that Beck is so much better that his employers and tries to convince him that he is on the side of wrong. Beck for his part knows that in Sayre, he has finally found someone he would want to spend the rest of his life with. However he fears that the web of lies and corruption in which they are caught, could end up costing them each other.

Another riveting story by Ms. Brown, who does such a great job of mixing romance and suspense. Although you are able to figure out who the killer is you are still left in suspense about the motive until the very end. Click item below to learn more.