"Sultry Romantic Suspense"

Prolific author Brown returns again with this mix of romance and mystery set in the sultry bayous of Louisiana. After the apparent suicide of her brother Danny, Sayre Lynch travels from her home in San Francisco to Destiny, Louisiana, her childhood home. Sayre has not had contact with her family since she left Louisiana ten years ago as she bears hatred and resentment for her father Huff Hoyle, owner of the local iron foundry.

Though she anticipated that her visit to Destiny would be short and sweet, Sayre finds herself unwittingly attracted to the Hoyle family attorney, Beck Merchant, a friend of Sayre's womanizing brother, Chris. When a local detective begins investigation Danny's death, believing that it may have been murder, Sayre decides to stick around town, in hopes of bringing Danny's murderer to justice.

As sparks fly between Sayre and Beck, their steamy, sensuous love scenes represent forbidden attraction for Sayre, who sees Beck as just another good old boy loyal to her father. But Beck's sincere behavior towards the wife of a severely injured foundry worker belies his good old boy status, and Sayre's initial attraction to Beck begins to develop into something much deeper.

When Huff's network of loyal men begins to break down, picket lines form, and Sayre must decide whether her resentment of her father is her true motivation for seeking justice and fair treatment for the foundry workers. Intrigue and suspense continue to build as old secrets are revealed, as the novel comes to its stunning conclusion. While Brown's latest is smoothly plotted, the last chapters seem almost rushed in an effort to fill in the missing details behind the mysteries and romance. Fans will be pleased with this latest Brown effort that, while well- done, is not her best to date.

Reviewed by Sheri Melnick
Posted August 22, 2004