"well written romantic suspense"

When Blair Mallory refuses to renew Nicole Goodwin's membership in her fitness center Great Bods, the latter throws a temper tantrum. After closing for the evening, Blair heads to her car only to see Nikki there. A shot rings out; Blair believes Nikki is shooting at her. She calls the police who find Nikki dead with a bullet in her.

Lieutenant Wyatt Bloodsworth heads the investigation though he dated Blaire a few times before dropping her like a hot potato. During his inquiries he makes it very clear that he wants a serious relationship with Blaire and even gets her to move into his home when someone tries to shoot her. When Nikki's killer is caught, everyone breaths a sigh of relief until someone cuts the brake lines of Blaire's car. Nikki's killer has an airtight alibi while someone else apparently wants the fitness guru dead.

After numerous well written romantic suspense thrillers, Linda Howard employs the first person narrative for the first time and makes it work as readers know everything the beleaguered heroine thinks and feels. This means the audience knows that Blair finds her protective champion hot, which makes their time out of bed quite an amusing battle of the sexes. There is no apparent suspect except the jailed killer so Blair and readers ponder who and why. TO DIE FOR is an excellent romantic suspense as expected from Ms. Howard, who always provides a fabulous read.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted December 4, 2004

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Summary

Blair Mallory lives the good life. She's pretty, confident, and the owner of a thriving up-scale fitness center. But in the shadow of success, a troubled member of the club develops a strange fixation on Blair, imitating her style and dress. Matters take a darker turn when the look-alike is shot dead—and Blair witnesses the horror.

As the media speculates on the tawdry details of the homicide and pushes Blair into the harsh spotlight, she locks horns with police lieutenant Wyatt Bloodsworth. He wants to lead an investigation without interference, while Blair is determined to probe the dead woman's life on her own. But when someone begins to menace Blair with mounting threats, Wyatt takes notice: Was this murder indeed a lethal case of mistaken identity—and was Blair the intended victim?