"fine mainstream fiction"

Self-made millionaire Mitchell Wyatt assumed he was an orphan but is actually a member of the prominent Wyatt family, who looked upon his birth as an embarrassment. When his brother William learned about Mitchell, he engineered a meeting with his sibling. Mitchell quickly cares for his brother, his sister-in-law and his nephew Billy. When William disappears, Mitchell comforts his sister-in-law and Billy; not realizing the Cook County Attorney General believes he killed William and probably his father too.

Kate Donovan is on the Caribbean Island of Anguillia waiting for her boyfriend of four years to join her, but meets Mitchell; they share a passionate interlude and Kate breaks it off with Evan when he arrives, but finds Mitchell returned to Chicago to answer questions about the murder of his brother. Kate thinks he deserted her and Evan tells her he used her to get revenge on his father who played a role in sending him away when he was an infant. She believes Evan and after a brief bitter exchange at a social gala Kate and Mitchell don't see each other for three years until another crime brings them together.

Fans of Danielle Steele will appreciate the mainstream fiction EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE. The story line is loaded with suspense as the audience anticipates Mitchell's arrest and subsequently what he will do. The relationship between Kate and him feels more obligatory of the sub- genre than a genuine meeting of the hearts. Still reader will enjoy the tense tale pondering how it will end.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 25, 2006

Summary

Unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and riveting suspense: These are the trademarks of beloved author Judith McNaught. With millions of devoted fans and ten New York Times bestsellers to date, McNaught is a writer whose work just gets better with each new novel—and Every Breath You Take is the book readers have been waiting for. Returning to the lavish Chicago setting of her popular novel Paradise, and revisiting some of that book's characters as well, this story will captivate in inimitable Judith McNaught style.

High atop a snow-covered hill, the stately old Wyatt mansion is perched like a crown, its stone spires pointing upward, its stained glass windows glowing like colorful jewels. Such opulence means success and, surely, happiness. But on the eve of wealthy philanthropist Cecil Wyatt's eightieth birthday, all the money in the world won't bring back his missing grandson, William Wyatt. The only thing for certain: Foul play was involved.

The family, the police, the media—all have tried in vain to discover the young man's fate. Now suspicion has turned shockingly toward William's own half-brother, the rather distant and enigmatic Mitchell Wyatt.

Kate Donovan never dreamed that a chance romantic encounter on a tropical island paradise would tag her as a suspect in a high-society murder case. But after Kate tangles with the darkly charismatic Mitchell Wyatt, she finds herself cast in a shadow of guilt and mistrust. As the Chicago police tighten their net, it will take all of Kate's ingenuity to clear her name. With her calm, cool wit, and the help of a man who may or may not be a dangerous catch, Kate vows to claim the life and love she desires.