"Another great romantic thriller from a master"

Regan McKinney, after a painful divorce, moved across the country to San Francisco to start a new life with her sister Kat and her niece Blair. Regan has found a new job she enjoys which offers her plenty of opportunity. She also is on the right track in her love life, finding promise in her blossoming relationship with her dance instructor, Peter Smith.

Regan's life is getting back to normal as she begins to heal from her divorce. Things are looking rosy and she finds herself falling in love with Peter. Meanwhile, all around her, life is crumbling. A serial killer is on the loose, stalking the women of San Francisco. Every victim is left near the bay shores; and all of them eerily resemble Regan.

Now the FBI investigator, Sam Sloan, assigned to the case, his last before retiring, and Regan are in a race against time to unmask the vicious murderer. He has pegged Regan as one last partner in his dance to the death. Will they find him in time to save Regan's life?

Ms. Jones has a winner with this book. She grabs the reader's attention from the first paragraph and never lets go. She keeps one guessing who the murderer is, right up to the end. The novel is fast-paced and exciting, though slightly graphic in scenes, as is expected, considering the subject matter. Ms. Jones also uses a unique premise here, having a character suffering from multiple personality disorder. She tackles the subject with ease, handling it well and proving she did her homework for this subject.

The characters are well developed and multidimensional. Regan has a big heart, albeit a troubled one, and cares deeply for people. Peter is loveable, though pretty scatterbrained and mysterious. Sam, under his gruff exterior, has a heart of gold, which has been tarnished by his work. He thrived on his lifestyle for many years, though it has steadily beaten him down. These three, and all the other characters are vivid, lingering in memory long after the last page is turned.

Ms. Jones has proven once again that she is a master of romantic suspense, and is on the rise to super stardom in the genre.

Ó Kelley A. Hartsell, 2002. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Posted March 2, 2002