"Great thriller"

Jilly was born evil and her sister Carrie knew it even if Jilly's mother never acknowledged it until Avery was born. Jill dumped her on her mother and left to see the world and what it could do for her. When Avery was five, Jilly blackmailed her mother into giving her money in order to keep Avery. When Avery was eleven, Jilly's boyfriend tried to abduct her and Avery got shot and almost died.

Now Avery is all grown up and working for the FBI. She thinks Jilly is dead until Jilly communicates with her, telling her if she doesn't do what Jilly says, Carrie will die. Avery agrees to play KILLJOY and even accepts the help of ex-agent John Paul who is after Monk, Jilly's partner in crime. Avery and John Paul become emotionally involved as they evade Jilly and Monk but they have much more to overcome if they want to stay alive and together.

KILLJOY has more than enough action to keep thriller fans happy and has just enough romance to placate romance fans. Julie Garwood has created a female Hannibal Lechter, a woman so evil that readers will root for her downfall. The hero is a knight in shining armor who demonstrates to the heroine that she should be cherished because of her scars, not in spite of them.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 27, 2002

Summary

Avery Delaney has always tried to put the past far behind her. Abandoned by her rapacious, conniving mother when she was only three days old, Avery was raised by her grandmother and beloved aunt Carolyn. Then, when she was eleven, she witnessed her grandmother's violent death, before Avery herself was shot and left for dead. Miraculously she survived. The man responsible is serving time in a Florida prison. This traumatic experience propels Avery into a life of law and order.

Her razor-sharp mind and ability to gather data and decipher evidence has made Avery an expert crime analyst for the FBI. But soon she will have to use every one of her adroit skills on a case that hits painfully close to home.

Avery's workaholic aunt, Carolyn Salvetti, is certain her (hopefully soon-to-be ex) husband sent her the gold embossed reservation to the posh Utopia Spa in the mountains of Colorado. At first she is resistant, but then figures it will be a welcome respite from the cutthroat advertising business, not to mention a networking extravaganza. Plus she persuades her niece to join her for the two weeks of luxury and decadence.

But Carolyn never makes it to Utopia. Under false pretenses, she is taken to an isolated retreat by a handsome stranger with a dazzling smile, suave demeanor, and the darkest of motives. His name is Monk, a hired assassin. Now, with scant clues and fewer resources, Avery must track down and save Carolyn—and outmaneuver a brilliant killer who is part of an elaborate plot of madness and lethal vengeance.