"A Good Romantic Suspense"

Joanna West is a Captain and a helicopter pilot in the Air Force. She is strong and confident. Flying the Secretary of State to a meeting, she observes a white van chasing a red sports car. The sports car speeds up and crashes into a field, rolling over. When the car catches on fire, Joanna lands the helicopter to try and help the man before the car blows up. She is able to save the handsome, Alex Taylor, grandson of the former president. She becomes an immediate celebrity.

Alex is attracted to Joanna and pursues her relentlessly. In turn, Joanna is attracted to the wealthy and charming Alex. He tries to give her very expensive gifts but she refuses them. She takes him to an Air Force picnic and realizes that it is a mistake, as he just does not fit in with her friends. One close friend, who would like to be more than a friend to Joanna, is Deke, who is also a Captain in the Air Force. The man with the white van, a newsman, is murdered. Little by little Johanna begins to see everything more clearly. She starts rethinking her relationship with Alex.

The Dark Side of Dawn caught me by surprise when I realized the hero of the tale was not who I thought he was at the beginning. When a person is wealthy and powerful, able to buy off or purchase anything he wants, he becomes a very frightening bad guy. Joanna is a spunky woman who is attracted to two men. At the beginning of the book we mostly see Alex but Deke is always on the sidelines. Merline Lovelace writes about a career woman in the Air Force -- something she really knows about. Her writing is first-rate and she is able to keep the story moving along at a good pace. I have become a great fan of Ms. Lovelace and have also enjoyed her previous books, RIVER RISING, LINE OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY and DUTY AND DISHONOR.

Reviewed by Marilyn Heyman
Posted August 19, 2001