June 3, 2002
Writing in a style uncluttered by romance clichés and trite descriptions, Taylor (In Too Deep) delivers a well-crafted romantic suspense set in Washington, D.C. When Jordan Curry's best friend, Phoebe, asks Jordan to take care of Spencer, her four-year-old son, for a while, Jordan doesn't hesitate, even though Phoebe's ominous parting words—"Nobody can know he's here... it's a matter of life and death"—leave Jordan confused and on edge. Jordan, a successful caterer, hasn't a clue how to feed or entertain a small child, so she turns to her blind date, wealthy workaholic Beau Somerville, for pointers. Beau, whose wife and son died when he lost control of the small plane he'd been piloting, is willing to help, but he doesn't want to get emotionally involved. He manages to keep his distance until he learns that Spencer's parents have been murdered and it appears that Jordan and Spencer are next on the killer's hit list. In an effort to keep them safe, and to help himself come to terms with the loss of his own family, Beau moves Jordan and Spencer to a remote beach house where his protective skills are put to the test. Although the suspense in this offering is on the thin side, well-drawn characters and a richly developed romantic subplot more than make up for the loss.
June 1, 2002
Jordan's best friend, Phoebe, begs her to take care of her four-year-old son, Spencer. Jordan knows that Phoebe's attorney husband has defended members of the underworld, but she doesn't believe it's a matter of life and death as her friend claims. When Phoebe and her husband's lifeless bodies are fished out of the water, however, Jordan realizes that Spencer's stories about an evil pirate are more than just figments of his imagination. Meanwhile, Beau has been struggling with guilt over the death of his wife and child. After meeting Jordan, he once again finds himself in the position of protecting someone, and he's not sure he's up to it. Not content to endanger Jordan, Beau, and Spenser only with a murderer who has no qualms about killing children, Taylor places this unfortunate trio in double jeopardy when a major hurricane hits. A brave man and woman risk everything to save a little boy in this spine-tingling tale of suspense that will appeal to fans of Iris Johansen and Elizabeth Lowell.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)