The Private Eye

Jayne Ann Krentz never fails. Loved the characters. The Colonel, Odessa, Shirley and Ricky 'The Wrecker' were just as I would expect from Ms. Krentz. I'll read this again and enjoy it as much as the first time.

I have an old paperback compilation that has this book in it. This story is one I hope gets converted to Kindle---if the publishers don't offer it at an outrageous price, as they have with some of Jayne Ann Krentz's older works.

This is a typical Harlequin/Silhouette romance for the era in which it was written, so those who hate that genre might want to avoid it. For those, like me who enjoy these older, light romances, this is an excellent one. Some of Ms. Krentz's older works do not wear well, but this one does. It is of excellent quality, a well written, nice story, with wonderful characters who are well developed, given the constraints of the genre.

'The Private Eye' has a bit of suspense added to the romance, which adds a nice element to the plot. The suspense is pretty tame and it is obvious which character is the villain. This is, again, typical of the genre, which does not make this a "bad" book. The key word for this genre is "light". Those who want a dedicated mystery or suspense book should check out Agatha Christie or someone of that ilk. Readers of this genre want a light, simple, but high quality romance with a 'feel-good' aspect.

Josh and Maggie are appealing characters, as are the secondary characters. Josh is cynical, but a very sweet romantic under all his bluster; Maggie is sweet, loyal, slightly naïve, but insightful. The story has moments of humour, thanks to the interplay with Maggie's eccentric boarders.

This book foreshadows Krentz's later work, 'Grand Passion', which is one of her full length romantic suspense books. Reading the two in sequence shows how her work developed as she mastered her craft. As well, it shows the reader how talented Krentz was, early in her career when she was writing category romance.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes light, well written Harlequin Romance books and to those who appreciate Ms. Krentz's earlier works. There is some mild sex, but unless one is rabid about 'clean' books, this one should be entertaining to adolescents and on up to the geriatric set. If read for what it is, readers should be quite satisfied with this book; just don't read it expecting it to be something it is not.

Dane Carter is pretending to be his brother Derek while he searches for Derek's killer. He thinks he's got a hot lead when Angel Morris walks into his--Derek's--office. The more he learns of her relationship with his brother--that Derek had betrayed her trust, had her fired from her job, fathered her child, then left her--the more it looks like Angel could be Derek's killer. Yet, the more he learns of Angel, the more he knows it isn't her. When it turns out someone is trying to kill Angel, Dane is left with finding the real killer and protecting the woman he loves.
Lori Foster's ability to pull readers into the story and not let go until the very last page is what makes her such an enduring favorite!

I have an old paperback compilation that has this book in it. This story is one I hope gets converted to Kindle---if the publishers don't offer it at an outrageous price, as they have with some of Jayne Ann Krentz's older works.

This is a typical Harlequin/Silhouette romance for the era in which it was written, so those who hate that genre might want to avoid it. For those, like me who enjoy these older, light romances, this is an excellent one. Some of Ms. Krentz's older works do not wear well, but this one does. It is of excellent quality, a well written, nice story, with wonderful characters who are well developed, given the constraints of the genre.

'The Private Eye' has a bit of suspense added to the romance, which adds a nice element to the plot. The suspense is pretty tame and it is obvious which character is the villain. This is, again, typical of the genre, which does not make this a "bad" book. The key word for this genre is "light". Those who want a dedicated mystery or suspense book should check out Agatha Christie or someone of that ilk. Readers of this genre want a light, simple, but high quality romance with a 'feel-good' aspect.

Josh and Maggie are appealing characters, as are the secondary characters. Josh is cynical, but a very sweet romantic under all his bluster; Maggie is sweet, loyal, slightly naïve, but insightful. The story has moments of humour, thanks to the interplay with Maggie's eccentric boarders.

This book foreshadows Krentz's later work, 'Grand Passion', which is one of her full length romantic suspense books. Reading the two in sequence shows how her work developed as she mastered her craft. As well, it shows the reader how talented Krentz was, early in her career when she was writing category romance.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes light, well written Harlequin Romance books and to those who appreciate Ms. Krentz's earlier works. There is some mild sex, but unless one is rabid about 'clean' books, this one should be entertaining to adolescents and on up to the geriatric set. If read for what it is, readers should be quite satisfied with this book; just don't read it expecting it to be something it is not.

Dane Carter is pretending to be his brother Derek while he searches for Derek's killer. He thinks he's got a hot lead when Angel Morris walks into his--Derek's--office. The more he learns of her relationship with his brother--that Derek had betrayed her trust, had her fired from her job, fathered her child, then left her--the more it looks like Angel could be Derek's killer. Yet, the more he learns of Angel, the more he knows it isn't her. When it turns out someone is trying to kill Angel, Dane is left with finding the real killer and protecting the woman he loves.
Lori Foster's ability to pull readers into the story and not let go until the very last page is what makes her such an enduring favorite!

I always enjoy Jayne Ann Krentz's books, and this one was no different. She has such a great sense of humor. And because I bought the book for Ms.Krentz's story,I also got to discover Lori Foster! Wow! I loved this book, and I can't wait to read Wanton, the book that follows with the irresistible Alec. If it's even half as good as Beguiled, I wont' be disappointed. Sexy, intense, romantic, suspenseful...did I say sexy? I will definitely hunt up Ms. Foster's backlist. Don't miss this great duo of books!

BEGUILED is a masterful mystery full of snap and sizzle. Not only will you be left guessing until the end, but you'll be fanning yourself too. As always, Foster manages to make the air positively electric between her well-written hero and heroine. Look for WANTON, a spin off from BEGUILED, to hit store shelves in October. It's sure to be as sinful as its name.