Mike Newland is used to putting himself in harm's way --
that's his job as a cop with a propensity for handling edgy
and dangerous cases. He has pretty much kept what little
private life he has, well, private. His only relative is
his sister Tess and although they rarely ever see each
other they share an extraordinary attachment. Even when
sequestered in a case Mike maintains contact with Tess.
Strange as it seems a long running murder and fraud case
has somehow landed in the small town Tess has called home
for a while now. Mike and Tess have family history in
Edilean but the memories of their time there are not
pleasant ones for Mike. But because of his connection with
Edilean his captain feels he is the best candidate to
follow the investigation there. The setup is actually quite
simple. The suspect, Stefan, and his mother Mitzi Vandlo --
partners in murder and fraud -- have set their sights on a
young vulnerable woman, Sara Shaw, who not only lives in
Edilean but is a close friend of Tess. Mike's assignment is
to gain Sara's trust and, using his well practiced wiles, get
her away from her fiancé Greg -- Stefan newest identity.
Gaining Sara's trust turns out to be quite a challenge for
Mike as she steadfastly proclaims her dedication to her
absent fiancé. The more he learns of their relationship the
more he questions why this lovely, intelligent young woman
would be so devoted to a man who even she admits treats her
badly. The Vandlo's know how to select a target and Mike
quickly understands how Greg won her over but the burning
question is why they went after Sara. She doesn't appear to
have any wealth which was the motive in all the cases. The
more time Mike and Sara spend together the more obvious the
attraction seems -- well at least to those around them. Both
Mike and Sara spend a lot of time fighting the inevitable
and once they realize they can't keep their hands off each
other the stakes of the game go to an entirely new level.
Sara is fighting a losing battle to protect her heart from
this man who admittedly will move on when the case is
solved. And Mike is embroiled in his own battle to keep
this woman who has become so important to him safe.
Falling
in love under the best conditions is sometimes difficult --
with these odds it almost becomes a mission impossible.
One thing I can assure you -- you will never be disappointed
in a Jude Deveraux story, she always delivers. This book
is no exception. I am unabashedly a fan of hers, have been
for years and still remember favorite stories and
characters having revisited them on occasion. From start to
finish, SCARLET NIGHTS is jam packed with passion, intrigue
and fun while an intricate plot emerges. True to her habit,
nothing is left unexplained or unresolved and Deveraux
leaves you with a new set of characters to remember fondly.
What if you learned that your fiancé was not who he
claimed to be?
Engaged to the charming
and seductive Greg Anders, Sara Shaw is happily
anticipating her wedding in Edilean, Virginia. The date
has been set, the flowers ordered, even her heirloom dress
is ready. But just three weeks before the wedding, Greg
gets a telephone call during the night and leaves without
explanation. Two days later, a man climbs up through a
trapdoor in the floor of Sara’s apartment, claiming that
he is the brother of her best friend and that he’s moving
in. While Mike Newland is indeed telling the truth about
his identity, his reason for being there reaches far
deeper. He’s an undercover detective, and his assignment
is to use Sara to track down a woman who is one of the
most notorious criminals in the United States—and also
happens to be the mother of the man Sara plans to
marry.
Mike thinks the job will be
easy—if he can figure out how to make a “good” girl like
Sara trust him, that is. But Mike has no idea what this
mission has in store for him. He’s worked hard to keep
private his connections to Edilean, which date back to his
grandmother’s time there in 1941. But as Mike and Sara get
to know each other, he can’t help but share secrets about
himself that he’s told no one else. And in return, Sara
opens up to Mike about things she could never reveal to
Greg. As the pair work together to solve two mysteries,
their growing love begins to heal each of them in ways
they never could have imagined.
© 2003-2025 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy