Special agent Carrie Ward is fighting to overcome the emotional repercussions from her last assignment where doing her duty resulted in the death of a teenager. Before her recovery is complete, she is tapped by the Special Investigations Group to lead an investigation into a series of murders by a man known as the Embalmer. She fights to conceal her weakness and uncertainty from those she works with, especially Jase Tyler who seems to see right through her carefully constructed facade to the passionate woman within.

The last thing Jase Tyler needs is to be working side-by- side with the woman who makes him so hard he can barely walk. More than that, he cares too much about how she is feeling especially since she is known as a ball-busting Amazon who will let nothing get in the way of her ambition. He figures if they both give in to the overwhelming sexual attraction between them they can move on and get the job done, hopefully before the sick bastard they are tracking kills again.

Virna DePaul always delivers a good story especially in the romantic suspense genre. She has a well-honed skill for balancing passion with the touches of horror evoked by the bad guys she writes about. Her main characters are brilliantly flawed as well, never cookie-cutter couples but personalities that clash most interestingly both in bed and out.

SHADES OF TEMPTATION is the second book in her Special Investigations Group series, following Shades of Desire. Shades of Passion will be coming soon.