Simon Granger, special agent with the Special Investigators
Group of the California Department of Justice, risks his
life every day seeking justice for victims of horrible
crimes. Since the death of his colleague and ex-girlfriend
at the hands of a serial killer the burden has felt too
heavy to bear. He's facing burnout and wants to move into an
administrative position and give up the day-to-day
investigations. He doesn't have the patience to deal with
the homeless and mentally ill witnesses and suspects he is
dealing with in his current cases. He believes they don't
need to be treated any differently than anyone else and
particularly refuses to "go easy" on people he believes are
guilty.
Psychiatrist Nina Whitaker specialized in training police
how to respond to the mentally ill but has given that up to
focus on her work with elderly persons with dementia. After
the suicide of a patient and that of her own sister, Nina
moved to San Francisco and decided to leave the life and
death decisions to others. Now her boss is pushing her to
help start a police training program given the bad publicity
the SFPD has recently received for its treatment of the
homeless. Circumstances force her into the investigation of
the death of a homeless man as a temporary partner to Simon.
Neither is thrilled with the arrangement, particularly given
the attraction that instantly flares between them. Can they
balance business and pleasure while trying to stop a killer
before he strikes again?
SHADES OF PASSION is compelling, suspenseful, and will leave
you guessing until the very end. Virna DePaul takes on a
difficult topic, mental illness, without flinching. It is
front and center, with many of the principal characters
struggling with their own emotional and psychological wounds
tied up in guilt and grief. Simon initially represents the
judgmental and uniformed perspective many have towards
mental illness while Nina advocates education and
understanding without sounding preachy. Both Nina and Simon
are strong, intelligent professionals who must find a way to
balance their differing perspectives. I initially struggled
with the romantic aspects of the story. Simon was not
particularly likable at the beginning and their disagreement
was so deep I could not believe that they would instantly
want to sleep together. Thankfully, Simon had an open mind
and softened under Nina's influence.
Detective Simon Granger has devoted his life to solving
high-risk cases, and he's vowed never again to get involved
with a woman whose work is equally as dangerous. But when
the Special Investigations Group teams him with a beautiful
psychiatrist, his resolve is shattered by the tense and
emotionally charged partnership .
Shades of Intrigue
Determined to outrun the grief over her sister's death, Dr.
Nina Whitaker reluctantly agrees to use her training to help
the police. Despite Detective Granger's disdain for her
profession, she believes she can change his mind. But then a
grieving father begins a deadly game of revenge, threatening
Nina's life, challenging her beliefs and drawing Nina and
Simon together in an explosive endgame of intrigue and
unstoppable passion.