Blackmailed Bride

Sylvie Kurtz takes a giant step forward with her second Intrigue, "Blackmailed Bride," a well-executed twist on the Gothic formula. Dr. Jonas Shades comes to Cathlynn O'Connell with a deal: if she pretends to be his wife for two weeks, he'll give her the antique heirloom she's been searching for for years. Cathlynn wants the heirloom to please her dying grandmother, but is the deal too costly? Jonas's wife has been missing for six weeks without a word. Rumor has it she might be dead. Cathlynn reluctantly agrees to the deal, and finds herself alone in an isolated mansion in rural New Hampshire, with a man who had every reason to kill his wife. Did she dare trust him with danger coming ever closer?Dark, mysterious, suspenseful and passionate, "Blackmailed Bride" is the kind of story I was sure Intrigue had forgotten how to tell. Set in an abandoned monastery in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter, it is the kind of page turner sure to send a shiver up your spine. In a way it is reminiscent of Jenna Ryan's early books. There are no hooks, but several original elements, which makes it feel like a welcome breath of fresh air. Unlike many attempts at the modern gothic, the characters aren't stuck as stock characters. Cathlynn is a tough heroine who won't back down. Jonas is remote, but wasn't one of those hard-headed heroes who I frustrated me to the extreme. Their interplay sizzles, the suspense builds, the characters find themselves in danger repeatedly. While her first Intrigue, "One Texas Night" was very repetitive, Kurtz keeps the action moving and the thrills coming throughout. I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down.So I don't mislead anyone, I will admit "Blackmailed Bride" is not without flaws. Kurtz doesn't play fair with the mystery. It isn't too hard to figure out who the villain is. It is impossible to figure out why, since Kurtz withholds quite a bit of information about characters until the climax. These are things the characters know about each other. Only the reader is left in the dark. It is a bit of a cheap trick when it's not even teased at. There are also some melodramatic moments and some overlooked points (if Jonas needs money so bad, how could he afford to buy the Heart out from under Cathlynn?). But the story is so fresh, the setting so well done, the danger so wonderfully suspenseful, that those minor points were easy for me to overlook. (And the melodramatic and over the top passages are still pretty fun.) I never lost interest for a moment and never stopped turning the pages. A very entertaining read I highly enjoyed. Anyone tired of kids and cowboys, here's one for you. A fabulous change of pace. Don't miss it.

Sylvie Kurtz takes a giant step forward with her second Intrigue, "Blackmailed Bride," a well-executed twist on the Gothic formula. Dr. Jonas Shades comes to Cathlynn O'Connell with a deal: if she pretends to be his wife for two weeks, he'll give her the antique heirloom she's been searching for for years. Cathlynn wants the heirloom to please her dying grandmother, but is the deal too costly? Jonas's wife has been missing for six weeks without a word. Some are saying she came to a bad end. Cathlynn reluctantly agrees to the deal, and finds herself alone in an isolated mansion in rural New Hampshire with a man who had every reason to kill his wife. Does she dare trust him with danger coming ever closer?Dark, mysterious, suspenseful and passionate, "Blackmailed Bride" is the kind of story I was sure Intrigue had forgotten to tell. Set in an abandoned monastery in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter, it is the kind of page turner sure to send a shiver up your spine. In a way, it is reminiscent of Jenna Ryan's early books. There are no hooks, but several original elements, which makes it feel like a welcome breath of fresh air. Unlike many attempts at the modern gothic, the characters aren't stuck as stock characters. Cathlynn is a tough heroine who won't back down. Jonas is remote, but wasn't one of those hard-headed heroes frustrated me to the extreme. Their interplay sizzles, the suspense builds. While her first Intrigue, "One Texas Night," was very repetitive, Kurtz keeps the action moving and the thrills coming throughout. I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down."Blackmailed Bride" is not without flaws. Kurtz doesn't play fair with the mystery. It isn't too hard to figure out who the villain is, but it is impossible to figure out why, since Kurtz withholds quite a bit of information about characters until the climax. These are things the characters know about each other; only the reader is left in the dark. It is a bit of a cheap trick when it's not even teased at. There are also some moments that go over the top, and some overlooked points (if Jonas needs money so badly, how did he afford to pay such a high price for the antique?). But the story is so fresh, the setting so well done, the danger so wonderfully suspenseful, that those minor points were easy for me to overlook. I never lost interest for a moment and never stopped turning the pages. A very entertaining read I highly enjoyed.