Danger in a Red Dress (The Fortune Hunter Books)

Hannah Grey is a home-care RN who specializes in arthritis cases and is trained in physical therapy. When one of her patients leaves her some money in his will, the family believes she slept her way into earning it. The family uses their influence to have Hannah's New Hampshire nursing certificate suspended. Believing the lies, Carrick Manly decides Hannah is just the greedy person he needs. Hannah is desperate for work and agrees when Carrick offers her the job of caring for his mother, Melinda, in her Maine coast mansion. Melinda has not left the mansion in fifteen years. That was when her husband crashed a multibillion-dollar business, stole the money and left the country without looking back. Carrick believes his mother knows where his father stashed the money and wants Hannah to pull the information out of her. But Carrick has read Hannah all wrong and she refuses to help scam Melinda. Hannah is getting ready to leave when Melinda comes up and asks her to remain. Gabriel Prescott is one of Carrick's half-brothers. Gabriel plans to tell Carrick, but before he can Carrick hires his security firm. Gabriel hides monitors and audio devices all over the mansion because Carrick has convinced him that Hannah is abusing the elderly lady. But then Melinda is murdered and the video looks like Hannah is the killer. Worse, the equipment proves that Melinda had known where the money was all along and has not only told Hannah where it is being held, but all the access codes to retrieve it. Hannah finds herself on the run from the law and Carrick's unscrupulous people. Gabriel may be the only one who can keep her alive, if she can convince him of her innocence. ***** Christina Dodd proves, once again, that she has found her calling in life. This tale has a villain that readers will love to hate. He is a slimy man who seems to pull the wool over the eyes of all except his mother and Hannah (uh, and the thugs he owes money to). Full of action and suspense, this story kept me hooked from first until last. I found it to be a wild ride and absolutely thrilling! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I'm so glad I didn't read the reviews for this book before I bought it, because then I wouldn't have bought it and would have missed out on a great read. It appears that this is part of a series, but I have read none of the other books in it. So if you've not read the others, you can still enjoy this one. The start of this book was not good for me. I felt like a lot of the circumstances and scenes were forced by the author. I thought I would really dislike this book. But shortly thereafter, I really got into the story and I could not put it down. Others have said this is a better mystery than a romance and that could be somewhat true. I just enjoyed the book and found it an entertaining read, both from a suspense and a romantic perspective. I definitely recommend it. 4.5

This is the final book in Christina Dodd's Prescott/Manly brothers series and it is fantastic. It was easy to jump into even though I hadn't read the last book in one of the series. Hannah Grey is a terrific, strong heroine-a caregiver-which made her instantly likeable. And the tension in the story is fabulous. She is under continual video surveillance by Prescott who is the half brother of the man whose mother Hannah cares for. There is a fortune involved and killers looking for it. I won't say more as I don't want to give out any spoilers. Dodd is great at drawing characters and making you feel for them. The plot is terrific and fast-paced. I can't wait for Dodd's next series!

I've been waiting for Gabriel Prescott's story since 2003, when he appeared in JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, the first book in Dodd's contemporary Lost Texas Hearts series. Now, finally, in DANGER IN A RED DRESS, Gabriel's story comes to life in an unforgettable book that brings the Lost Texas Hearts and Fortune Hunters series together in a stunning conclusion. When a wealthy, elderly gentleman dies in nurse, Hannah Grey's care and leaves her a $50,000 bequest, his selfish and vindictive children convince a judge that Hannah slept with their father to obtain the money, causing Hannah's nursing license to be revoked. Now jobless and increasingly desperate, Hannah accepts an offer from handsome, charismatic Carrick Manly to care for his ailing, difficult mother at their home in another state but it doesn't take long after her arrival in Maine to realize she has jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Carrick's charm and apparent concern for his mother hide a devious and manipulative core, Mrs. Manly has a secret that could put her life in jeopardy and Hannah finds herself caught squarely in the middle. Abandoned as a child, then separated from his foster siblings, Gabriel Prescott has spent a lifetime searching for his family. After recently discovering that he's the biological son of the infamous Nathan Manly, a businessman who abandoned his company and family, disappearing with billions of dollars, Gabriel is making plans to break the news to Carrick Manly that they are half-brothers. Before he can however, Carrick contacts Gabriel with the news that he has reason to be suspicious of his mother's new nurse and hires Gabriel's security company to monitor his mother's home and gain evidence against Hannah. Wanting to do all he can to help his younger brother, Gabriel takes him at his word and, believing the worst of Hannah, he moves into the Manly home to begin surveillance, but he never expected Hannah to be so lovely or seem so sincere, so innocent. Using an alias, Gabriel works with Hannah to provide security for the Manly Halloween party, falling more deeply under her spell with each encounter, but just as he convinces himself that Carrick must have been mistaken about her, events take an unexpected turn and the fragile trust that had begun between them is shattered, sending Hannah running for her life. Gabriel and Hannah are both searching for a place to belong but abandonment and betrayal have taught them to be wary of placing their trust in others. Dodd puts them on a collision course where only by trusting in one another will they be able to survive but circumstances present Gabriel with a heartbreaking choice. And when Hannah discovers Gabriel's true identity will she be able to forgive his lies or will they send her running from him and straight into danger? Dodd captured my attention from the first line, "Hannah Grey couldn't remember when she'd enjoyed a funeral more," and held it to the final page of this intensely pas

This book is awesome!!! Ms. Dodd keeps you on the edge of your seat as usual. The dialogue is great, and Gabriel is one of her best heroes ever! So tough and sexy. Sometimes you're just in the mood for a good fun page turner, and this is it.