Howling in the Darkness

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Jonah Ries is an FBI Agent, working undercover to solve a mystery. Someone in Moriah's Landing has been ordering illegal medical supplies, rumored to be needed by a secret society of scientists dating back to the 1600s. He has tried to find out what happened to the agent who was originally on the case, until he disappeared. Katherine "Kat" Ridgemont is a native of Moriah's Landing, and the local private investigator. She also happens to be haunted by her mother's murder 20 years ago, a victim of a serial killer who was never found. Kat bears more than a passing resemblance to her mother. As the anniversary of her death approaches, Kat starts to have a recurring nightmare from her childhood, and starts to feel as though something is about to happen. From the moment Jonah stumbles into Kat's office and is mistaken for her blind date, they are attracted to each other. Jonah has a secret though, and he is sure Kat would want nothing to do with him if she knew what it was. Something evil is after Kat, and Jonah senses it, knowing he will do whatever is necessary to protect her. If he can't Kat will fall victim to the same fate as her mother did. This second installment in the Moriah's Landing miniseries for the most part does not disappoint. It is a stand alone book from the rest of the series, but reading all four together and in order, will help one to understand the underlying mystery throughout. The readers get to pay a return visit to some interesting characters from the first book, as well as get introduced to some new ones. Also, a little more is revealed about the story of Claire, which was introduced in the beginning. Claire is, in fact, probably one of the most intriguing characters of the series, as one journeys along with her as she re-enters the world and tries to remember what happened to her five years before. Kat and Jonah are wonderful together, balancing each other's faults and strengths, so they are all the stronger for it, together. One thing that is never fully explained however, is why suddenly Kat's nightmares from childhood come back when they do. Many reasons are given for why that is the case, but it is hard to understand why this did not happen in past years on the anniversary of her mother's death. One is led to believe it is partially due to the string of recent murders in the town, hinting at a return serial killer, but if that is the case, one might think her memories would have started to surface after Claire's abduction when they were in college together. In spite of that, the story sucks the reader in and will have one eager to finally get the answers to the mysteries surrounding Moriah's Landing. It also nicely sets up the next story in the series, SCARLET VOWS, which was released in May 2002. Read all four for the full tale. One will enjoy the complexities of each as an individual story, and all of them as a whole.

This is book 2 of a 4 book continuity series entitle Moriah's Landing. Book one is "Secret Sanctuary" by Amanda Stevens (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 650). Book three is "Scarlet Vows" by Dani Sinclair (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 658). The final book is "Behind the Veil" by Joanna Wayne (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 662). This romance series is suppose to be classic gothic fantasy set in a modern day New England town. I enjoyed these books. I hate to say more, since I don't want to give anything away ;-)