Smoke in Mirrors

Jayne has done it again! A great mystery with hot love scenes and laughter. I loved the way she has two sub plot romances going on in this book. It not only provided interest but kept the pace fast. If you are a Jayne Ann Krantz fan, this is a must read. If you haven't discovered her yet, this is the book to do it with. The mystery provides twist and turns enough to keep you guessing. The love scenes are enough to make you want a cool breeze. This book has it all romance, mystery and comedy.It is a keeper!

For the last several books, Jayne Ann Krentz (who also writes as Amanda Quick) has been ignoring current romance trends to shift her style more and more toward romantic suspense. As she's done so, her writing style has become a bit more aloof, leading to less development of her main characters and the romance between them. Quick's "Slightly Shady" was somewhat of a disappointment for me; the characters and romance seemed almost incidental to the plot."Smoke in Mirrors" retreats somewhat from that aloof style, giving us good character and romantic development and appealing secondary characters. In addition, the mystery here is well integrated with the characters.Leonora is a good Krentz heroine, with the loyalty and spunk we've come to expect. Thomas is another brooding Krentz hero, complete with large scary (but appealing) dog. The romance between them seems natural and easy, and the development of a secondary romance between Thomas's brother and his yoga instructor is handled well.That said, the pacing of this book was a little off. While the initial build-up of suspense worked well, the conclusion seems rushed, and the eventual unmasking of the "villain" doesn't seem to make all that much sense. All is explained, but it would have been clearer if the conclusion had gone a slightly different direction.Still, this is good Krentz, with all the hallmarks her fans have come to expect of her. A good read! Enjoy!

The once beautiful and vibrant Meredith Spooner is dead and her closest confidant Leonora Hutton cleans out the deceased's apartment when Thomas Walker arrives. He informs Leonora that Meredith stole 1.5 million from the college alumni fund that his brother manages. Leonora tries to ignore Thomas' threats to implicate her as an accomplice of Meredith if she fails to help him. However, Meredith eerily contacts Leonora, informing her where the loot is, but that the deceased worried about something she learned. Leonora offers to return the cash if Thomas helps her investigate Meredith's "accident". However, Leonora will soon hit the highest and lowest points of her life as she will find love at about the same time that someone tries to kill her. Jayne Ann Krentz has written a fine romantic suspense novel starring two quirky lead characters that endear themselves to the audience. The fast-paced action works because the secondary cast adds the needed depth to turn this multi-faceted story line into a realistic endeavor. SMOKE IN MIRROR is Ms. Krentz at her most romantic and suspenseful best.Harriet Klausner

I am a long time fan of JAK and looked forward to her new book, I was not disappointed! Leonora and Thomas are a great team and a great couple. I enjoyed their interaction in dialogue and character as well as their relationships with Thomas' brother and Leonora's grandmother. JAK gives the characters substance and style and the only draw back with any of her novels is that they end. I look forward to other books by her and also books under her pen names. Thank you for an enjoyable time.