The Bodyguard: Elk River, Colorado

Sheryl Lynn begins a new miniseries called "Elk River, Colorado" with _The Bodyguard_, and she once again shows how skilled she is at romantic suspense. All Frankie Forrest wanted was to stop her sister from making a big mistake and marrying the wrong man. But a bad situation only gets worse when the groom is murdered and Frankie becomes the prime suspect. That's just the beginning of an increasingly dangerous set of circumstances, and the only man she can trust might be the last one she should.Sheryl is one of those Intrigue writers who has a clear, distinctive voice, and her writing crackles with wit and energy. It's pretty much worth it for that reason alone; her vivid descriptions bring the characters to life expertly and there are both funny moments and truly gripping ones. On the story side, the book begins with a bang and never lets up. The love story is well done and the mystery first-rate. At first, it seems like the author gives us too much information, but she's actually kept a lot under her hat for the twist-filled finale. About the only thing that kept me from completely loving the book was the heroine, who overreacts to everything so strongly that, at times, it seems like she's more borderline psychotic than self-reliant. Thank goodness the sexy hero has the patience of a saint. Fans will be happy to know that this is a spinoff of Sheryl's "Honeymoon Hideaway" miniseries. First-timers will be glad that this book stands on its own, and while some old characters pop up, they're handled in a way that won't leave anyone who hasn't read those books feeling left out. A very good romantic mystery and a great read. We can only hope next month's book, _Undercover Fiance_, will be this good.