The Perfect Stranger

New Orleans crime busting heiress/PI Saura Robichaud finds herself joining forces with a stranger she picked up in a bar months before in order to insure that crime kingpin Nathan Lambert is brought to justice for his many crimes, including the death of Saura's fiance. Detective John D'Ambrosia is a perfect match for the butt kicking Saura, and as they try to bring Nathan to justice, the two fall passionately in love. The second book featuring the Robichaud/Fontenot family (following Mill's brilliant "Killing Me Softly" featuring Saura's brother Cain), the bar has been set for the remaining two novels in the series ("A Little Bit Guilty" featuring cousin Gabe Fontenot and "Sins of the Storm" featuring estranged cousin Camille Fontenot).

In a passionately sensual beginning Ms. Mills, sets the stage for her newest suspense novel by giving you a glimpse into the secret life of Saura, a member of the wealthy and influential Robichaud family of Louisiana. Saura has suffered losses from the criminal underbelly that operates in New Orleans and has taken the lives of people Saura had loved. Emotionally closed off, she encounters a stranger whose eyes reflect the inner turmoil of a kindred soul - one who like herself is tormented and lost. After a night of fiery passion, Saura walks away to continue her quest to bring down justice on the person she holds responsible for the loss of her loved ones. Weeks later they would meet again. Detective John D'Ambrosia was a perfect machine, a cop who would not make mistakes except for possibly letting the woman walk away from him who ignited a spark of flame in his otherwise dead soul. After discovering Saura was getting closer to the target he had earmarked to `take down' they reluctantly join forces. As John tried to take the lead in the investigation, he discovered that Saura was way ahead of him and her secrets would provide surprises that he'd never seen coming. In addition to the edge of the seat suspense, Ms. Mills fills the pages with a passionate romance and a hero and heroine who are both fiercely intelligent and capable. What motivates them are the circumstances which the author feeds to the reader in bits and pieces as they discover the reasons for their individual tormented pasts. It is a remarkably good character study for both the leads and filled sensual heat and just the right amount of secondary characters to keep the pace moving at a fast clip. The author puts in enough detail to take the reader on a whirlwind ride searching for clues to nail the bad guy, even as they themselves often get caught in the cross-fire. As the story gains momentum a couple of twists pop out that this reader did not see coming which supported the mystery and enlightened the story. The dialogues were sharp, the passion steamy and sensual, and the pace kept this reviewer reading non-stop from beginning to end! This is an excellent read! Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques John D'Ambrosia spent one night with a beautiful mystery woman before she disappeared. He has not been able to get her out of his mind so he's quite surprised when she reappears... on the arm of the criminal John is investigating. He is even more surprised to find out she is the sister of one of his former coworkers from the police force. Saura Robichaud is suffering, has been suffering, ever since she lost her fiancé at the hands of New Orleans Crime Lord Nathan Lambert. Former private investigator, Saura went into hiding and has just now reappeared, sworn to find out everything she can about Nathan's activities. When the stranger she spent one unforgettable night with shows up at Nathan's home, she needs to get to the bottom of things. Upon the realization that John is one of the good guys, Saura reluctantly agrees to work with him on the case. Their passion still lingers and makes both Saura and John long to give in to their desires. But their stakes in bringing Nathan down are far too steep. Dangers lurks around every corner and grows even stronger when they fear one or both of their covers have been blown. Can they outwit the enemy and find the love they both long for? Saura and John are perfect for each other. Both have their inner wounds from past experiences they carry around with them. In spite of that, both are very strong individuals who know how important their respective missions are and won't let anything stop them. This added some great tension and conflict since John is all alpha male who will protect his woman at any costs. Saura is no shrinking violet though and won't let him call the shots. One of the best things about Saura's character is that we don't really know why she feels so strongly about taking Nathan down. It initially seems like she has a death wish, just as her brother Cain believes. However, as the story progresses, we learn there is much more to Saura and we see her true motivation shine through. The Perfect Stranger is a pulse pounding and suspenseful adventure sure to keep readers fascinated until the very last page is turned and the mystery solved. I will admit, I found myself somewhat confused a few times where it was obvious there was a lot of back story not explained in this book. However, this didn't influence my understanding of the plot itself. It just affected my deeper perception of our characters' motivations and personalities. Once I realized there was a book preceding this one, Killing Me Softly, I tried not to worry as much about everyone's behavior, assuming it would be explained fully enough in this book for me to follow, as it was. And now I have a good excuse to move Killing Me Softly up on my reading list. Jenna Mills proves she is a master of suspense with The Perfect Stranger. She kept me guessing throughout the novel with several twists and turns in the plot and even tossed in a few zingers that totally surprised me. One I later realized I should ha

Saura is a Robichaud. Her eyes sparkle with a fierce intelligence and fiery Cajun passion. All members of the Robichaud family seem to possess those traits. But Saura is the only one Detective John D'Ambrosia has spent time with as a lover. She had been a beautiful stranger back then. They had shared a single incredible night together. Now she has turned up on the arm of Nathan Lambert, one of the biggest and most ruthless New Orleans crime bosses. Once they realize they are on the same side, John and Saura join forces. It is NOT something John wants to do. He wants to keep Saura far away from Lambert. Yet John has no choice but to acknowledge the fact that Saura has gotten closer to their target than he ever will. And Saura has a few surprises in her past which may come in very handy. ***** Saura is proof that you should never judge a book by its cover or a person by how they look on the surface. The book may someday become a classic and a person may use their appearance as a tool, if not a weapon. The heroine, Saura, does such. I could not help but feel immense satisfaction each time she succeeds in doing so either. The author, Jenna Mills, focuses equal amounts of time to the case, as well as, to the romance building between the couple. A surprising twist is even thrown in a time or two. Each time I felt as a rookie must. I left myself wide open by concentrating on the couple, rather than some small evidence that did not add up and came back to slap me in the face. This is proof, to myself, that the author has the excellent talent of diverting the attention of her readers without rousing suspicion. (Perhaps Jenna Mills is practicing to become a Puppet Master. Who knows for sure?) Excellent story! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.