The Private Concierge

In Los Angeles, the rich and famous go to Lane Chandler to discreetly handle their whims and desires. Lane's firm THE PRIVATE CONCIERGE has earned a superior reputation for subtly and tastefully taking care of the legal needs of the elite. However someone must have either hacked into her client database or is a TPC employee because in a short time customers have been exposed to scandal and one is murdered in a scandalous way. LAPD investigates the homicide suspecting another TPC client Ned Talbert. His friend former cop Rick Bayless thinks otherwise and begins to investigate starting with TPC and its owner whom he recognizes as arresting back in 1993 when she was the juvenile Lucy Cox. She was innocent then and innocent now, but being innocent means nothing when it comes to the criminal system where money and power enable Lady Justice to look away. Although she loathes cooperating with the man who forced her to change her name, Lane has no choice as Rick is her only hope to end the reign of terror. This is a fascinating investigative romantic suspense as the beleaguered heroine knows her options are limited to working with a man she detests though to her chagrin is attracted to him. The story line is action-packed from the opening salvo and never slows down as the predator assaults TPC with insider knowledge. Nick is a unique protagonist who regrets what he did fifteen years ago as he falls in love with Lane; however what makes him refreshing (pun intended) is he a slob who leaves dirty plates on the floor for a mouse to clean. Fans will enjoy Suzanne Forster entertaining tale. Harriet Klausner

I have ready a great many Suzanne Forster books over the years and most of them have been edgy and too dark. This is the best book by her that I have ever read. The characters are not too dark and twisted. It has a great, complicated plot, some humor and a lot of action. It's a keeper.

When former police officer Rick Bayless discovers that his longtime friend Ned Talbert's death has been ruled a murder-suicide, Rick's determination to reveal the truth behind the shocking scandalous crime leads him back to the past and a woman from his past, the woman he had arrested as juvenile. Back then, he knew she was trouble. Lane Chandler's company The Private Concierge caters to every whim of the rich and famous. Already trying to douse the scandals set off by some of her prominent clients, the last thing she needs is another scandal. When her newest client is found dead, Lane is on a mission to save her company before anyone discovers Ned Talbert's connection to The Private Concierge. When Rick Bayless starts poking his nose into the crime, Lane's troubles only get worse. One word from Rick about the secrets of her past will destroy everything she has worked so hard to build. As an attraction builds between them, will it destroy them? As they seek to protect friends and clients, will their attraction unearth the past? Will the hunt for the truth expose their vulnerabilities? Suzanne Forster's THE PRIVATE CONCIERGE is a masterpiece of characterization. Not only are Rick and Lane two fascinating characters, but the stories of Lane's clients fascinate as well. On the surface Rick presents himself as a tough guy, a former police officer hardened by what he has seen in the lives of the juveniles he has prosecuted. As the story develops, his devotion to his friend Ned draws the reader into the deeper undercurrents and loyalties beneath the surface while his relationship to the mouse in his home provides an eclectic sense of humor, compassion and friendship. Having built her company into a concierge service with the most impeccable reputation, Lane is a woman of intelligence and know-how and yet at the same time, she has a certain compassion for her clients and friends and an ability to read the intangible desires of her clients. Priscilla Brandt, the new queen of etiquette is one of Lane's most impossible clients, and a character that one loves to hate as her pristine world crumbles around her. Each and every client has their own secret life to hide and each client's story captivates. Suzanne Forster's THE PRIVATE CONCIERGE creates multiple suspenseful threads as the lives of Lane's clients and employees intersect in the scandals plaguing The Private Concierge's reputation. As Rick tries to investigate the concierge, Lane tries to cover the tracks, protecting her clients and their reputations as well as her own. Suzanne Foster creates a multi-layered work of suspense with meaningful twists and turns that will delight fans. I thought I knew who it was, then changed my mind several times but as I discounted one culprit, I found myself still satisfied, having enjoyed the story behind that thread. No twist is gratuitous but rather each builds up a intricate, fascinating network of characters, tied together by theme as the re