Twice Burned

A must read. I could not put it down. The first book I have ever finished in a week.

Lea Hardy is fighting for her brother's freedom and his innocence. She's used everything she can to fight his legal battle, and is left with their childhood home. She goes home to fix it up and sell as a last resort before her brother is sent to death row for the death of his wife and daughters. When Lea arrives, she realizes she's got more than she bargained for - with the house and the community. The unexpected kindness and friendship of childhood neighbor, Mick Conklin, saves her sanity and her house. I found this a convincing mix of mystery and romance in uncovering the story behind the deaths of Lea's family.

After Lea and Ted Hardy went home from school one day and found their parents dead, they became closer than ever. While Lea decided to stay as far away from Stonybrook as possible and the memories the town held for her, Ted married the daughter of the richest man in Stonybrook. With his marriage over, Ted is fighting hard for custody of his two daughters. Everything seems to be going great for him, for almost all the citizens of Stonybrook are standing by his side. Then, one horrific night, Ted goes to pick up his girls and finds the house on fire with his daughters inside. Shellshocked and heartbroken, Ted doesn't care that he is convicted of the murder of his whole family and sentenced to die.Lea Hardy is returning to Stonybrook after nearly twenty years. She needs to sell the house her father killed her mother in and then killed himself. She also started getting anonymous letters saying that Ted was innocent and all she had to do was come back to Stonybrook. Soon she is pieceing together an even greater puzzle than the murder of Ted's family. When it seems everyone in the town is turning her away, Mick Conklin, her next door neighbor is there for her.Mick always watched out for Lea when she lived next door. As a teenager, he was astounded by her courage. As an adult, he is awed by her strength and beauty. Lea not only brightens up his life, but his daughter's as well. When he had given up hope that Heather would ever open up to him again, Lea helped her like he wasn't able to. Strange things then start to happen as Lea tries to uncover the real murderer.This is a great book and I'm looking foward to reading the one that came before it. Jan Coffey also writes under the name May McGoldrick, who rights historical romances. Don't miss it!

Lea Hardy returns to her home town to mount a death row appeal for her brother, Ted, who has been convicted of murdering his wife and two young daughters. She immediately becomes the target of threats and attacks on her life from a community that wants to see Ted put to death. Living in her parents old home and with no friends or allies in town Lea is forced to rely on her new neighbor Mick Conklin. She immediately befriends his teenage daughter, Heather, who is dealing with some severe problems of her own. Trusting Mick is more difficult, but she needs his help to find the truth and he needs her help to understand his troubled daughter. I really enjoyed this book. It's well written romantic suspense that's just perfect for a rainy day or a day at the beach.

This latest offering from "new on the romance suspense scene" Jan Coffey is sure to turn many readers heads. From the stunning cover to the incredibly satisfying tale within, this book is sure to become a classic in the romantic suspense sub-genre. It has all the important elements: characters readers care about from page one, a suspenseful plot with incredible depth (angst and hope), secondary characters who don't distract from the story but add richly to it and of course the all important ending sure to hold the reader to the final page. Ms Coffey's talent to tell so much story in so few words makes her standout as a pioneer in this growing sub-genre. Add to this Ms Coffey is able to provide an incredible balance between the romance and suspense without one suffering for the other makes her a must read for serious romance readers. Something today's leading authors in this arena: Catherine Coulter and Julie Garwood, could learn from Ms Coffey. That Ms Coffey is a mid-list author makes this affordable, but it won't be for long as a hardcover contract is surely on her horizon. Ms Coffey joins the ranks of other mid-list authors Dee Davis and Mariah Stewart in providing what is surely destined to be Classic Romantic Suspense. If you haven't tried Romantic Suspense, why not start with the best, TWICE BURNED by Jan Coffey?