By: Allison Brennan
Genres: Romance Suspense
Posted: April 30, 2007
Carina Kincaid is a homicide detective, inspired by the tragic death of her nephew. She doesn't want any victim's death to go unsolved. So when she catches the case of a young college student who is raped, defiled, and murdered, it gets personal for Carina.
Nick Thomas is a small-town sheriff. He's got plenty to keep him busy but he doesn't hesitate to drop everything and run to the aid of his big brother Steve, when it looks a though Steve might have something to do with the co-ed's murder.
Secrets and lies keep the plot twisting and turning, as Nick discovers that he doesn't know Steve as well as he thought, and that he'd like to know Carina a lot better. Carina is both instantly attracted to Nick and wary of his desire to extend his to help her and her partner catch a killer.
I usually stay away from graphic, all-too-realistic murders when I choose romantic suspense stories. However, I found this one difficult to put down. For my money, I prefer a stronger romance, in terms of unfolding emotions and growing attachment, than the delicate dance between Det. Kincaid and Sheriff Thomas. I also thought the wrap- up of the romance plot felt tacked on, necessary because the very gripping suspense story had been resolved. Overall, however, it was a good read because Ms. Brennan is a very good writer. She puts you right in the mind of each character, including the killer, as the story unfolds. I'll definitely be on the hunt for the rest of the books in the trilogy, SEE NO EVIL and FEAR NO EVIL.
Book Summary
Silence is deadly.
The murder of eighteen-year-old Angi Vance was exceptionally vile--her mouth was sealed with glue, an obscenity was scrawled across her skin, and she was suffocated in a garbage bag. The killing seems personal, so police detective Carina Kincaid focuses her efforts on the victim's much older ex-boyfriend, Steve Thomas. But without physical evidence, Carina can't make a collar or a case. She also can't stop Sheriff Nick Thomas, the prime suspect's brother, from conducting his own unwelcome investigation.
Though Nick is still scarred and unsteady from a recent confrontation with a serial killer, he's determined to prove his brother's innocence. But his confidence is shaken when he learns of Steve's dark side, and when a friend of the murdered girl meets a similarly gruesome fate. With no time to lose, Carina and Nick work together to trap a psychopath, before another unlucky woman faces and unspeakable end.
by: Allison Brennan
Evil #1 Ballantine
February 1, 2007
On Sale: January 30, 2007
Featuring: Carina Kincaid; Nick Thomas
432 pages
ISBN: 0345495020
EAN: 9780345495020
Paperback