It would seem that the Wyatt family is going to acquire a hitherto unknown heir. Mitchell Wyatt has enjoyed all the luxuries of a child born to a great influential and wealthy family minus the actual family part. His paternal grandfather, Cecil Wyatt, made a pact with Mitchell's mother in order to keep any scandal away from the family. Mitchell was the result of an illicit affair between his married son Edward and a woman who was more interested in what she could get for her child then for the child himself. She drove a hard bargain, but Cecil was a wily and treacherous man. So Mitchell did benefit from great schooling and all that came with that but at the same time suffered greatly by being alone at all the most important moments of his life. Mitchell's existence was discovered by Edward's other son William who upon making this discovery set out to not only meet but develop a relationship with his long lost brother. However, just months after Mitchell's introduction to a family he had never known, Edward and William seem to have become victims of foul play and naturally the police have targeted Mitchell as their most likely suspect. Then quite by accident Mitchell meets Kate Donnelly who touches him in ways he never expected and candidly didn't want or need. But there's no denying the magnitude of their mutual attraction and they enjoy a wonderful albeit short affair until they are harshly driven apart by what they each perceive is betrayal. Throughout all this time the question still is who is Mitchell Wyatt and could he have had anything to do with Edward's death and William's disappearance. The police department's theory is that the Wyatt genes have produced the ultimate sociopath -- a cold-blooded murderer. But the question still bodes is it Mitchell and if not who.

Judith McNaught makes you sigh at the most wonderful moments of this story and then have you bite your lip with concern over what their destiny will be. She masterfully constructs these multi-faceted characters and draws you into their struggles. One of the hardest tasks is trying to decide if these people are genuinely decent or if it is all a façade hiding what is truly monstrous. It begs the age old question of nature and nurture. Fans of McNaught know that to read one of her books is to dive into an adventure of the heart and this book will not disappoint. EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE is sure to become a fan favorite and introduce her to a whole new set of fans.

Book Summary

High atop a snow-covered hill, the stately old Wyatt mansion is perched like a crown, its stone spires pointing upward, its stained glass windows glowing like colorful jewels. Such opulence means success and, surely, happiness. But on the eve of wealthy philanthropist Cecil Wyatt’s eightieth birthday, all the money in the world won’t bring back his missing grandson, William Wyatt. The only thing for certain: Foul play was involved.

The family, the police, the media–all have tried in vain to discover the young man’s fate. Now suspicion has turned shockingly toward William’s own half-brother, the rather distant and enigmatic Mitchell Wyatt.

Kate Donovan never dreamed that a chance romantic encounter on a tropical island paradise would tag her as a suspect in a high-society murder case. But after Kate tangles with the darkly charismatic Mitchell Wyatt, she finds herself cast in a shadow of guilt and mistrust. As the Chicago police tighten their net, it will take all of Kate’s ingenuity to clear her name. With her calm, cool wit, and the help of a man who may or may not be a dangerous catch, Kate vows to claim the life and love she desires.