Sunday, November 29, 2015

Review: Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz

Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9780399174483
Release Date: December 8, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Madeline and Daphne were once as close as sisters—until a secret tore them apart. Now it might take them to their graves.

They knew his name, the man who tried to brutally attack twelve-year-old Madeline in her grandmother’s hotel. They thought they knew his fate. He wouldn't be bothering them anymore…ever. Still their lives would never be the same.

Madeline has returned to Washington after her grandmother's mysterious death. And at the old, abandoned hotel—a place she never wanted to see again—a dying man’s last words convey a warning: the secrets she and Daphne believed buried forever have been discovered.

Now, after almost two decades, Madeline and Daphne will be reunited in friendship and in fear. Unable to trust the local police, Madeline summons Jack Rayner, the hotel chain’s new security expert. Despite the secrets and mysteries that surround him, Jack is the only one she trusts…and wants.

Jack is no good at relationships but he does possess a specific skill set that includes a profoundly intimate understanding of warped and dangerous minds. With the assistance of Jack’s brother, Abe, a high-tech magician, the four of them will form an uneasy alliance against a killer who will stop at nothing to hide the truth…

Secret Sisters is part romance, part mystery, part family drama, and one hundred percent gripping entertainment. Jayne Ann Krentz knows how to hook readers and keep them on the edge of their seats, and that’s exactly what she does in this novel.

Madeline and Daphne were childhood best friends, until one fateful night when Madeline was attacked on the grounds of her grandmother’s hotel. The perpetrator died that night, but left behind information others would kill to possess. Only five people knew what really happened all those years ago, and now two of them are dead. It’s been eighteen years, but it’s clear someone wants the information Madeline’s attacker possessed, and they’re willing to kill to get it.

Now Madeline and Daphne have to return to the scene of the crime and solve an old mystery before someone takes them out. But they won’t be going alone. Madeline knows she can’t trust just anyone with the truth, so she asks for the help of her new security expert, Jack Rayner. With the help of Jack and his brother, Abe, Madeline and Daphne will unravel the secrets of one powerful, dangerous family who will do anything to stop them.

I love a good mystery and Ms. Krentz takes readers on an action-packed journey as Madeline, Jack, Daphne, and Abe dodge killers and put the puzzle pieces together. Secret Sisters has fantastic twists and turns and a compelling storyline that made it difficult to put the book down. But an exciting mystery is nothing without great characters and Ms. Krentz has delivered some great ones. Madeline and Jack are the center of the story and they’re both strong-minded, wary individuals. Jack has hard edges and a heart of gold, but his past makes him hesitant to trust people. Something about Madeline calls to him, though, and it’s easy to see why each of them couldn’t resist the other. Madeline is a tough businesswoman with a sharp mind you have to respect. She also has scars that have never been able to heal because her attack had to be kept secret, and this adds a vulnerability to her character that broke my heart. She and Jack have excellent chemistry and he complements her perfectly. Their romance was brimming with potential, but it never quite reached it because the focus of the story was more on the suspense storyline. The secondary romance between Abe and Daphne was also more in the background, which was a pity as well because these two were a lot of fun. If I had one wish for Secret Sisters, it would be that the love stories were better developed. Yet even taking this into account, I loved this book. The story is compelling, the characters fascinating, and the suspense is top-notch. Jayne Ann Krentz is a master of several genres and her talent for writing romantic suspense shines in Secret Sisters.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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