Slow, boring, and didn't make much sense. ( )

This story was Jayne Ann Krentz at her romantic suspense best. The characters were amazingly life-like. Well, except for the fact that, if men life Mason Fletcher exist, they are staying well away from me.

The story begins with a prequel. Lucy Sheridan, age 16, is being hauled away from a wild party by her crush, the responsible and mature 19-year-old Mason Fletcher. She leaves town the next day and doesn't return to Summer River for thirteen years. What Lucy doesn't know is that she has been targeted by Tristan Brinker who wants her to star in his latest rape video and Mason saves her from that fate.

Now, Lucy is grown up and working as a forensic genealogist. She works for a private investigation firm and finds lost heirs. She is a successful woman in all areas of her life except her romantic life. She has dumped her fiance after finding him in bed with another woman. Her therapist tells her she has commitment issues. She is currently trying to find Mr. Right by using an online matchmaking service.

She has returned to Summer River to settle her aunt's estate. Her beloved Aunt Sara and her partner Mary Colfax recently died in an automobile accident. Lucy has inherited her aunt's estate and some shares in Colfax Inc. from Mary. She is being urged to sell Sara's house and land to turn it into a vineyard and she is being wooed by various Colfax family members who want those share back, too.

Mason Fletcher has returned to Summer River too. He has established a successful private investigation business specializing in cold crimes with his younger brother Aaron. But when a case goes wrong, he heads for home to rethink his life. He is working in his uncle's hardware store when Lucy comes in for light bulbs. An offer to help her with some home improvements lead to the discovery of Tristan Brinker's body bricked up in her aunt's fireplace which starts a chain of events that combine the past and the present.

I loved that both characters were strong people and that, in the course of their falling in love, they didn't have misunderstandings that hurt each other. I also liked the way Krentz wove events and characters from the past into the mystery. She also managed to surprise me when she revealed the villains of the story. I really enjoyed this story and couldn't put it down. For me, it was a compelling page-turner. ( )

River Road
4 Stars

As an innocent 16 year old, Lucy Sheridan was rescued from a wild party by Mason Fletcher, the older boy who always made her pulse beat faster. Now, Lucy returns to Summer River and realizes not only that her attraction to Mason is still going strong, but there was more to the events of that night thirteen years ago. When the body of Summer River’s resident sociopath is discovered in the house of Lucy’s late aunt, she and Mason set out to discover the truth. But someone is just as determined to stop them at any cost …

A light read with likable characters and an engaging romance. Nevertheless, the suspense plot is rather predictable.

Lucy and Mason have great chemistry and the slow built up to their relationship makes it all the more satisfying when they do ultimately give in to their attraction. Mason has a mile wide overprotective streak and there are moments when he seems on the verge of jerk territory, but manages to avoid this pitfall by realizing that Lucy is strong, intelligent and quite capable of dealing with whatever comes along as evinced by the action packed finale.

The suspense and romance are well balanced yet the mystery is rather obvious and it is easy to guess the identity of the villain at one specific moment of the story when it becomes evident that it couldn’t be anyone else. The motive is a bit more complex and not all that plausible and there are one or two points that remain unexplained, but these do not detract from the overall effect.

All in all, a well written and entertaining read recommended for fans of JAKs books. ( )

Pedestrian. ( )

This was my first Krentz book (but I have read some of her historicals long ago). I liked this tale of murder and suspense, because a good book keeps me guessing and this one certainly had. I really should stick with one suspect and not change my mind all the time, that way I would be right once in a while ;)

The books begins in the past when a dark act is stopped. And then it's 13 years later and Lucy returns to Summer River. Her aunt has been killed in a car accident..or has she? Lucy also inherited some shares in a company and they sure want those back. The events from 13 years ago comes back to haunt her and throws shadows on everything. Something is rotten in the city of Summer River.

Lucy can take care of herself and sure she does poke around where she shouldn't. But she is not stupid about it. She does have help whether she wants it or not. Mason Fletcher, the same guy who saved her those years ago. He does like playing the hero, and their romance takes some time to develop cos yes they both have some issues. But they both can laugh about it and they do seem like a good fit.

The suspense is always there and the closer they get the more dangerous it becomes. I do like a good hunt for a killer. ( )