Title: Deadly Heat
Author: Cynthia Eden
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: January 25, 2011
Paperback: 416 pages
ISBN: 978-0446559263
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Suspense
She wants revenge . . .
Six months after her lover died in an arsonist’s blaze, firefighter Lora Spade calls in the FBI’s elite Serial Services Division to track the elusive killer. When Special Agent Kenton Lake is lured into a violent inferno, Lora pulls him to safety and is stunned – not by the fire, but by her own searing attraction to Kent. For the first time in months, she longs for something other than vengeance.
He wants her . . .
Kenton’s interest in Lora should be purely professional. But one fleeting kiss and he can’t get her out of his mind. Her combination of strength and vulnerability makes him want to protect her, and that means solving this case – and fast. For even the passion igniting between them can’t hide a terrifying truth: Lora is the next target in a murderer’s sadistic, fiery game.
A vicious killer wants only . . .
DEADLY HEAT
My Review:
Deadly Heat by Cynthia Eden is the second book in her Deadly series, the first being Deadly Fear that I found to be a clever suspense novel, and I wondered how the next book would compare. I did not have long to wait and I am delighted to report I was completely hooked before the end of the prologue. There is a serial arsonist on the loose in Charlottesville and after one too many fires, Firefighter Lora Spade requests help from the SSD (Serial Services Division of the FBI). Special Agent Kenton Lake is sent as lead investigator for the SSD and quickly sparks ignite between Lake and Spade. Eden cleverly crafts an elaborate suspense-filled plot with an intelligent romance. The characters are intelligent, witty, and each has an attitude, ego, and deep seeded issues. Once again I was drawn into the plot with all the delightful twists, turns and nuances while the characters are well crafted, and at times it is difficult to know who to trust, thus making the plot that much more suspenseful. The downside for me was the romance as it starts off early and carries on throughout which will delight romance fans, of which I am not one. With that said, Eden cleverly and seamlessly weaves the romantic tension into the story in pace with the main plot. Once again Eden has delivered a smart, sensual, and complex suspense and it is with eager anticipation that I will begin Eden’s third novel Deadly Lies. Deadly Heat is an intense book that will keep the readers turning the pages and second-guessing themselves along the way. I would recommend Deadly Heat to anyone who enjoys an exceedingly well-written romantic suspense novel.
Title: Deadly Lies
Author: Cynthia Eden
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: February 22, 2011
Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN: 978-0446559256
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Suspense
She wants to hide the past
FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is haunted by memories of the serial killer who abducted her. To keep the darkness at bay, she pretends to be a different, more confident woman. This Samantha doesn’t fear every unknown face. So she throws caution to the wind and shares a night of unbridled passion with a handsome stranger.
He needs to uncover the truth
One night isn’t enough for successful entrepreneur Max Ridgeway. He wants more of the sexy, smart, mysterious woman who slipped away before dawn. When they meet again, their attraction is undeniable-until his stepbrother goes missing, and Max realizes that Samantha isn’t who she seems. But they must trust each other to trap a ring of bloodthirsty kidnappers before the nightmares that terrorize Sam become irrevocably real.
As a merciless criminal spins a web of . . .
DEADLY LIES
My Review:
Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden, the third book in her Deadly series begins with a kidnapping, however not the garden variety kidnapping, rather deadly serial kidnappers and SSD Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is trying to find a pattern and reestablish her role as an effective agent after the Watchman case. Samantha however is not the only one with secrets. While the Special Services Division of the FBI is hard at work to uncover the serial kidnappers, Quinlan Malone is kidnapped and the contact person just happens to be Max Ridgeway, Quinlan’s half-brother, the man Samantha has been enjoying a casual fling with. Soon she must reveal her true identity to him, but will he be able to accept who she is? More importantly will she be able to handle the secrets Max and his family have been hiding? Eden has yet again crafted an extremely clever plot, which twists just enough to keep the reader guessing. SSD’s crack team fascinates me, I enjoy watching the various personalities interact, and the SSD is made up of very strong personalities. Deadly Lies moves at a very rapid pace allowing the reader little time to catch their breath before a new clue is given and or to put the book down until the very end. While Deadly Lies can indeed read as a stand-alone book, due to the nature of the Special Services Division, I recommend reading at least the first book, Deadly Fear. I think once the reader begins the series they will want to see it through. As with the other two books in the series, romantic tension is involved, more so in this book than the other two, which I like to caution readers about and suggest Deadly Lies to all adult readers looking for a well written romantic suspense book.
Cynthia Eden also writes tales of paranormal suspense and erotic romance for Kensington Brava, Avon Red, and Red Sage. In college, she majored in Communication and Sociology, graduating summa cum laude and spending many hours working on the campus paper. She soon decided writing fiction was much more fun than just sticking to the facts. Later, as she traveled the long and bumpy road to romance publication, Cynthia was employed as a teacher and a college counselor. She is a member of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the RWA and Mensa.
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I received a complimentary copy of Deadly Heat by Cynthia Eden as well as Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden from Hachette. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.
Great reviews. Like you, I don’t care for romance, particularly graphic scenes, in my reading. I really enjoy mysteries and these would be great if it weren’t for the other. I like your wording in your review. These would not, however, be to my taste.
Thank you for your kind words. The suspense was wonderful, but the added romance, for me took away from the story.