BookOpinion

Lose Yourself in Wild Romance

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: Irene Stenson is no stranger to terror. As a teenager in All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz, she came home one evening and discovered her parents bodies.

The local, small-town police wrote the incident off as a crime of passion, a murder-suicide committed by Irene’s jealous father. Distraught, the teenager leaves the small Northern California town where she was raised, presumably never to return. Nearly two decades have passed and Irene still isn’t buying the murder-suicide theory.

A mysterious e-mail from a long-estranged friend, Pamela Webb, insinuates that Irene’s parents may have been murdered. Irene returns to her hometown to invesigate only to discover Pamela’s body, the victim (local authorities conclude) of a drug overdose. Once again, Irene, now a reporter, isn’t buying the story. With the help of mysterious ex-Marine Luke Danner, Irene sets out to uncover the truth.

Even without the fun of a romance, the mystery is intriguing. It takes awhile to warm to Irene’s character, she seems to lack the spark and humor of many of Krentz’s past protagonists. Luke Danner is a likable guy with an interesting and complex family situation. The characters and plot are similar to many of Krentz’s other stories, but her lively writing holds the reader’s interest.

All Night Long is not my favorite of Krentz’s novels, but it is definitely worth a read. My Krentz’s faves are Trust Me, Wildest Hearts, Perfect Partners and Hidden Talents. I also recommend all of her historical romance books wholeheartedly, especially Deception and Ravished (my first Amanda Quick read).

– Jane Leisteiner