Blair Bancroft: Shadowed Paradise

RFI West (Ebook), ISBN 1-58697-232-4

You’ve heard of “water under the bridge.” Well, in Shadowed Paradise, water bubbling up through a crack in the bridge precipitates the meeting between Claire Langdon, her son Jamie and Florida cracker Brad Blue in this action-filled sizzler of a contemporary romantic suspense.

Claire and Brad both come with baggage. Both suffered life wounds, and both hide a treasure trove of secrets — all designed to keep them apart. But the attraction between them might be stronger than old and deadly secrets — if those secrets don’t get them killed first.

So, what happens if you throw in a serial killer — one who targets real estate saleswomen working alone in open houses? How does that enter the equation with Claire and Brad? Claire works in a real estate office. Brad makes his living as a builder. Brad wants Claire to be the saleswoman for his construction project and swears she will be protected.

Lots of guys make that promise, but just maybe the handsome hunk will be able to keep his vow, but at what cost? And what will happen to Claire’s already traumatized son? That question alone kept me turning pages as quickly as I could.

I already read two of Bancroft’s previous books: historical romances with incredibly detailed settings and intricate plots. Shadowed Paradise doesn’t disappoint in either area. Set in Florida, in the summer with monsoon rains, rattlesnakes, thoughtful discussion about conservation and insects, the book shows how paradise casts a long shadow. At the same time, the plot shows the dark and ominous effect of shadows of the past on a bright new love.

Marvelously versatile, wondrously creative, intelligently written and sensuously inventive, Bancroft’s Shadowed Paradise adds new meaning to the term “romantic suspense.” Shadowed Paradise is as fresh as tomorrow and seriously scary. I loved it.

Patricia Lucas White

Patricia Lucas White’s latest historical novel, To Last a Lifetime, was an Eppie finalist for 2003. To Last a Lifetime and two of her fantasy romances, the Sapphire Award-winning A Wizard Scorned and The Godmother Sanction, can be ordered through Hard Shell Word Factory. Her recent contemporary, PS, I’ve Taken a Lover, is available from Lionhearted Books.