Great suspense with some romance I don't want to say too much until the book comes out. but I will say the writer rocks in this book. I really liked the way I felt like I knew the girls in this book. It pulled me into their town and the things that happened to them. After 18 years they come back together and the mystery unfolds. This was my first time reading anything from Jayne Krentz and I have to say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE her writing and her way of pulling you into a story. ( )

Suspense

Two sisters. One taken in the night ( )

Secret Sisters
4 Stars

In the aftermath of a traumatic attack, childhood friends Madeline Chase and Daphne Knight are torn apart. Now 18 years later, the last words of a dying man have Maddie and Daphne returning to the abandoned Aurora Point Hotel and the secrets that changed their lives. With the help of enigmatic security expert Jack Raynor and his brother Abe, Maddie and Daphne must work together to stop a killer determined to keep the past in the past.

While JAK's books will certainly never win awards for intricate plotting or thought-provoking ideas, her writing is, nevertheless, fast-paced, light, and entertaining. This particular book is no exception, with just the right mix of engaging romance, intriguing mystery, and exciting action.

There are two romantic pairings in the book. The primary relationship between Maddie and Jack is classic JAK - two lonely people wary of trusting others find their perfect match. They have a tangible connection, and their banter and interactions are amusing. The secondary romance between Daphne and Abe is very minor; in fact, it is barely there at all, which is rather disappointing as they are a sweet couple who deserved more page time.

The mystery focuses on the connection between the events of the past and those of the present. Although some of the aspects are predictable, such as the obvious red-herring characters and the various motivations, it is still entertaining to follow along as Maddie and company uncover the clues, and the twists and turns of the plot are ultimately explained in a satisfying way.

Overall, this is no work of scintillating literary fiction, and anyone expecting such is bound to be disappointed. However, readers interested in a well-written mystery with likable characters for a rainy afternoon can't go wrong with Secret Sisters. ( )

Madeline and Daphne were once the best of friends until a terrible event took place. A man attacks Madeline and, despite the fact that the man would never again bother anyone did Madeline's grandmother close up the hotel she owned and moved with her granddaughter far away.

Now 18 years later Madeline is back at the hotel. Her grandmother is dead and she has to decide what to do with the old hotel. But she must confront the past when the old caretaker of the hotel is brutally murdered. Madeline and Daphne must face the past and find out who is behind the killing and could this person know the truth about what happened 18 years ago?

I was quite looking forward to reading this book as I enjoy reading the historical novels Jayne Ann Krentz writes under the name of Amanda Quick.

I found the beginning of the book interesting, with a dark secret that is kept by a little group of people and how someone out there is apparently out to know the truth. What is the secret and who is after Madeline and Daphne?

And, at first, the book was good, easy to get into and a bit intriguing. Unfortunately, the book didn't turn out the way I thought it would. For one thing, everything points to one suspect in the book, and that made me quite sure that all this is a big red herring and that made me look for someone else that could be the big bad wolf instead. Secondly, the couple thing, two men, and two women. That bored me. It was so predictable and utterly uninteresting to read about. Perhaps it would have worked better if the characters had been a bit more interesting, but they were flat and their romance just made the reading less engaging.

The story was just not imaginative or suspenseful. It was predictable and it felt like something I read several times before. I was hoping for a story that would enthrall me, but it simply never really did that and the last 50 pages were a real struggle to get through. This book was just not for me.

Thank you Piatkus for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! ( )