Review: story length and by-the-numbers plotting undermines what could have been a strong romantice suspense
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 24, 2012
2.5 starsThis is yet another book where the short length works against what could have been a pretty good romantic suspense story.Jia Mason's estranged husband goes missing from their Florida vacation home. All signs point to foul play with Jia as the main suspect. Because she had been railroaded in the past for a crime she did not commit, Jia panics and runs at the first opportunity.Enter Zack. He is a recovery man who specializes in retrieving fugitives. When Jia runs, Zack is tasked to retrieve her and return her to Florida. However they are stranded in a blizzard and sexy times ensue.My immediate problem with the story, and incidentally one that persisted, was that I felt the bones of a good suspense story were haphazardly and shoddily assembled to create a framework for nothing more than a 'strangers stranded so they can have sex' story. I would have preferred the good suspense story.On the one hand, I could sort of buy that Jia's utter stupidity in dealing with the police (who did not actually have a dead body and no real evidence that she did anything) was the result of her earlier run-in with the law. But on the other hand, she had already been through the criminal system she should be cagier than she was. She also was no longer the poor, young girl she was but rather a woman with some financial means. She should have realized she had more power than she did.But her fear was the catalyst that caused her to run and then to get in Zack's orbit.And therein lies my longer term problem with the story. The writing was expedient, sacrificing storytelling logic to simply lurch from plot point A to plot point B. There was no connective tissue between the bones to create a fulfilling narrative.The ending of the suspense plotline was cliche with too many convenient things aligning to allow the villain to somehow end up at the snowbound cabin as well. And speaking of the villain -- cartoony. The villain appeared in the last part of the book with a motivation that made me say 'Really?'Too bad. This could have been an really strong romantic suspense story