Heartbreaker
Setting: Holy Oaks, Iowa, present daySensuality rating: 4New York Timesbestselling author Julie Garwood breaks new ground in her  first contemporary suspense novel. Long-time fans of Garwood will be amazed at  the way the queen of historical romance weaves this tale of love as it blossoms  in the face of extreme danger. FBI agent Nick Buchanan is about to take his  first vacation in three years when he receives a phone call from his best friend  and former college roommate, Father Tom Madden. Tom relates the horrifying tale  of a confession that he heard from a killer seeking absolution for a gruesome  crime he has yet to commit. Worse yet, the madman, who calls himself the  Heartbreaker, confesses that his intended victim is Laurant Madden, Tom's  gorgeous younger sister. The Heartbreaker is crazy about Laurant--really, really  crazy.When Tom and Nick break the news to Laurant, she is furious at the disruption  the psycho is causing in her very busy life. With her best friend's wedding  rapidly approaching and Laurant's own business set to open in two weeks, there  couldn't be a worse time to be stalked. But when she learns that the  Heartbreaker has already broken into her home and watched her sleep, she  reluctantly agrees to Nick's protection, even if it means that she's thrown  together with her brother's all-too-sexy friend all day--and all night. Nick,  posing as Laurant's fiancé, heads back with her to Holy Oaks. There he  encounters a strange cast of characters, the likes of which are grown only in  small towns where everybody knows everybody's business--except whether one of  them might be a serial killer. Along the way, Nick and Laurant also discover  their own hunger for each other. Readers will love the change of pace for  perennial favorite Garwood. She creates a sensational story with a truly  explosive conclusion.--Alison Trinkle