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From Publishers Weekly
Prolific romance author Graham, with more than 90 novels to her credit, sets her new romantic suspense tale in the world of professional ballroom dance. At the Moonlight Sonata Dance Studio in Miami Beach, coaching for professional competitions is available, as is recreational dance instruction. When Lara Trudeau, imperious star professional, drops dead after a performance, authorities, citing a lethal combination of pills and alcohol, deem the death accidental. But patrolman Doug O'Casey, a new dance student and Lara's most recent lover, suspects foul play, as do some associates, including the studio manager, Shannon Mackay. Doug finally persuades his brother Quinn, a private investigator, to sign up for dance lessons so he can look into the case. Meanwhile, in the vicinity of the dance studio, several seemingly unrelated murders occur. Quinn begins to fall in love with his dance instructor, Shannon, although she could be the murderer he seeksâ€"for that matter, so could his brother. When Shannon gets a cryptic message, "You're next!" she's determined to find the killer herself; her efforts put her in harm's way. The story isn't all suspicions and chills: readers can learn something about salsa, tango and waltz contests, and there's a touching bit about a homeless girl who's a natural dancer and finds a home. Graham's more suggestible fans will doubtless put on their dancing shoes and head for the nearest Arthur Murray studio.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
As the prolific romance veteran Graham has moved toward a genre-bending combination of romance and mystery, her audience (and her marketing support) has grown substantially. Here, although a decent love story unfolds, the mystery takes center stage when Lara, the premier ballroom dancer from the Moonlight Sonata dance studio, collapses and dies during a competition. Ex-cop Quinn O'Casey doesn't pay much attention to ballroom dancers, so he's a bit puzzled when his cop brother Doug asks him to help investigate Lara's death. It all becomes clear when Doug admits to being one of Lara's many lovers. Under extreme duress, the curmudgeonly Quinn leaves his beloved boat in the Keys and agrees to go undercover as a dance student at the studio. There is no shortage of suspects: the ex-husband who dates Lara's friends; the other dancers who were jealous of Lara's talent; the aging instructors who long to have their youth back. Although her plotting is entirely too predictable, Graham knows how to keep her narrative moving, and her characters are reasonably well developed. This makes fun, easy reading for fans of romances and "lite" thrillers. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham choreographs a sexy thriller of passion and murder . . .
Accomplished dancer Lara Trudeau drops dead of a heart attack brought on by a lethal combination of booze and pills. To former private investigator Quinn O'Casey, it's a simple case of death by misadventure. But when his brother Doug, a Miami-Dade patrolman, asks for help, he can't refuse. Especially when he learns that Lara and Doug -- a student at the Moonlight Sonata dance studio where Lara occasionally taught -- were having an affair. And despite Quinn's lack of interest in the case and even less in dancing, experience has taught him not to count on the obvious when it comes to murder.
Going undercover as a dance student, Quinn meets studio manager Shannon Mackay, a beautiful, graceful woman who has left world-class competition to teach. He also uncovers some disturbing facts. Everyone there had a reason to hate Lara Trudeau, a woman as ruthless as she was talented. As a drama of broken hearts, shattered dreams and tangled motives unfolds, Quinn begins looking for a killer.
In a city where pleasure drugs are a fast and dangerous high, Quinn is alarmed by the growing number of deaths due to overdose, illegal substances and execution-style shootings connected to the Moonlight Sonata. Shannon, too, has begun to wonder if strange events surrounding the studio have a deeper source. She suspects she's being followed. Worse, she fears someone may be trying to kill her.
Shannon is about to discover the risks she is willing to take to fight for what she wants -- to dance, to compete again, to share her life with Quinn. Yet someone has another plan for her, a dangerous shadow figure make all the more deadly by wearing the face of a friend. But someone just hadn't counted on Quinn O'Casey -- a man who doesn't give up and never backs down, especially when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Prolific romance author Graham, with more than 90 novels to her credit, sets her new romantic suspense tale in the world of professional ballroom dance. At the Moonlight Sonata Dance Studio in Miami Beach, coaching for professional competitions is available, as is recreational dance instruction. When Lara Trudeau, imperious star professional, drops dead after a performance, authorities, citing a lethal combination of pills and alcohol, deem the death accidental. But patrolman Doug O'Casey, a new dance student and Lara's most recent lover, suspects foul play, as do some associates, including the studio manager, Shannon Mackay. Doug finally persuades his brother Quinn, a private investigator, to sign up for dance lessons so he can look into the case. Meanwhile, in the vicinity of the dance studio, several seemingly unrelated murders occur. Quinn begins to fall in love with his dance instructor, Shannon, although she could be the murderer he seeksâ€"for that matter, so could his brother. When Shannon gets a cryptic message, "You're next!" she's determined to find the killer herself; her efforts put her in harm's way. The story isn't all suspicions and chills: readers can learn something about salsa, tango and waltz contests, and there's a touching bit about a homeless girl who's a natural dancer and finds a home. Graham's more suggestible fans will doubtless put on their dancing shoes and head for the nearest Arthur Murray studio.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
As the prolific romance veteran Graham has moved toward a genre-bending combination of romance and mystery, her audience (and her marketing support) has grown substantially. Here, although a decent love story unfolds, the mystery takes center stage when Lara, the premier ballroom dancer from the Moonlight Sonata dance studio, collapses and dies during a competition. Ex-cop Quinn O'Casey doesn't pay much attention to ballroom dancers, so he's a bit puzzled when his cop brother Doug asks him to help investigate Lara's death. It all becomes clear when Doug admits to being one of Lara's many lovers. Under extreme duress, the curmudgeonly Quinn leaves his beloved boat in the Keys and agrees to go undercover as a dance student at the studio. There is no shortage of suspects: the ex-husband who dates Lara's friends; the other dancers who were jealous of Lara's talent; the aging instructors who long to have their youth back. Although her plotting is entirely too predictable, Graham knows how to keep her narrative moving, and her characters are reasonably well developed. This makes fun, easy reading for fans of romances and "lite" thrillers. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham choreographs a sexy thriller of passion and murder . . .
Accomplished dancer Lara Trudeau drops dead of a heart attack brought on by a lethal combination of booze and pills. To former private investigator Quinn O'Casey, it's a simple case of death by misadventure. But when his brother Doug, a Miami-Dade patrolman, asks for help, he can't refuse. Especially when he learns that Lara and Doug -- a student at the Moonlight Sonata dance studio where Lara occasionally taught -- were having an affair. And despite Quinn's lack of interest in the case and even less in dancing, experience has taught him not to count on the obvious when it comes to murder.
Going undercover as a dance student, Quinn meets studio manager Shannon Mackay, a beautiful, graceful woman who has left world-class competition to teach. He also uncovers some disturbing facts. Everyone there had a reason to hate Lara Trudeau, a woman as ruthless as she was talented. As a drama of broken hearts, shattered dreams and tangled motives unfolds, Quinn begins looking for a killer.
In a city where pleasure drugs are a fast and dangerous high, Quinn is alarmed by the growing number of deaths due to overdose, illegal substances and execution-style shootings connected to the Moonlight Sonata. Shannon, too, has begun to wonder if strange events surrounding the studio have a deeper source. She suspects she's being followed. Worse, she fears someone may be trying to kill her.
Shannon is about to discover the risks she is willing to take to fight for what she wants -- to dance, to compete again, to share her life with Quinn. Yet someone has another plan for her, a dangerous shadow figure make all the more deadly by wearing the face of a friend. But someone just hadn't counted on Quinn O'Casey -- a man who doesn't give up and never backs down, especially when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.
Genre: Romantic Suspense
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