All Night Long

November 28, 2005
Krentz's latest fast-paced, well-plotted romantic thriller takes place in the tiny Napa Valley village of Dunster—perhaps named after the Amanda Quick heroine Emma Dunster. A mysterious e-mail from a childhood friend, Pamela Webb, draws big-city reporter Irene Stenson home, but when Irene arrives, Pamela is dead, apparently of a drug overdose. Handsome but damaged ex-Marine Luke Danner, who owns the lodge where Irene is staying, helps her look into the case. The plot thickens when Pamela's house gets torched shortly after she dies, and soon Irene and Luke follow a trail that leads to Pamela's father, a powerful senator who may have played a role in the death of Irene's parents when she was a young girl. When Senator Webb's PR flack is found murdered after getting caught up in a blackmail scheme and Luke and Irene start their predictable but torrid romance, Krentz sets up a series of compelling confrontations, as Irene comes up with information that could jeopardize Webb's impending White House run. The dialogue, which dominates the book, is strong throughout; the plot is tight. Flaws like secondary-character overload and one-dimensional takes on politics aside, this is an impressive page-turner from a master of the genre.

November 15, 2005
Shocked but intrigued to receive a disturbing email from Pamela, the ex-best friend she hasn't heard from in 17 years, journalist Irene Stenson returns to the small Northern California town she fled after her parents' murder only to discover a dead Pamela and a town that doesn't want her there. But Irene is on a mission, and, aided by resort owner and former marine Luke Danner, she is determined to learn the truth about Pamela and the night her parents died. Politics, deadly secrets, and a foreboding atmosphere add a chilling touch to this well-written, compelling story that is enhanced by a pair of amiable, flawed, well-matched protagonists; appealing sexual chemistry; and the serious issue of posttraumatic stress disorder. Seattle-based Krentz ("Falling Awake") is noted for lively, sensual tales of romantic suspense that are essential for most libraries.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2005
Some people have bad memories of their childhood hometowns; Irene Stenson has nightmares. As a teenager, Irene came home late one summer night after being out with her friend Pamela Webb, and discovered that both of her parents had been killed. Irene refused to believe that her father murdered her mother and then committed suicide, and soon afterward left Dunsley. Seventeen years later, Irene, now a journalist, is still haunted by the events of that fateful night, but a cryptic note from Pamela induces her to return home. But before Irene has a chance to meet with her, Pamela dies. When the police rule Pamela's death a suicide, Irene knows intuitively that there is more to the story. With the initially unwanted but soon very much welcomed help of sexy Luke Danner, an ex-marine and the owner of the lodge where Irene is staying, Irene begins her own unofficial investigation into Pamela's death only to discover that someone in Dunsley is keeping secrets that could prove to be deadly. Best-seller Krentz deftly mingles chilling danger and simmering sexual tension. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)