In the Shadow of Evil

January 3, 2011
Romantic suspense writer Caroll (Fear No Evil) combines detective work ethics with construction site surroundings to build suspense and tension between two unlikely love interests. Homicide detective Maddox Bishop is an emotionally scarred man after entering a crime scene in his own home some 18 years earlier and finding his mother's dead body. Set on never opening his heart to a woman, Maddox can't seem to fight the growing bond developing between himself and a potential wrongdoer, Layla Taylor, a contractor and recent victim of heartbreak. Strong wills clash as the two discover they have to work together to unravel the escalating crimes of violence involving every one of Layla's personal and professional contacts. It takes loss of lives and relinquishment of everything, including significant past grievances toward parents, to move Maddox and Layla beyond bitterness before either can embrace a hopeful future. Caroll's work unfortunately does more telling than showing, and the result is a rather clumsily done wannabe love story that gives readers the facts but no feelings for the characters' plights.

February 15, 2011

Maddox Bishop (Deliver Us from Evil) works as a homicide detective just outside of Lake Charles, LA. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he is assigned to investigate the murder of a man burned to death in a house fire. Layla Taylor is also probing the death because she was the contractor who built the home. Soon other houses she worked on also become targets of arson. Maddox and Layla join forces to solve the crimes, but first they both have to learn how to trust each other. VERDICT Readers who got to know Maddox in the previous book will want to learn what becomes of him and how he manages to deal with the guilt over his mother's death. With a great plotline and a wholesome love story, this page-turner is a good choice for fans of Dee Henderson.

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