Don't Look

October 5, 2020
The latest romantic thriller from Ivy (the Agency series) suffers from a formulaic love story and a lackluster supporting cast, but nevertheless manages to build to an exciting and largely satisfying conclusion. Kir Jansen returns to his small Wisconsin hometown for his father’s funeral and discovers a cryptic note his father left for him: a list of five sets of initials. One set matches those of the town’s veterinarian, Lynne Gale, with whom Kir quickly forms a bond. When a local woman whose initials are also on the list is murdered, Kir and Lynne set out to catch the killer. It turns out that before Kir’s father died, he received a series of gruesome letters that seem to predict a killing spree, but local law enforcement refuses to consider a connection between the letters and the current case. The sheriff’s reasons for dismissing Lynne and Kir’s suspicions are frustratingly dubious, and readers will often feel one step ahead of the characters when it comes to solving the mystery. Kir and Lynne’s connection makes sense, but their lovemaking feels discordant in context. Once the pieces fall into place, the novel settles into an engaging rhythm—but many readers will struggle to get there. Hopefully, the next installment will strike a better balance. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency.

November 1, 2020

Sheriff's son Kir Jansen has just returned from Boston to his hometown of Pike, WI, for his father's funeral where he runs into Dr. Lynne Gale, the local veterinarian. He hasn't seen Lynne since high school, but the caring yet independent vet is still as lovely as ever. Before his death, Kir's father was convinced that a murderer was planning to kill off the women of Pike. He even had letters from the supposed murderer to prove it, yet everyone, from Kir to the sheriff, believed this to be only the ramblings of the alcoholic Rudolph had become. Now that a woman has been slaughtered in a manner eerily predicted in the letters, Kir is spending his nights at Lynne's house to keep her safe. As the bodies pile up at the same time as their romance heats up, Kir and Lynne investigate possible suspects to learn what his father is trying to tell him from beyond the grave and to stop a killer before Lynne becomes the next victim. VERDICT Although prolific Ivy's (The Intended Victim) latest is formulaic, readers will still eagerly turn the pages to see if their suspicions about the killer's identity are correct and to insure Kir and Lynne will find their happily ever after. The physical romantic scenes are few and far between, as the focus of the plot is on the emotional connection between the two main characters and the elements of suspense.--Kara Kohn, Plainfield P.L, IL

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