Beguiled [Paperback]

Deeanne Gist (Author), J. Mark Bertrand (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2010

When novelists Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand first met in a Houston critique group, they never expected where friendship would take them. She wrote romance; he wrote crime novels. But growing respect for each other's work culminated in the decision to try blending their talents into this wonderfully engaging story merging romance and mystery.

Rylee Monroe walks dogs in old-money Charleston, a part of the city recently targeted by a daring thief. Logan Woods works the crime beat for the local paper but dreams of a life as a nonfiction writer. When the string of robberies takes a strange twist, Logan sees the making of a once-in-a-lifetime book that seems to circle around this charming, eye-catching dogwalker. But pursuing the truth means ignoring that he seems to be falling for her. And what is she hiding in her past that could crack the story wide open?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran romance writer Gist (A Bride Most Begrudging) teams with tyro crime writer Bertrand to create a mix of their specialties. Their hybrid is a crime mystery with an irresistibly attractive and oh-so-naïve dog walker named Rylee Monroe. A young adult resident of Charleston whose parents are dead, Rylee is accused of robbing her wealthy dog-owning clients. Aghast at being accused of theft, she pleads her case to her newspaper reporter beau, Logan Woods. Certain that sweet Rylee is innocent, Logan tries to protect her reputation until even he grows suspicious of the mounting evidence against her. Enter in old family ties and unanswered questions regarding Rylee's parents' deaths, and even Rylee is confused as to who's telling the truth. Fans of Gist will appreciate her characteristic genteel manner of presenting the male/female courtship dance. Bertrand's deftness at adding in the crime dimension lends depth to this likable yet predictable story. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

J.Mark Bertrand joins popular inspirational fiction writer Deeanne Gist to create this story of romance and suspense in modern-day Charleston. Dog walker Rylee Monroe works in the older, richer part of the city. In one mansion, she has an up close and personal run-in with the so-called “Robin Hood” thief, who, like the legendary robber of yore, steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Newspaper reporter Logan Woods is determined to catch the Robin Hood thief in action, thus getting some extra street cred to follow his true dream—publishing the great American crime novel. After their paths cross, Rylee and Logan find themselves falling for each other. But there’s something about the pattern of the thefts and Rylee’s clientele list that seem just a little too coincidental. The impressive debut of this new writing partnership has just the right balance of interesting characters, action, mystery, and of course, love. --Shelley Mosley

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Reprinted edition (February 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764206281
• ISBN-13: 978-0764206283
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (106 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #718,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Go Wrong Reading This One!, February 3, 2010

By 

C. Janes "southernsassygirl" (TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beguiled (Paperback)

I've never been disappointed in anything I've read by Deeanne Gist. Every book I've read by her has always gotten a 5-star rating simply because I am incapable of putting her books down! I have to keep reading them....even if I should be doing other things. :o)

Well, Beguiled did not disappoint one bit, and I didn't mind that it wasn't Deeanne's usual historical fiction. Placing the story in Charleston, SC with all it's own personal history made up for it being written as a contemporary novel. Also, the fact that the book was a mystery helped me enjoy it even more, and it began right in the very first chapter....wow! There was no worrying with trying to get into the story at all because it just takes off on its own with very little build-up, character development, etc. Those things came into the picture gradually throughout the book, and it was just one more reason why I couldn't put it down.

The only qualm I had with this book was some of the conversation in the beginning. There were a few places where it seemed to be very clipped and stilted, which I can only contribute to Mark Bertrand's style of writing since I've never noticed that with Deeanne's. After awhile, it started to fade away, and the dialog began to flow much more naturally.

This is one book that you can't go wrong with even if you've never read a single Deeanne Gist book. Don't get me wrong--her historical fiction is second to none, but it's always nice to see an author go outside their norm every now and then and write something different. I would love to see this author combination again, particularly if they choose another location that is rich with history like Charleston.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Walk Charleston's street on your way to romance and mystery, January 17, 2010

By 

Cara Putman (Lafayette, IN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Beguiled (Paperback)

Love the rich historical romances of Deeanne Gist? But also wish for some suspense and that her style of romance could be paired with a twisting suspense? Then you will enjoy Beguiled, a new release by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand. This book pairs romance with romance in page-turning results.

Rylee Monroe is a dog-walker in the old, historic district of Charleston. As a young child she lived among the well-to-do in that area, but after her parents disappeared or died, she was raised by a grandmother away from that section of town. Now she's returned, but her clients are being targeted by a burglar. She soon pairs with a crime reporter who has more than writing stories on his mind.

What I found most enjoyable about this book was the rich pool of characters. While Rylee and Logan Woods, the reporter, play the main roles, they are surrounded by supporting characters that are well drawn. Modern-day Charleston practically filled the role of a character as I felt like I'd been transported to the city and could use the book as a roadmap to get around the area. Rylee and Logan both wrestle with questions about their faith, but in a way that doesn't interrupt the story. Instead, the faith questions are woven into the fabric of the story. And the mystery thread? Loved it. And even though I figured out where it was headed, I didn't grasp the full scope for awhile and the pages still turned quickly.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Romantic mystery is filled with thrills, chills, and sparks, February 1, 2010

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Beguiled (Paperback)

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand is a thrilling romantic suspense novel full of twists and turns. Rylee Monroe loves her job as a dogwalker, even if it doesn't pay as much as she'd like and had in the past before her father absconded with the family fortune and disappeared and her mother committed suicide in the wake of his betrayal. Her job is soon threatened when several of her wealthy customers are robbed by the Robin Hood burglar who has an unusual M.O.: he steals one item of sentimental but not great monetary value and then donates it to a charity. The police quickly focus on Rylee as a suspect, by Logan Woods, the reporter working on the story, is felled by Rylee's charms and just as certain that she is innocent. The authors make the city of Charleston come to life with lots of local interest, but the sparks between Rylee and Logan make the novel zip with plenty of chemistry. Readers will appreciate the honesty between the hero and heroine in a genre that thrives on miscommunications and half-truths. That type of plot driven story can become tiresome, but Rylee and Logan seem like real people who react in ways that readers can easily relate to. Don't start this book unless you have time to sit down and finish it all the way through, because once you start, it's impossible to put down!