Customer Reviews

Behind The Mask (Harlequin Intrigue)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

... where the heroine is so annoying you hope the bad guy gets her? This was Lindsey.

Rich girl Lindsey Latham and poor boy Graham Dufour met in high school in New Orleans and fell in love. Lindsey is a member of the "Dominican Daredevils" a bunch of spoiled, trust fund babies who never had a "daredevil" moment in their lives other than wearing white after Labor Day.

When Lindsey planned to go to college in another state Graham told her if she went they were through. Years later she said that she wanted him to go to college with her because he was; "too smart not to have any ambition", she "expected him to get an education" and to "better himself". Talk about insulting! But Graham had to help support his family and could only go to school part time, unlike Lindsey who had Daddy's money. Lindsey left & after a rebound one night stand Graham got another girl pregnant, married her three months later, she lost the baby and told him it wasn't his in the first place but that of her married lover.

Ten years later Lindsey returns to New Orleans for a reunion with the other "Daredevils", one of whom is kind enough to lend Lindsey her "extra" Mercedes. While riding, in costume, on a float during a Mardi Gras parade Lindsey witnesses a murder taking place in the tower of a three story mansion. As it turns out the murderer knows one of the woman on the float saw him but since they were masked he doesn't know which one. At first. Enter Graham; who is now a police detective. There is no suspect, no motive, no body, no weapon, no crime scene & Lindsey isn't sure what house this murder took place in.

This is when Lindsey switches to TSTL (too stupid to live). She crashes her way into the investigation because; "Could she help it if she was more efficient than the cops?" She goes, alone, inside a house with a murder suspect, searches houses on her own, has her own little "stake outs", follows up on leads & doesn't tell Graham when a very important piece of evidence shows up in her luggage. Of course by now everyone knows who she is. It ends up that her whole attitude of, "I know better than the police and I can do whatever I want." gets an innocent person killed and another critically injured.

Graham's not much better since he presents Lindsey as "Officer Green". He could have lost his job with that stunt plus I believe it constitutes fraud and is illegal. I knew who the murderer was when I was halfway through the book & so relieved when I reached the end. The only reason I gave this a 2 was because I've been to New Orleans & I've been to Mardi Gras & the info on that was accurate.

I can recomment Ms. Wayne's "Surprise Package" part of the Trueblood Series.

ALL SHE COULD SEE WERE HIS EYES...
Though Graham Dufour's ebony eyes lit up her dreams for the past ten years, Lindsey Latham hoped she could come back to New Orleans without seeing the man who'd once stolen her heart. A lot had changed between them - but one touch from the bad-boy-made-good could still ignite her desire.

Then she rode in a Mardi Gras parade and saw someone else's eyes behind a mask - those of a faceless killer who'd used the masquerade to hide his crime. And he'd seen Lindsey.

Once she'd been forced to run from Graham; now she had no choice but to run straight into his arms. For passion - and for protection...