Customer Reviews

Betrayals

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When a mild earthquake causes a building currently under construction to disintegrate, it is apparent that something is wrong. Add to that the fact that a security guard is killed in the accident, and not only do you have a case of shoddy construction to deal with but you have criminal negligence as well. Not only do the building's investors stand to lose a lot of money, but the owner of the construction company may face financial ruin, loss of his business, and prison time as well.

Kayla Hampton is a CPA who has been hired to look into who might be responsible for the building not being constructed to code. She knows that she will have to sift through a mountain of information in order to discover the truth, although currently all signs point squarely at the owner of the construction company - Logan Lambert. She might be blind, but she is tough and capable, and after her initial meeting with Logan, she has a feeling that he might not be as culpable as her client believes him to be. Logan Lambert knows that he has a lot to lose, and he is determined to cooperate with Kayla's investigation. Someone within his company has substituted substandard materials, pocketing the profits and setting him up to be the fall guy in the investigation, and he is determined to find out who this is and to regain his reputation. Almost worse than financial ruin is the knowledge that he has been betrayed by a person or persons that he believed to be friends he could trust.

As Logan and Kayla work together to find out the truth behind the disaster, the person responsible is scrambling to cover his tracks and to ensure that Logan takes the blame. Although the initial crime is fraud, it becomes apparent that the culprit is willing to result to both kidnapping and murder to protect himself and retrieve incriminating evidence. Kayla and Logan must work to stay alive and to stay a step ahead of a criminal who seems to know Logan almost as well as he knows himself. To further complicate issues, they are beginning to develop feelings for each other. But will these feelings survive after investigation is over? Also, they might be working together to the same end, but how much do they really trust each other, anyway?

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Janet Quinn's Betrayals is a fast-paced blend of romance, action, and suspense that should appeal to lovers of thrillers and love stories alike. This is a smooth-flowing and pleasurable read that is exciting enough to keep the reader turning the pages, wondering what situation the heroes would find themselves into next. The characters are appealing enough to make you care about them, and enough time is spent with the villain to develop him into a hateful character but not to give his identity away. In Logan and Kayla, Ms. Quinn has given us a couple of strong and interesting individuals who have just enough flaws to make them sympathetic. Logan is attractively strong and take-charge, but he is also somewhat stubborn. He is haunted by the fact that he has been betrayed by a friend but absolutely refuses to consider that two such close friends may be involved. When it comes to stubbornness, however, he and Kayla are equally matched. Kayla may be blind, but she is not "the poor little blind girl." She has a backbone of steel and is almost too fiercely independent. I found it fascinating how Kayla described her blindness as being a world entirely of color, because I had never imagined blindness to be anything other than complete blackness. This was definitely food for thought and an interesting detailed touch.

The suspense in Betrayals teases the reader a bit, hinting strongly at who the culprit in the crime might be but never actually revealing the truth until the end. As I read this novel, there were several instances where I was absolutely convinced that I knew the answer to whodunit. I was wrong, but I was not at all disappointed to be wrong. My only complaint is that the reveal scene felt just a little too "Scooby Doo," as in "I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids." However, I did appreciate the recap of the crime, and it did tie the mystery up pretty cleanly.

In all, I feel that Betrayals is well-executed and entertaining. It provides a pretty decent romance with a interesting mystery, which in my opinion makes for an enjoyable reading experience.