In The Dark [Paperback]

MEAGAN MCKINNEY (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

After the sad news of Jacquelin Blum as missing and presumed dead reaches Alyn Blum-Jones, she travels to Blumfield to discover the true definition of unthinkable betrayal.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Veterinarian Alyn Blum-Jones's late mother was disinherited long before Alyn was born. Cut off from the Blum family, Alyn has never even met her aunt, Jacqueline Blum, so she's surprised to receive a letter from her asking Alyn to visit the family estate. When she discovers that her wealthy aunt is missing, Alyn is determined to help in any way that she can, although when she arrives at the Maryland estate she instantly walks into more trouble than she can handle.

The police believe that Jacqueline Blum was murdered, and their prime suspect is Alyn. Jacqueline, Alyn discovers, has recently changed her will and life insurance policy to name Alyn, her only living relative, as the sole beneficiary. But Alyn has an even bigger problem, and his name is Peter Youngblood. Tall, dark, and dangerous, he's been hired by the insurance company to find out what really happened to Jacqueline Blum. Is Peter a savior or an assassin? Can Alyn trust him when she discovers that he has a secret agenda that might threaten her very life? And when she finds herself falling in love with him, can she find the courage to trust the one man who can destroy her?

Thanks to complex characters and an expertly paced plot, In the Dark reads like a superb "whodunit" circa 1950. When the prime suspects start dropping like flies, readers will have to rethink their theories about what really happened to Jacqueline Blum. --Lois Faye Dyer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Dark and stormy nights abound in McKinney's (A Man to Slay Dragons) latest novel of romance and suspense. From a disinherited branch of the mega-rich Blum family, practical Boston veterinarian Alyn Blum-Jones is shocked to read of the disappearance of her only living relative, her heiress aunt Jacqueline Blum, the day before Alyn is to meet her for the first time. Alyn travels to her aunt's Maryland estate, where she meets Peter Youngblood, the tough ex-cop hired by Masterlife Insurance to investigate the case. From Peter, Alyn learns she is her aunt's chief beneficiary and the insurance company's chief suspect. Peter and Alyn search for Jacqueline in Maryland horse country and New York City, encountering along the way a host of oily stable managers and oilier foreign butlers, nefarious nightclub owners, unprincipled corporate bosses, thick plots, kinky outfits and dead bodies?all of which leaves Alyn plenty of time to reckon with her own past as well as with the bearish, passionate Youngblood. Romance outweighs suspense in this easily solvable mystery, which mixes language from popular movies, cheap fiction and expensive stores to offer a rarely surprising but also rarely dull taste of the dark side of inherited wealth, unexpected love and the insurance business.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821763415
• ISBN-13: 978-0821763414
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,843,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good light read, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In The Dark (Hardcover)

Let me start by saying I am a huge Meagan Mckinney fan and I would recommend her books to anyone, however, this is not one of her finest efforts. The story seems very contrived and over the top, there is not much suspense, not much sexual tension and not much romance going on. Having said that, this book is worth reading but if you are already a Meagan Mckinney convert don't expect too much and you won't be too dissapointed. I think the main problem is the implausability of the plot line and the lack of originality. We have all read the big bad corporate America plotlines where everyone is expendable to the all mighty dollar, however, there is usually a large twist and a deeper meaning to what is happening. I kept waiting for Meagan Mckinney's trademark tension to happen and it never eventuated. If you have yet to read any of her novels I would recommend Lions and Lace. It is a historical, not a contemporary, but it is a classic example of Meagan Mckinney at her finest with the characters exuding sexual tension, a real page turner.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, wait for paperback, April 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In The Dark (Hardcover)

I've read every book by Meagan McKinney and I have to say that the last two haven't been as good as the earlier books. The Fortune Hunter was downright bad, but this one was okay but not great. I've noticed that with a lot of my favorite authors,their latest books haven't been up to snuff. Do they get under pressure and not devote enough time to creating their characters?

Alyn Blum-Jones is the only living relation to her aunt Jacqueline, whom she has never met because her mother was dis-inherited when she married Alyn's father. Now a year after Alyn's mothers death Jacqueline wants to meet Alyn. On the eve of her visit to her aunt's magnificent estate, her aunt is missing, presumed dead.

When Alyn arrives at her aunts' estate she meets Peter Youngblood, a private investigator for the insurance company who will pay out $20 million if Jacqueline is found dead. Of course they don't hit it off, the stableman and the butler (whatever they call him in the book, I can't remeember!) immediately file a motion to reverse her aunts' will and immediately Alyns' life is in danger. Of course Peter is the only man to protect her.

I felt that Ms. McKinney could have developed Alyn and Peters' relationship better. One minute they hate eachother and another minute they love eachother, no in between time to explore their feelings for eachother.

All in all, this is a good, quick read but wait for the paperback.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not her usual, November 17, 1999

By 

A Meagan McKinney Fan (PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In The Dark (Hardcover)

I also have read all of Meagan's previous books and am a devoted fan but this was not her best work. If this is your first time reading her work, don't hold it against her. I had a difficult time finishing this book. It did not flow well and she did not develop the characters enough. I would highly recommend any of her earlier books but I do not recommend this one.