3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
solid romantic suspense thriller, November 6, 2006
This review is from: Heat Lightning (Mass Market Paperback)
In Houston, an assailant wanting to silent Voice of Poverty spokesperson Luz Maria Montoya assaults the woman, who ends up hospitalized. Police Investigators Grant Holcomb and his relatively new partner Billy Devlin investigate the attack on the community activist. Grant detests Luz Maria who he blames for the suicide death of his former partner John Zeman when her accusations of his being a rapist stuck; Grant cannot accept that a family man like Zeman would attack crack females.
Luz Maria tells Grant to forget her case since he has an ax to grind. He vows to remain professional, but finds that difficult to maintain as he wants the woman whose cold actions led to his former partner taking his life. Still the consummate cop, Grant with Billy's odd help begin to make inquiries into a sociopath who knows Luz Maria intimately with the assumption being that her former lover wants her dead. Grant will risk his life to keep the woman he once hated but now loves safe.
Luz Maria's return (see FADE THE HEAT) is a solid romantic suspense thriller with the emphasis more on the changing relationship between the cop and the activist than on who is stalking her. Readers will know who the culprit is early on by simple elimination as there are few if any other potential competitors. Still this is a well written fun damsel in distress thriller because of Grant's attitude towards the woman he must protect.
Harriet Klausner
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful on every level, December 16, 2006
This review is from: Heat Lightning (Mass Market Paperback)
Ignore the Publisher's Weekly review. Sometimes they are totally wrong, and this is one of those times. I read this book during the original writing stage because I'm one of Colleen Thompson's critique partners. There's an advantage in that -- you get to read things before others do -- but there's a disadvantage, too, because you have to wait between chapters. And when a book is as exciting as this one is, waiting is no fun. Because I loved the characters in FADE THE HEAT, I knew I would love Luz Marie. The surprise was how much I loved Grant. As another reviewer said, his conflicted feelings were so real and so unusually complex, that the romance had unexpected depth and emotional intensity. Thompson does so many things well -- her settings are vivid, her details are crisp, her plots are exactingly perceived, her characters are likable and interesting and realistically portrayed -- but it's Thompson's mature writing that I find the most enthralling. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be her critique partner and hope she continues writing exciting romantic suspense for many years to come. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scary suspense and a sizzling hot read, October 28, 2006
This review is from: Heat Lightning (Mass Market Paperback)
Luz Maria Montoya has worked tirelessly the past three years as the Voice of Poverty spokesperson for those not in a position to speak for themselves. Regretting her heart's foolish indiscretions with an ex-boyfriend that threatened those she loved and caused her the greatest loss of her young life, she sought redemption by serving others. In doing so, she has ruffled politicians, business leaders, and prominent sports figures and drawn the ire of unbalanced supporters and fans along the way. So an occasional threat letter is no big deal to her. But when a hooded assailant jumps her in a parking lot, wraps his hands around her neck and almost squeezes the life from her, she has to face the reality of the unrest she has created.
Homicide detective Grant Holcombe harbors a personal vendetta against the outspoken woman. When Internal Affairs investigated Grant's partner two years before and found him guilty of the allegations Luz Maria had brought to light, Zeman killed himself, leaving a grieving widow and two young daughters. Grant's remorse at not being able to help his partner has fueled his anger at Luz Maria.
Now he's been called upon to investigate her assault. Grant knows he shouldn't be involved in her case, but when continued threats turn to a vicious related murder, and her vulnerability edges through her brave front, his attraction to this exceptional woman grows and he will risk everything to protect her. But isn't his love for Luz Maria the utmost betrayal of sweet Sherry Zeman, her two girls, and the memory of their dead father?
The heavy blanket of heat and humidity that envelops Houston, Texas, in August permeates this fast-paced thriller, a roller-coaster ride of action and frightening surprises. And much like the corrupted light of the vapor lamps that muted the eerie parking lot where Luz Maria was first attacked, the path traveled by Luz Maria and Grant to safety is fraught with blind curves and dead ends. Entwined with this scary suspense erupts a sizzling love affair between Luz and Grant as hot as heat lightning in a dark summer sky.
Colleen Thompson once again delivers a fabulous page-tuner filled with excitement and intrigue. Start with FADE THE HEAT, its predecessor, and finish with HEAT LIGHTNING, a great read with a hero we can all love and a heroine who makes us proud.
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