Hot Pursuit [Unabridged] [Hardcover]

Karen Rose (Author), Annie Solomon (Author), Carla Cassidy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2005

Three masters of romantic suspense combine their seductive talents to explore the thrill of the chase... "Dirty Secrets" by Karen Rose- An unexpected reunion between two high school friends brings back long-lost feelings. But as passion is reignited, so are the desires of a secret enemy watching their every move. "Necessary Betrayals" by Annie Soloman- When her sister is kidnapped, a mobster's daughter is forced to enlist the help of the lover who deceived her years ago. But can she dare trust him again? "Endless Night" by Carla Cassidy- An innocent blind date spins out of control when two young lovers find themselves locked in a deadly embrace, trying to outrun the dark impulses of a killer... -from the inside flap

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Signet Eclipse; 1ST edition (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739459619
• ISBN-13: 978-0739459614
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This really is more like 3 1/2 stars, December 30, 2005

By 

A. Rowley (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Pursuit (Signet Eclipse) (Paperback)

Hot Pursuit is a collection of mini stories each written by a different author. As a whole the book is mediocre. Individually each story is not great, but good for a light read. Is it worth the money? I bought it and don't necessarily regret it, but if you happen to see it in a library some day, you may want to check it out instead. It's not one I particularly consider worth holding on to for years to come if that helps any.

Dirty Secrets by Karen Rose is the story of two high school friends who shared a brief chance at romance, but were too shy to tell the other how each felt. Years later, Emma finds a letter from Christopher tucked away in an old yearbook professing his secret fondness for her. Thinking that she broke his heart, Emma finds him to apologize. Little does she know that just reconnecting with the man puts her life in danger as well as his. There is a killer out there that will stop at nothing to make sure his secret remains that way and the two old friends may just know more than they realize.
I have read all of Karen Rose's novels and loved the first two, but have noticed her style changing. She seems to be conforming to the average writer with typical pacing rather than the fast, suspense filled romantic mystery she began with. Dirty Secrets was good, but not great in comparison to what this author could be writing.

Necessary Betrayals by Annie Solomon was great. It is exactly what a romantic suspense should be. It grabs you from the beginning, pulling you into the characters lives and when you realize that the story is quickly about to end, you want it to continue. Unfortunately, the ending didn't shock me but then very few authors do. There were not enough red herrings in this particular novel in my opinion to have you suspect anyone else. However, the writing was well done and this mini book was the best in the set.
Francesca receives a disturbing call from her thirteen year old sister that connects the girl to a mob boss found dead that same night. Now her sister is missing and the only man who can help her is Quinn, the man she fell in love with who betayed her years earlier and broke her heart. In a fast paced race to find Francesca's sister the two find themselves unraveling the mystery behind what happened at the mobster's home as well as running from a gunman. Reluctant to give in to the passion that once flamed between the two, they realize that sometimes it takes a life or death situation to realize how much you still care.

The final short story in this book is Endless Night by Carla Cassidy. It moves quickly, but then how could it not when the whole story is only 59 pages long. The author definitely could have drawn this story out a little longer continuing with the suspense and developing the character's attraction more thoroughly, but for a quick read it was fairly decent. Just don't expect any sort of mystery to this story. It was simply a short fictional story with a touch of romance to it.
Amanda and Clay begin the night by going on a blind date that they both loathe. Before dropping Clay off at his place, someone shoots at Amanda's car sending them into a highspeed chase ultimately leaving them to hide out until they find out what is going on. Faced with only each other's company and the thrill of the chase, Amanda and Clay find that they like one another far more than they originally thought. Together they find the answers to bring down a killer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Originally Posted on Romance Junkies in 2005, May 14, 2007

By 

Jennifer Wardrip (Bloomington, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Pursuit (Signet Eclipse) (Paperback)

What could possibly be better than a great romantic suspense book? A book that includes stories from three of my favorite romantic suspense authors! With HOT PURSUIT you get a range of stories packed with mystery, action, adventure, and sizzling passion. When you read stories by Karen Rose, Annie Solomon, and Carla Cassidy, you know you're going to get a thrill ride.

Karen Rose, author of the 2005 RITA winning I'm Watching You, brings us DIRTY SECRETS, a story about lost opportunities and the chance to do things over. Dr. Emma Townsend is a woman trying to put her life back together. A woman who wrote a best-selling book about dealing with grief, she's not having a lot of luck dealing with her own after the death of her husband, Will, who was killed during an apparent convenience story robbery. The nineteen-year-old robber was sentenced to life without parole in prison, but it's small consolation to Emma, who misses her husband dearly. Then, while cleaning out her house of her late husband's belongings, she finds an old letter in her high-school yearbook-a letter from her best guy-friend, Chris, declaring his love for her and letting her know he'd be waiting if she wanted to see if their friendship could turn into something more.

Seventeen years ago, Christopher Walker was left with a broken heart when Emma Townsend never spoke to him again after their junior prom. He'd felt something that night, something that caused him to confess his love for Emma in a letter and slip it into her yearbook. Those days are long over, though, and these days Chris has a whole lot more on his mind. For one, there's his young daughter, Megan, to worry about, and secondly, there's the fact that one of his graduate students has been murdered in his chemistry lab. As the authorities question Chris about the murder of Darrell Roberts, he gets the feeling that there's more to the murder than meets the eye-and that he himself might be a target. Then, out of the blue comes a call from a private investigator with the news that Emma Townsend is looking for him, and things really start to get interesting.

As these two people try to reconnect from a shared past, over a passion that may or may not still linger, danger lurks in the shadows. Who is after Chris, and was Emma's husband's death really an accident? Can their newfound romance survive the danger that's all around them?



Annie Solomon, author of Blind Curve (Warner Forever) and Like a Knife, brings us a winning suspense story with NECESSARY BETRAYALS. Ever since Francesca Burn's father was sent to prison five years ago for his association with mob leader Arturo Calvino, Frannie has concentrated on her younger sister, Gina, and leading an above-board life by severing all ties with the Calvino family. Until fifteen-year-old Gina calls her on a cell phone with a bad connection, crying frantically, and the only words Frannie can understand in her sister's dialogue are "can you hear me?" and "Calvino." Frannie, frantic for her wild sister's safety, abruptly leaves her job as a waitress at Sal's and rushes home, only to find her sister isn't there. With no other options at hand, she heads to the Calvino compound-a place where someone is always at home, a place that is never truly silent. Except the way is blocked by an army of police vehicles, and who should stop her but Detective Quinn Parker Lewis. The same Quinn Parker she had foolishly thought she was in love with five years ago, until he managed to get her father sent to prison.

For Quinn Parker, the takedown of Francesca's father in his undercover police work nearly killed him. Not the takedown itself, but the fact that he lost Frannie-her friendship, her smile, her growing love. She saw him as the man who sent her father away, and she was right. Quinn went on a three-month drinking binge, nearly lost his job, and finally asked to be transferred out of undercover work. Now here he is, once again in Frannie's company, dealing with the Calvino's and their crime network. With Gina in danger, it's up to Quinn and Frannie to find out where she is-and how to get her back.

As the emotions from the past come rushing back, will the two of them be able to defeat the bad guys, rescue Gina, and save their love at the same time?



ENDLESS NIGHT by Carla Cassidy, author of The Perfect Family (Signet Eclipse), gives us the tale of a blind date gone horribly wrong. Amanda Kincaid agrees to a blind date for one reason only-to get her sister, Cara, and brother-in-law, Harry, off of her back. They won't quit harping about her love life-or lack of one-and swear up and down that Clay Murdock is just the man for her. The only problem is, as soon as she meets him, Amanda realizes that tall, dark, handsome, and single are just cover-ups for dull, boring, and absolutely not her type at all. As for Clay, who agrees to the date for the sake of his gym-buddy Harry, he doesn't find Amanda the least bit interesting on their double date with Cara and Harry.

Until, that is, Amanda gives Clay a ride home-and things take on the feel of an action-adventure movie. As Clay is exiting Amanda's car, someone starts taking potshots at them, with a real, live gun. Clay has no choice but to hop back into the car and order Amanda to "floor it", and since she's too stunned to do anything else, she does what she's told. Suddenly, their boring date has turned into an escape from bullets and bad guys, and Clay has no intention of letting Amanda out of his sight until the danger has passed. When Clay finally admits to his date that he was once a police officer who is now in the Witness Protection Program, Amanda realizes that her boring blind date might be a bit more interesting that she'd previously thought.

As Amanda and Clay concoct a plan to thwart the person or persons responsible for Clay being in the WPP to begin with, their chemistry starts to go through the roof. Now all they have to do is live through the next couple of days and find out if it's something worth pursuing.


HOT PURSUIT is a romantic suspense winner! You don't want to miss this anthology of three great stories by three very talented authors!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot Pursuit is a must have read., January 17, 2006

By 

Judy "book reader" (Cincinnati, ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Pursuit (Signet Eclipse) (Paperback)

Hot Pursuit is a spine tingling anthology of romance and suspense at its best.

Dirty Secrets by Karen Rose has Professor Christopher Walker devastated by the death of one of his research students. Back in the Midwest PHD Emma Townsend comes across an old love letter stuck in her high school yearbook. A letter she never knew about from her best friend Chris Walker. Emma decides to track down Chris and apologize. But before they can explore this new romance the danger surrounding Chris is shifter to Emma. Dirty Secrets is fast paces, full of intrigue and deep-seated Passion.

Annie Solomon's Necessary Betrayals has Francesca Berns a mobster's daughter trying to start a new life. When her sister disappears she is forced to work with the undercover cop you had betrayed her, Detective Quinn Lewis. As they search for the missing girl all those buried feelings come roaring back to life. This story has a lot of twist and turns that will keep you on your toes.

Endless Night by Carla Cassidy start out with Amanda Kincaid on the most boring blind date of her life. Her sister thought Clay Murdock would be perfect for her. Luckily the date is over and Amanda is driving Clay home. Next thing she knows they are being shot at and are on the run for their lives. Getting to the bottom of the shooting will take all of Amanda and Clay's wits. They pack a lot into a first date.

Hot Pursuit is a top-notch anthology of Romantic Suspense.