Kiss Them Goodbye [Mass Market Paperback]

Stella Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

Just weeks after inheriting Rosebank, a once-magnificent plantation on the banks of Bayou Teche, David Patin was killed in a mysterious fire, leaving his daughter, Vivian, almost bankrupt. With few options remaining, Vivian Patin decides to restore the family fortunes by turning Rosebank into a resort hotel.

Murder changes everything.

Vivian's dream becomes a nightmare when she finds the family's lawyer dead on the sprawling grounds of the estate--with a rose in his chest and a brilliant lipstick mark on his cheek. Suddenly Vivian begins to wonder if her father's death was really an accident. . .and if the entire Patin family is marked for murder.

Can the killing be stopped?

Sheriff Spike Devol is smart, honest, tough--and sexy. Rosebank is not in his jurisdiction, but Vivian, fed up with the corrupt local police, asks him for unofficial help. The instant attraction between them leaves Spike reluctant to get involved--until another shocking murder occurs and it seems that Vivian will be the next victim.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sensuality sears the pages of Cameron's newest contemporary romantic thriller, set in the sultry small town of Toussaint, La., but nearly every other element disappoints. Heirs of a run-down estate, Vivian Patin and her mother prepare to patch up their lives and the mansion at the same time. But a murder on the grounds throws their plans awry and Vivian into close company with handsome local deputy sheriff Spike Devol. Bad blood between Spike and the investigating detective forces Vivian and Spike to launch their own inquiry. As the bodies pile up, the two become entangled romantically. Though Spike and Vivian finally get in synch once their clothes come off, they spend the first half of the novel pulling each other aside "to talk" but never really communicating. Meanwhile, a number of secondary characters crowd the pages and muddy the pacing. Discouragingly, Spike seldom follows through on leads he uncovers and even offers the blithe opinion that Vivian's gardener, who disappeared the day of the murder, will turn up fine. It's no surprise, therefore, that Spike never guesses who the killer is. While the romance ties up satisfactorily, the mystery unravels in fits and starts and will likely leave many readers feeling cheated. Seekers of sexy thrills will flock to Cameron's latest (after Cold Day in July), but those looking for a story with depth should give this a pass.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

After her father dies in a fire that destroyed her parents' New Orleans restaurant, Vivian and her mother, Charlotte, decide to turn Rosebank, the plantation he recently inherited, into a hotel and restaurant, but their renovation plans are threatened when Vivian discovers the body of their family lawyer on the grounds. Convinced that the local authorities see her as a convenient suspect for the murder, Vivian talks Spike Devol, the deputy sheriff from a nearby parish, into being both her private investigator and bodyguard. Already romantically interested in the lovely Vivian, Spike doesn't need much persuading to look into the murder, but when the body of another victim turns up, it seems obvious that someone doesn't want Vivian around Rosebank and will do anything to get rid of her. New York Times best-selling Cameron returns to the wonderfully atmospheric Louisiana setting of French Quarter (1998), and borrows a few secondary characters, for her latest sexy, gritty, compellingly readable tale of romantic suspense, which has all the twisted villains, dangerous secrets, colorful characters, and vividly detailed sensuality her readers find irresistible. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mira (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778320839
• ISBN-13: 978-0778320838
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stella Cameron is the New York Times best selling author of the acclaimed Court of Angels Series, the Bayou Books and many others. There are fourteen million copies of her books in circulation worldwide. She is the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Achievement Award for distinguished professional achievement and for enhancing the stature of the Northwest Literary community. She lives in Washington State.

Stella's current titles include OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF BODY and OUT OF MIND from her critically acclaimed Court of Angels series as well as her recent exclusive eBook releases BREATHLESS (contemporary romantic-suspense) and BARGAIN BRIDE: A NOVELLA (historical romance).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I must pay more attention!, January 22, 2005

By 

mahikahn (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kiss Them Goodbye (Hardcover)

A few months ago I read "Now You See Him" which I found out, albeit too late, was a prequel to "Kiss Them Goodbye". Had I known that I would never have bought this book which was actually worse than the first and a waste of money. My fault, I should concentrate more.

Spike and Vivian behaved like 12 year olds. One or the other was always getting their feelings hurt, usually because they'd completely misread what the other one said/did. Spike would start snapping at Vivian and she'd have no idea why or vice versa. Hello-they're both supposed to be adults with responsible jobs and Spike has a daughter to raise but they can't even communicate with each other?

Ex: He tells her he's worried that she'll sell Rosebank and move away from him. Instead of comforting and reassuring him she screams at him "How do you know what my feelings are? Thanks for the confidence!" and then she slaps him. Why he didn't run in the other direction as fast as he could is more of a mystery than the plot was.

Or almost as bad, a character would say/think something like "I know what that means. or "He realized then what was happening." Wonderful, how about sharing it with the readers because we are clueless?

I suppose I read this one to the end because the optimist in me kept hoping it would get better. Instead, by the end of the book, I was highly annoyed.

I think I'll give Stella a wide berth from now on and if I'm interested in reading another of her books, I'll get it from the library.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good entry into the Toussaint series, February 6, 2006

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kiss Them Goodbye (Mass Market Paperback)

Fans of the Toussaint series will be happy that Spike Devol finally has a spunky love interest. Still recovering from the death of her father, Vivian Patin and her mother Charlotte receive a dilapidated mansion as an inheritance from her Uncle Guy, and are assured that the upkeep will be taken care of. Uncle Guy was a funny man, and hid the money, and only his lawyers knows where.

When that lawyer turns up dead on the grounds of Rosebank, and Vivian has managed to desecrate the crime scene, a detective with a chip on his shoulder accuses Vivian of the crime due to her association with Spike, deputy sheriff (and former colleague) of nearby Toussaint. Spike and Vivian fall for each other while investigating the murder, since detective Bonine has not lifted a finger to find the real culprit.

While there are a couple racy scenes and Vivian and Spike have chemistry, the story lacks the emotional depth of some of the other Toussaint books. And it is far too long - could have been trimmed at least 100 pages and still told the story. The bayou colloquialisms got old after awhile too, especially those from annoying secondary character Ouisa.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KISS THEM GOODBYE, November 11, 2003

By 

Barb Hicks (Warren, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kiss Them Goodbye (Hardcover)

KISS THEM GOODBYE is the much anticipated sequel to COLD DAY IN JULY and it was well worth waiting for. Vivian Patin, along with her mother Charlotte have moved into the house they inherited from her late uncle Guy. They want to convert the house into a hotel, being short on cash has the renovations going slowly. They hope that this will soon change when they get a phone call from their attorney Louis Martin who says he has some news for them.
Unfortunately there is someone else who is anxious to get their hands on Rosebank and will do anything to get it, including murder.
Vivian also finds her self drawn to Spike Devol, the sexy sheriff in Touissiant and his little girl Wendy.
KISS THEM GOODBYE gave me the chance to revisit Touissaint, Louisiana and my favorite priest Father Cyrus as well as the other members of the town, including Jill and Joe Gable and you also get to catch up with Marc and Reb Girard from COLD DAY IN JULY.
Do yourself a favor and get KISS THEM GOODBYE, you will be happy that you did.