Customer Reviews

Lone Star Heat

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Texas Ranger Gates O'Brien lives for his job of investigating crime ever
since he and TV journalist Juliana Reed divorced eleven years ago. His
current case is to look into state corruption just as his brother Rusk is
campaigning to become the next governor of the Lone Star State. During a
political debate, one of her guests, Marge Bowers, a close friend of Juliana
and a worker for Rusk, suddenly dies on the air. This incident places Juliana
and her show in the news, but she is more concerned over the murder of Marge.

Gates and Juliana decide to join forces to uncover the identity of the
killer. As they get closer to learning who the culprit is, they find
themselves buried in blackmail and political corruption that includes Gates'
family. The attraction and love which drew them together over a decade ago,
still exists, but even more so. However, as they try to solve a murder, the
couple also has to confront the problem that destroyed their marriage before
they can start a new (and hopefully) healthier relationship.

Mary Lynn Baxter is renowned for her exciting romantic suspense novels
and her latest book, LONE STAR HEAT, will add to her growing reputation. The
story line is interesting as the backside of political power is exposed. The
lead characters are a wonderful pair coping with the case and their own
personal problems. Fans of romantic intrigue will enjoy this beautiful
Baxter book.

Harriet Klausner

This is more or less a tearjerker in places and very dramatic in others. The emotional ride you're taken through is heartwrenching. Ms. Baxter did her job well, as she always does. These two characters were very real and very hurt.

Its hard to come by a novel where the hero and heroine are so intuned to one another and when you read their conflicts and joys you feel the emotions with them.

I highly enjoyed this one because of that, although my rating would've been higher had the villain been scarier and more threatening.

Husband and wife, divorced 11 years are thrown together once again when one finds herself caught in a blackmail murder plot and her ex-husband is the Texas Ranger on the case.

Years after trying to forget one another after a very tumultuous marriage and a horrifc tragedy, Juliana Reed has finally gotten through the worst part and gotten her life back on track, but when her friend is murdered and she is somehow pulled into the strange and complex case via men with knives and some book they want, she is loathe t0 put her trust in the one man who destroyed her life so many years ago, her ex, Gates O'Brian.

Gates is a Texas Ranger and a very good one at that. Although he hasn't yet gotten his life completely straightened out, he has made progress. What he doesn't need is his ex-wife coming into the picture again. His heart cant handle it. But he must do his job and learns this is more than a simple case of blackmail, there is a lot more under the surface and somehow Juliana is caught in the crossfire. People are willing to murder her to get this book, can he survive anther emotional ride with her? Can they forget the past and maybe start anew?

Very good book, not to be missed.

Tracy Talley~@

Texas Ranger Gates O'Brien is investigating political corruption in the Lone Star state as his brother Rusk, an up and coming politician is running for governor. When one of Rusk's campaign workers appears on a local news show and drops dead, Gates is called in to investigate. Making matters difficult is that his ex-wife Juliana is the host of the show and she and the victim were close friends. Despite their tortured past (and the obvious love they still feel for each other), he reluctantly lets her in on his case. Further investigation elevates Marge's death to a murder and blackmail scheme which implicates his family and the death of their child which was the catalyst for the crumbling of their marriage.

At times the story is very emotional and sentimental, and the premise is very interesting. Unfortunately, the story is marred by cheesy dialogue (a staple in Baxter's novels) and lack of a believable villain that it becomes just an average story. I really wanted to root for these characters, and toward the end, I just wanted it to end.

© Tracy Vest, September 2008

Gates and Juliana are both dimwitted. The book lacked something. With sharper characters, this one could have been better.