Only Skin Deep (43 Light Street, Book 4) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #179) [Mass Market Paperback]

Rebecca York (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: harlequin (2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373360576
• ISBN-13: 978-0373360574
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,389,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"[Rebecca York's] books. . . deliver what they promise: excitement, mystery, romance. . ."
- Michael Dirda, Washington Post

An award-winning, best-selling novelist, Ruth Glick is the author of over 100 books. Writing as Rebecca York, she has authored or co-authored over 50 romantic suspense novels. The first of her Berkley Sensation paranormal romantic suspense novels, KILLING MOON, was published in June 2003; EDGE OF THE MOON followed in August 2003 and WITCHING MOON in October 2003. KILLING MOON and EDGE OF THE MOON were launch books for the Berkley Sensation imprint.

She writes the popular 43 Light Street series for Harlequin Intrigue. Over 30 Light Street Intrigues have been published. NOWHERE MAN was called "one of the most heart-wrenching, moving works of romantic suspense in several years," by reviewer Harriet Klausner.

Ruth's many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times: for Series Romantic Suspense and Series Romantic Mystery. NOWHERE MAN was the Romantic Times Best Intrigue of 1998, and the book has been selected as one of their Reviewers' "all-time favorite 400 romances." In addition, she received the 1998 Affaire de Coeur's Critics Choice Award for Best Contemporary Novel, also for NOWHERE MAN. Ruth's book, KILLING MOON won the 2003 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for best Paranormal. AMANDA'S CHILD won the 2001 Golden Leaf Award for Long Contemporary and was nominated for Best Intrigue of 2000 by Romantic Times. "Tyler" in BAYOU BLOOD BROTHERS won the 2001 Golden Leaf Award for best Novella. In 2007 THE SECRET NIGHT received the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for best Harlequin Intrigue. Ruth's cookbook, 100% PLEASURE, was picked by USA Today as one of the 12 best cookbooks of 1994; her FABULOUS LO-CARB CUISINE was a finalist for the MidAtlantic Publishers Association's Excellence in Independent Publishing Award.

Several of Ruth's Moon books (WITCHING MOON, SHADOW OF THE MOON, and NEW MOON) have been on the USA Today best-seller list.

Ruth and her husband travel frequently to research settings for novels and taste new dishes for cookbooks. Her many unique experiences are apt to end up in her books--like the time she encountered a coral snake in the Guatemalan jungle or took a flight in a hot air balloon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written in the Intrigue line, March 21, 2006

By 

Susan Bischoff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Only Skin Deep (43 Light Street, Book 4) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #179) (Mass Market Paperback)

There are a few things that earned a high rating for this novel. York's work consistently contains solid stories and good style. What sets this one above is the way the shared background of the protagonists sets up the dynamic for the romantic part of the plot, and also the details that go into making the suspense part of the plot seem vivid and real.

Katie is a research physician, currently working at 43 Light Street. Eight years ago she was in medical school with Mac McQuade, and well on her way to being in love and probably happily ever after with him. But when tragedy struck and Mac was injured in an accident, he told Katie that he needed to take some time off from school and stopped communicating with her. When they meet again over the apparent suicides of his best friend and her half-sister, Mac, now a partner in a successful bioresearch firm, is sporting a stainless steel hand.

Generally, when you have a couple who comes together too early in a novel, or when one of the protagonists (generally the heroine) decides that she's in love and goes after the hero, it's just not handled well, tension fades, you're up to your elbows in mush, all manner of lousy reading ensues. But not here. York manages to maintain tension throughout the story without having characters that are too combative nor too lovey-dovey.

The suspense part of the plot centers on a mysterious virus. What is it? Where does it come from? Is it a weapon? And, if so, who's wielding it, and who's the target? At different times, it seems likely that each of them has been exposed to the virus, and since it is so particularly nasty and the cure is unknown, this adds a good element of suspense at these times. The way the couple acts at these times adds to the romantic part of the plot. As they investigate, the characters are placed in harm's way more than once which also serves to drive the action and suspense. The aspects of the lab work involved contain enough detail to make those scenes very believable, but not so much detail that they bore the reader or slow the story.

I often find that an author will have good ideas for certain aspects of a novel, but lack either the skill or the will to deal with them in a way that makes for enjoyable reading. That is definitely not the case here. While I wouldn't say that it had a really high WOW factor, it was skillfully and solidly well done. Definitely recommended.

This book is the 4th in the 43 Light Street series. Other books include: #143 Life Line ISBN 0-373-22143-6, #155 Shattered Vows ISBN 0-373-22155-X, and #167 Whispers in the Night ISBN 0-373-22167-3. The next title is #193 Trial By Fire ISBN 0-373-22193-2.