10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Incredible, May 2, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Stranger She Knew (Men Of Mystery) (Harlequin Intrigue #513) (Paperback)
Gayle Wilson delivers another winner with "The Stranger She Knew," the second book of her "Men of Mystery" miniseries. I'll skip the summary, since Ms. Wilson's already provided one, and get straight to the accolades. Quite simply, I loved it. Some might like book one, "The Bride's Protector," more because of the larger-than-life plot and the prominence of espionage in the story. "The Stranger She Knew" (GREAT title!) may be a smaller story with a tighter focus, but the characters are so much more identifiable, their situation so compelling, that I couldn't stop reading for a moment.
In Jordan and Kathleen, Gayle has created two wonderful characters, especially Kathleen. More than once, she is put in a situation where, in a lesser novel, she would make a stupid choice in order to keep the book going. Wilson respects her--and our--intelligence and keeps her in character. Even more extraordinary are the depictions of Kathleen's children, Meg and Jamie, who have to be two of the most well-drawn child characters I've ever seen. Frankly, they seem more real than most adult characters in other writers' works. And although "The Stranger She Knew" may not be as tightly plotted as "The Bride's Protector," it easily makes up for it in emotional content. It touches on every feeling on the range of human emotion--passion, laughter, suspense, romance. I know that "I laughed, I cried" is a huge cliché, but I really did. From Jordan, this former CIA agent, trying to serve dinner to two kids, to the suspenseful climax at the end, every moment was a joy.
But much more than just a romance or a suspense tale, it's the story of how a family is forged out of extraordinary circumstances. Surprisingly enough, that was the part that I liked the most, which made the way Ms. Wilson chose to end the book (not counting the epilogue) so gratifying. About the only complaint I could make is about that ridiculously short skirt Kathleen's wearing on the front cover (Is that the wardrobe of a single mother on the run???), but that has nothing to do with Ms. Wilson, who's delivered a stunning work. I know I've gone on too long, and it probably sounds like she's paid me to write this (I promise it's not true. To be honest, Wilson is actually a hit-and-miss author with me.) Last month, I called "The Bride's Protector" the best Intrigue of 1999. "The Stranger She Knew" easily takes that title. I, for one, can't wait to see what she has in store next month with book three, "Her Baby, His Secret."
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
she loses a star for the slow beginning., December 29, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Stranger She Knew (Men Of Mystery) (Harlequin Intrigue #513) (Paperback)
Aside from that, it was a rip-roaring read. I literally could not put it down - I was reading while I got dressed in the morning.
My problems with this book were that it took so very long to get started, in fact I was 100pp in before I felt the hero and heroine made any real connection. (It was at least 45 pages before they even met) Once they did though, things didn't slow down until I turned the last page.
Ms. Wilson created very real characters in the midst of out-of-this-world drama. She got into the head of a single mother with all of her contradictions and worries admirably. The kids were great (and I don't even really like kids in romances). Our hero was wonderful in how he related to women.
I just wish the book hadn't taken so long to get into the meat of the story.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved this book!, May 27, 1999
This review is from: The Stranger She Knew (Men Of Mystery) (Harlequin Intrigue #513) (Paperback)
Gayle Wilson comes across with another great read! The characters come to life through their emotions and the believable threat to their safety. The author did a wonderful job of making Kathleen's children adorable and loveable without letting them steal the story. The romance sizzles, and the hero is to die for! I can't wait for book #3.
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