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Summary: CLASSIC ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Review: I've been a fan of Tami Hoag's since her Loveswept romance days, and have read nearly everything she has written. Still Waters (a personal favorite of mine) was Ms. Hoag's first foray into romantic suspense. Dark Paradise followed, and with each successive novel, she stepped further away from romance and further into the pschological thrillers she is most known for today. This is important to know if you're considering buying a book by Tami Hoag for the first time. It's easy to be disappointed by making a book selection that isn't your cup of tea, b/c she has written the gamut.Dark Paradise is primarily a romance with elements of suspense and a mystery at the heart of it. It is, in my opinion, a terrific book. I have recommended it to friends who read romance, mysteries and horror -- all have liked it without exception. Marilee, the heroine has arrived in Montana to visit a friend on vacation and take stock of her life. She arrives to find the friend dead, under mysterious circumstances that no one besides her seems to care about. This is the mystery: who really killed Lucy and was it truly an accident? Marilee is a great heroine, smart and plucky and creative without being the slightest bit perfect. You can imagine knowing someone just like her. Her run-ins with the reluctant rancher hero JD (who knew Lucy and doesn't care what happened to her as long as it doesn't affect his ranch or way of life) are classic romance-type exchanges, but they're never pat. That's one hallmark of Ms. Hoag's, no matter what genre she's writing for - the characters rarely take the easy way out. They're too real for that. If you enjoy Ms. Hoag's more edgy and psychological-horror books (ie. Ashes to Ashes), then you may still enjoy Dark Paradise as a precursor, stylistically. If you were a fan of books like Magic and Sarah's Sin, this one will take you down a darker path moving away from romance. I highly recommend this book to most anyone who asks me. It's one of my all-time favorites. Give it a try.
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Summary: All Small Towns Aren't So Friendly
Review: Marilee Jennings quits her job and decides to leave California for Montana where her friend Lucy MacAdam who moved there the year before. When Marilee arrives, she finds out that Lucy's been dead for over a week, the apparent victim of an accidental shooting. Marilee stays in town to mourn her friend and figure out what she's going to do with the rest of her life. She soon discovers that life in New Eden, Montana is not as tranquil as it might appear to be. J.D. Rafferty, Lucy's neighbor makes her feel most unwelcome in the town and there seems to be a real split running through the town on the influx of rich California people who are buying up property in New Eden. Marilee finds out that she is Lucy's heir and that she has inherited her small farm. While she can't decide whether to stay in New Eden or not, she finds herself increasingly uncomfortable with the explanation for Lucy¹s death. She also finds herself thinking more and more about J.D. Rafferty. Tami Hoag has created a rich story set in an attractive town with not always attractive characters. The read is a good one. We feel as if we come to know Marilee as a family friend and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best, but enjoyable
Review: This is the first book that I have read by Tami Hoag. This is really a romance novel, disguised as a mystery. That said, it was an enjoyable book to read. Slow at times, but during these times, you get a good understanding of the main characters. The ending was predictable, but I would have been mad if it ended any other way.
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