Lost and Found

Rating:
Summary: A great mystery, with a romance in the wings...
Review: All Cady Briggs knows about a client, Mack Easton, is that he owns Lost and Found, a business on the internet that traces lost or stolen works of art, and has a voice on the phone that makes him her Fantasy Man.

Finally seeing him face to face on a job he hires her to do, Cady Briggs is not disappointed in the man she's been fantasizing about, and Mack seems to share the same thoughts.

But all that is put aside when Vesta Briggs, owner of Chatelaine's (an art gallery) and also her strange aunt, dies in a swimming "accident." Cady, suspecting that there is something wrong in this picture, hires Mack Easton to pose as her "almost fiancee," and help her prove her aunt was murdered.

I read this book in one sitting, and enjoyed it 'til the last page. I read this for the mystery, and was not disappointed. The romance did not play center stage though, so this book may not be as satisfying to readers who read this for the lovey-dovey stuff.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME AUTHOR!
Review: Cady Briggs knew Mack Easton only from the internet. He owned an online company, Lost And Found. He mainly traced stolen artifacts for owners and museums when the owner could not go to the police for one reason or another. Mack hired her as a consultant often since she had excellent connections in the art world. They met face-to-face when Mack hired her to help him track down a stolen antique helmet.

Everyone said Cady Briggs was a lot like her Aunt Vesta Briggs. They both had a fine eye for art and antiques, fought panic attacks, and had bad luck with men! But everyone also knew that Cady liked consulting jobs. She wanted nothing to do with Chatelaine, the gallery Vesta ran. Sylvia, Cady's cousin, was a natural born CEO and was a shoo-in for inheriting Vesta's shares when she passed away. However, one week before Vesta died, she changed her will to give all the stocks to Cady. Vesta made it clear that she was considering canceling a bidding for Chatelaine to merge with Austrey-Post as well.

Cady did not believe Vesta's death to be a swimming accident. Thinking foul play and the concerns Vesta had of the merger, she called Mark for help. He would pose as her "soon to be fiancée", and help track down a killer that she could not prove existed. It quickly became apparent that more than one scam was going on! And Cady was in the hot seat!

***** Jayne Ann Krentz has often proven to me that I am right to consider her one of the best Modern Contemporary authors of our time! This latest book will take a place of honor among my favorites in my "Keeper" shelf! There is not way I could recommend this book highly enough! *****

Rating:
Summary: Found another JAK winner!
Review: Cady Briggs knows art...what she doesn't know is what to do with Mack Easton, her sometimes boss, sometimes employee. They're looking for some answers, and maybe even a murderer. They're also forming a relationship...she knows it won't be permanent, but there's something different about it, about Mack. She feels like she's found something with him that's she never even knew she was missing...something she'll be lost without when he leaves.

A great story of love and intrigue by a master storyteller.

Rating:
Summary: Lukewarm romantic suspense.
Review: Cady Briggs's expert eye for European arts and antiques is one of several traits she shares with her Great Aunt Vespa, owner of Gallery Chatelaine. Semi-retired Vespa would love for Cady to take over the gallery, but Cady's not interested. She'd rather freelance as a consultant, and leave the business of running the gallery to her cousin, Sylvia. Sylvia has big plans for the gallery, including a merger with their biggest competitor, Austrey-Post.

Mack Easton is a widower whose company, Lost and Found, investigates and recovers stolen art and antiques. He hires Cady through the internet, and they communicate only by phone and e-mail for the first couple of jobs. Sparks fly when the two finally meet in Las Vegas at a client's business location, after Mack hires Cady to help trace a stolen 16th-century armor helmet. Days later, after a rescue and a first kiss, Mack leaps over a motel balcony to sweep Cady off to the bedroom. The ecstasy is short-lived though, as the two are soon arguing.

When Vespa is found dead in her swimming pool, everyone assumes she's suffered one of her panic attacks and drowned. Cady, who suffers panic attacks herself, isn't so sure. Her suspicions are compounded by a recent change in Vespa's will. She's left a controlling block of Chatelaine's shares to Cady, despite knowing that Cady doesn't want them. Around the time she changed her will, Vespa also had a last minute change of heart about the proposed merger. Cady hires Mack to help prove that Vespa's death was no accident. Things get cozy when they move into Vespa's San Francisco Bay-area villa, posing as a pre-engaged couple for cover.

Vespa wasn't known for her warmth, and there's no shortage of suspects. There's Jonathan Arden, a con-artist posing as an antiques psychic to swindle elderly clients out of their cash. Then there's Randall Post, Cady's ex-husband, who's desperate to gain control of the merged galleries. Stanford Felgrove, Randall's slimy stepfather, is also a good candidate. Then there's Brooke Langworth, Randall's ex-girlfriend. She broke his heart years ago when she married and older man with money. Now that her husband is dying, she'd do anything to help Randall gain control of the family fortune.

This is the first book I've read by Krentz, and my expectations were high based on the recommendations of other readers. I was disappointed. The pace was slow in the beginning, but it picked up about a third of the way through. It also took a while to get to like and care about the main characters, but they grew on me eventually.

The romance was warm and believable. If there had been more of it, this may have been a more likeable book.

Rating:
Summary: Lost and Found
Review: Fast pace. Good story. It's a good mystery but the romance end is definitely in the background. This book is essentially a mystery with a dash of romance. The hardcover copy is beautifully decorated on the inside. I loved the way the page numbers were set off the the side of the page with a little decoration on each side. It's a truly beautiful book.

Rating:
Summary: My kind of hero - a mature man
Review: This book is a mystery, yes, but it is also playful and cheeky. The subject of the mystery was different, and as I know little about antiques I actually learned that it is a very complex international business. What I loved about this story is the man. Mack, our hero, is the man I want to meet. He takes care of his woman, and her family, and his family. Most times the men are coaxed into the relationship, dragged into the family, but not Mack. He boldly walks right in. He is a mature man with a grown daughter, so why should he act like a confused kid? Nicely done. Cady is no weak woman either. She knows she needs a partner, first professionally, then personally. I liked the way they worked together.

Now, about the ending. The mystery wraps up very nicely and quite credibly. It all made sense to me. But the love story had an epilogue that was a bit too sweet. I like a happy ending, but once again I had the feeling the author was compelled to give us a peek into their future in this book instead of writing another one. Mack and Cady could be Nick and Nora. There could have been at least two more books about this couple with their unique talents and genius friends. What about it, Jayne?

Rating:
Summary: My kind of hero - a mature man
Review: This book is a mystery, yes, but it is also playful and cheeky. The subject of the mystery was different, and as I know little about antiques I actually learned that it is a very complex international business. What I loved about this story is the man. Mack, our hero, is the man I want to meet. He takes care of his woman, and her family, and his family. Most times the men are coaxed into the relationship, dragged into the family, but not Mack. He boldly walks right in. He is a mature man with a grown daughter, so why should he act like a confused kid? Nicely done. Cady is no weak woman either. She knows she needs a partner, first professionally, then personally. I liked the way they worked together.

Now, about the ending. The mystery wraps up very nicely and quite credibly. It all made sense to me. But the love story had an epilogue that was a bit too sweet. I like a happy ending, but once again I had the feeling the author was compelled to give us a peek into their future in this book instead of writing another one. Mack and Cady could be Nick and Nora. There could have been at least two more books about this couple with their unique talents and genius friends. What about it, Jayne?

Rating:
Summary: ENJOYABLE BOOK
Review: This is the first book by this author I have read in a long time. I had forgotten how well she writes and how interesting her plots and characters. I read this quickly and enjoyed it very much. Now I will check out her other books and do some catching up.

Rating:
Summary: a great read
Review: This was my read of a book by Jane Ann Krentz. I was pleasantly suprised by the co=hesive flow of the book. I would compare her story to those written by Nora Roberts, who is one of my favorite authors. Cady and Mack make and interesting pair, the sparks fly, and it is very believable. I would recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Good book, great author!
Review: What I liked most about this Jayne Ann Krentz book is that Cady Briggs and Mack Easton were not typical JAK hero/heroines, yet they were believable, multi-dimensional characters. Mack: dad to a college age daughter and widower who mourns his lost companion while recognizing his needs to be a lover/mate/companion again; Cady: who fears becoming her Aunt Vesta and yearns for children before her biological clock stops. Both are engaging characters that you can quickly relate with. Her well-fleshed out secondary characters add depth and poignancy to the storyline.

Realities of mature h/h, single parenthood, and complicated family relationships are well portrayed with touches of humorous insight. I think romance purists will miss the usual trademark JAK sensual tension between Cady and Mack, but overall character development is quite strong and the zingy Krentz dialogue moves the story along.

Avid mystery fans may figure out "who dunnit", but I think JAK has done a superb plotting job with many believable villains and interesting twists. The emphasis here isn't on guess-who-dunnit nail-biting suspense, but compelling characters who draw you into their world.

It's a good read with a good storyline even if a bit off the usual JAK tracks.