Rating:  Summary: The end of the road Review: I won't be buying anymore of Jayne Ann Krentz's books. Although I was a huge fan. This book is incredibly formula driven. It's the same old plot she's done again and again and the stereotype of the librarian/heroine as sexually repressed is offensive.
Rating:  Summary: She's baaaaaaaack! Review: I'd just about decided to stop buying recent JAK books, and I'm really glad I bit the bullet and bought this one, because I snickered, hooted and giggled all the way through while remaining involved with the mystery as well. I've read JAK in all her guises (Amanda Quick, Stephanie James, Jayne Castle, etc), and I probably have most of her books, and love them dearly. However, recent books seemed to just repeat what she'd written before, which was why I was getting discouraged. This one feels very different from the last few. The heroine is not as cutsey, the hero is more of a regular guy, less wierd (not that I don't appreciate these JAK icons ... but I have *lots* of books featuring those characters). I have to say that one of the things I most appreciate about her writing is the affectionate fun she pokes at life, society and peoples' foibles, especially romantic foibles. She's never cruel, but she can help me regain my sense of humor about things which I normally would take far too seriously. I also have noticed that she goes out of her way to bring marginalized people (elderly, gays, lesbians, psychics) into her books as strong and likeable secondary or sideline characters. Good for her! A fun read, a not too challenging but fun mystery, and characters I liked a lot.
Rating:  Summary: usual tension as elusive as smoke in a mirror... Review: I've read almost everything Krentz has written, under any of her pen names. This is not one of her best efforts. She seemed unable to decide whether the primary threat should be academic envy or the flaky self-help guru, and the story lacked focus on the leading couple. The result is a half realized and not very convincing threat to the heroine. The romantic interludes don't even have her usual steamy tension. I usually buy all Krentz's books in hardback when they first come out. Maybe I'll start waiting for the paperbacks. Here's hoping that this is a fluke and that future releases, under whatever pen name, return to her usual standard of good storytelling, interesting plot lines, humor and romance.
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing! Review: I've read several of her books lately and liked most of them. This one was just not as interesting. I didn't like the story line. The gothic atmosphere of the library and the information about mirrors didn't hold my attention. As far as the characters went, there wasn't enough meat here. I couldn't feel connected to them. She is a witty writer and I loved the Eclipse Bay series, but this one didn't cut it for me.
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing! Review: I've read several of her books lately and liked most of them. This one was just not as interesting. I didn't like the story line. The gothic atmosphere of the library and the information about mirrors didn't hold my attention. As far as the characters went, there wasn't enough meat here. I couldn't feel connected to them. She is a witty writer and I loved the Eclipse Bay series, but this one didn't cut it for me.
Rating:  Summary: Smoke in Mirrors Review: Jayne has done it again! A great mystery with hot love scenes and laughter. I loved the way she has two sub plot romances going on in this book. It not only provided interest but kept the pace fast. If you are a Jayne Ann Krantz fan, this is a must read. If you haven't discovered her yet, this is the book to do it with. The mystery provides twist and turns enough to keep you guessing. The love scenes are enough to make you want a cool breeze. This book has it all romance, mystery and comedy. It is a keeper!
Rating:  Summary: Good, not great. But the tapes make the story better Review: Like so many other reviewers, I am saddened that JAK's work doesn't live up to her earlier books. They're still worth reading, but not like her earlier Amanda Quick books. But, the unabridged tapes are very good. Both this one and Soft Focus are read with both a male and female narrator. This adds a lot of enjoyment to what would have been a 3-star book. I wish Ms. Krentz would go back and have some of her earlier work recorded. I would be an ENTHUSIASTIC buyer!!
Rating:  Summary: Clever Tale of Murder and Mystery Review: Multi-talented author Jane Ann Krentz's latest is a novel of mystery and murder set in an eerie old home replete with antique mirrors. As librarian Leonora Hutton learns of the car crash that killed her half-sister Meredith, she begins to clean out Meredith's apartment. There she encounters Thomas Walker, a former "friend" of Meredith's who is convinced that she embezzled from his sister-in-law's memorial fund at Eubanks College in Wing Cove, Washington. And the only link between his sister-in-law, Bethany, and Meredith, is that they both worked at Mirror House, the college alumni association building. When Leonora receives information concerning her sister's offshore bank account, she agrees to share that with Thomas in exchange for his getting her a job at Mirror House. Upon learning of Thomas's brother Deke's suggestion that Meredith and Bethany may have been murdered, Leonora wants to investigate. What she soon discovers is a house full of sinister-looking mirrors, a snake-oil therapist, and an attraction she never expected. While the romance heats up between Leonora and Thomas, they find themselves in danger as their investigation brings them closer to the truth. The carefully orchestrated love scenes are a wonderful addition to this read thereby making up for the minimal description of Thomas and Leonora. Though the reader may feel cheated with the shallow characterization of the main characters, the mystery will carry this novel through to the finish. With the page turning suspense, be prepared for the final clincher- it's a winner.
Rating:  Summary: Romance Of A Mysterious Nature! Review: Smoke In Mirrors by 'clever' writer Jayne Ann Krentz is a mysterious story with stubstance created by the author's own unique style. She captures her readers attention immediately with her newest novel of mystery, romance, and murder. The story takes center stage in an eerie old home surrounded in antique mirrors as the unlikely pair (a college librarian and a handyman venture capitolist) attempt to track down a killer who possesses the ability to make murder look like suicide the whole time they also struggle with their ever growing attraction for one another.
Rating:  Summary: A wonderful story that I enjoyed very much! Review: Smoke in Mirrors by J.A.Krentz is a wonderful story with mystery and intrique on every page. Loved the characters and the plot of the story. Easy to relate to and easy to follow. I thought the concept of an old mansion surrounded in mirrors being center stage in this story was quite unusual and interesting. J.A.Krentz is one writer that has never disappointed me no matter what name she decides to write under.
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