Shadow Dance

Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced and captivating from beginning to end
Review: Courtsey of A Romance Review

Susan Andersen has successfully brought two very different individuals together in Shadow Dance - a well-bred lady and an orphan cop, and blends them into a well-written story with romance and suspense. Although it is not difficult for readers to find out the identity of the Showgirl Slayer, it is still a good story for anyone who loves action and suspense in a romance.

Rating:
Summary: Give it a chance
Review: Don't be discouraged by the beginning of the book. It starts out slow but finishes with a bang. This is actually the first book Andersen wrote, so it's possible, if you're a fan, you might already own it. The story features a dancer by the name of Amanda who realizes that one of her fellow dancers (and a close friend) has been missing for two days. There is also a killer on the loose and his victims are showgirls. When Amanda hears the description on the news of the latest victim she thinks it might be her friend and calls the police.
Enter the lead detective, Tristan McLaughlin. When Amanda is targeted, Tristan must do everything within his power to save her.
The love story takes a long time to get to, but it's there. The characters are well thought out and worth your time, and the race to catch the killer is suspenseful.
However, it is not a typical Andersen novel. There is no witty dialogue and no fun little scenes. Personally I prefer her newer style to the romantic suspense, but she still remains high up on my list of favorite authors.

Rating:
Summary: strong blending of mystery and romance
Review: Experienced with ending the careers of serial killers, Seattle detective Tristan MacLaughlin is sent to Reno to head the task force trying to stop the Show Girl Slayer who has killed three local chorus line dancers. Tristan finds himself not wanting the job because he detests hoofers believing they are high-class hookers.

Dancing has been Amanda Rose Charles' life, however currently she is afraid of the killer who murdered a close friend. When Amanda meets Tristan, they immediately share a mutual dislike for one another. He thinks she is a whore and she believes he is a terse egotist. As they become acquainted, they begin to realize their stereotyping is way off base. Tristan sees refined elegance and Amanda observes a caring soul. Soon the couple falls in love, but the show stopping Show Girl Slayer still stalks the ballrooms.

Albeit a serial killer thriller, the lead couple's distinct and opposite personalities turn SHADOW DANCE into a strong police procedural romance. The investigation is fun to follow, but the relationship between the cop and the dancer lightens yet also intensifies the mood, which leads to the chase to stop the killer seemingly real. Readers will adore the intrepid yet reticent Tristan and cherish the lively Amanda. Though a reprint of Susan Anderson's debut novel, the tale remains a strong blending of mystery and romance that fans of both genres will appreciate.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: It was okay, but not great
Review: I bought this book last night and was very excited to read it, as I have enjoyed every Susan Andersen book I have read thus far. Well, this one was a bit of a disappointment. I felt the story was not developed well enought. There was really not much background information on Tristan besides the fact that he grew up in an orphanage. I felt the relationship between Tristan and Amanda was real abrupt and did not flow in the normal way of this author's usual books.

Overall, I am not going to say that I did not enjoy the story, but most likely I will not be re-reading it in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Susan Andersen
Review: I do not agree with the assessments that this book started out slowly. I felt that it had necessary plot and character development that moved along at a good pace. It is evident from the outset that our two slightly misfit main characters are uncharacteristically attracted to eachother. Susan builds the heat and chemistry between them as only she can. Their attraction is powerful and well written, and I did not find it to be slow at all.

I think that Susan is a rare author who writes romantic suspence as well as she writes contemporary romance, and I thouroughly loved this book. My only complaint has to do with the ending. I thought it dragged out with a bit of unnecessary drama, and should have come to a conclusion more quickly.

Rating:
Summary: quite good altho misses in one area
Review: I don't agree with previous reviewers who described the book as boring. I thoroughly enjoyed it and looked forward to my opportunities (rare with a young child) to actually sit down and read it. Yes, there were lengthy digressions as characters' thoughts were described, but I found them interesting.
My only complaint is that the background of Tristan, the Scottish-American detective is never fully explained. I kept expecting to find out how he ended up an orphan and how he became an American. OTOH, Andersen did a good job of pulling the reader into Amanda's background. Altho not one of her very best books, I thought it was a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Sexy and good for a quick read.
Review: I found Shadow Dance to be an unusual kind of murder-thriller in that it involves just as much sex and romance as murder and mystery. A crazed killer is mutilating and murdering show girls at casinos around Reno.
Scot-American detective, Tristan MacLaughlin, is sent from Seattle to help the local police with their investigations and meets, and clashes head-on with Amanda Charles, a tall, beautiful dancer with a definite touch of class, and the sparks between them start to fly at once.
When Amanda's life is threatened, Tristan moves in with her as her bodyguard and the inevitable love affair begins. The mystery aspect of the book is negligible as the murderer is easily spotted and the book really revolves around the sexual tension between them. M/S Andersen writes very well about the sex part and, perhaps in later books, she will hone her skills as a mystery writer.

Rating:
Summary: when's the sequal?
Review: I JUST READ THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WAS BLOWN AWAY FROM THE FIRST PAGE ON. I LOVE TRISTAN.. AND ESPECIALLY WITH AMANDA
ALL I CAN SAY IS WHEN'S THE SEQUAL BECAUSE WE NEED MORE OF TRISTAN AND HIS LOVELY LASS.

Rating:
Summary: Great Research - Great Story
Review: Ms. Andersen's research for this story was excellent. The police work, serial killer and dancers (aka gypsies)portrayed here are excellent. This story is well done. I didn't find it to be slow as other reviewers stated. Although I do have to say anyone not knowing who the killer is well before the end of the book is not paying attention. The secondary characters are great. (When Randy finally gets his, I was cheering.) While it takes Mandy and Tristin awhile to get together, when they finally do the love scenes are hot!

This story is very different from Ms. Andersen's recent works, but well worth the read.

Rating:
Summary: Some things are better left unpublished
Review: My pet peeve is when an author becomes successful and the publishing company releases all of their early attempts at writing. They do this hoping to ride the wave of popularity of the author, but some things are better left unpublished! I also wish that these books were not advertised as "new releases". I have been disappointed several times when I ordered a book online, only to discover when it arrived that it was something written by the author 20 years ago and then re-released. These stories tend to be outdated and some of the dialogue is laughable!