One Good Man (Intrigue, 588)

Rating:
Summary: A fabulous read!
Review: I couldn't put this book down! Julie Miller is an excellent writer--she makes you care about Casey and Mitch while keeping you glued to the mystery and danger that surrounds them. I want to know more about the Taylor clan!

Rating:
Summary: One Good Man
Review: Julie Miller turns in her first Intrigue with "One Good Man." This is a well-written, but less than satisfying tale. An escaped killer has put his last victim, Casey Maynard, back on alert. Scarred emotionally and physically, Casey has hidden from the world at her family estate. She doesn't trust anyone she doesn't know. That includes Mitch Taylor, the cop who's been assigned to protect her. Their attraction is immediate. With a clever killer moving in, can Casey trust Mitch with her life and her heart?

Creativity and originality have been in short supply in this year's Intrigues. Too often, books have been too similar too ones that came out not long before. Amanda Stevens' "The Littlest Witness" was followed by Leona Karr's "Innocent Witness." The final book in Joanna Wayne's Family Ties series was much like the first book. Man pretends amnesiac is his wife in "A Night Without End." Man pretends amnesiac is his wife in "Love at First Sight" a month later. This does have more to do with the editors not telling their authors they already have a similar story in the works than the authors themselves, but for readers, the similarities are hard to miss. In this case, "One Good Man" is very similar to Gayle Wilson's "Her Private Bodyguard," which came out six months ago. A woman with a severe leg injury that causes her to limp has shut herself away from the world. When she finds herself in danger, she is saddled with a bodyguard she doesn't want, who is scornful of rich women like her. A key emotional scene involves the heroine dancing in her hero's arms for the first time. I'm not saying Miller knew about the other book. I am saying this is a bit much to take so soon.

On a positive note, "One Good Man" is a better book than "Her Private Bodyguard." The romance and suspense are balanced better and the heroine is more sympathetic. Though it is also well-written, "One Good Man" fails to rise above a routine stalker story because Miller uses too many cliches. The killer is a master of disguise (aren't they all?), a device so tired most mainstream thrillers are starting to have the good sense not to use it anymore. If he's as good as described, why hasn't he moved on to more impressive crimes than the petty ones he is first attributed with? Mitch himself is a huge cliché. He's a working class cop who was once married to a woman from a wealthy family who cheated on him because he couldn't give her the life she wanted. Now he's bitter and resentful to all rich women. Have we heard that one before? That is about as obvious as Casey being rich, causing the expected friction.

Even if I didn't know the man was nothing but an irritating "type," I wouldn't have liked him. Mitch's prejudices make him hard to warm up to and the condescending way he calls Casey "Princess" annoyed me throughout. Worse than a cliché, he's not a sympathetic one. Miller offers several fascinating facts about her characters, then fails to explore any of them. Casey's past as an Olympic swimmer and the loss caused by her attack are hardly developed, and the fact that Mitch took back his wife and cared for her when she was dying is intriguing, but never delved into at any length. Miller tells us things about her characters. In the end they feel more like a collection of facts than real people.

"One Good Man" is also a story with no surprises. The villains are practically announced with neon letters, acting so suspicious it is impossible to miss how guilty they are. The story is generally well told, but the story is predictable and the clues obvious. Miller is never able to work up a consistent level of suspense despite some good atmosphere and moments. It never drags, but it's not a page-turner. "One Good Man" is an acceptable story. The familiar story and characters ensure it is not more than one.

Rating:
Summary: A fabulous read!
Review: Julie Miller turns in her first Intrigue with "One Good Man." This is a well-written, but less than satisfying tale. An escaped killer has put his last victim, Casey Maynard, back on alert. Scarred emotionally and physically, Casey has hidden from the world at her family estate. She doesn't trust anyone she doesn't know. That includes Mitch Taylor, the cop who's been assigned to protect her. Their attraction is immediate. With a clever killer moving in, can Casey trust Mitch with her life and her heart?

Creativity and originality have been in short supply in this year's Intrigues. Too often, books have been too similar too ones that came out not long before. Amanda Stevens' "The Littlest Witness" was followed by Leona Karr's "Innocent Witness." The final book in Joanna Wayne's Family Ties series was much like the first book. Man pretends amnesiac is his wife in "A Night Without End." Man pretends amnesiac is his wife in "Love at First Sight" a month later. This does have more to do with the editors not telling their authors they already have a similar story in the works than the authors themselves, but for readers, the similarities are hard to miss. In this case, "One Good Man" is very similar to Gayle Wilson's "Her Private Bodyguard," which came out six months ago. A woman with a severe leg injury that causes her to limp has shut herself away from the world. When she finds herself in danger, she is saddled with a bodyguard she doesn't want, who is scornful of rich women like her. A key emotional scene involves the heroine dancing in her hero's arms for the first time. I'm not saying Miller knew about the other book. I am saying this is a bit much to take so soon.

On a positive note, "One Good Man" is a better book than "Her Private Bodyguard." The romance and suspense are balanced better and the heroine is more sympathetic. Though it is also well-written, "One Good Man" fails to rise above a routine stalker story because Miller uses too many cliches. The killer is a master of disguise (aren't they all?), a device so tired most mainstream thrillers are starting to have the good sense not to use it anymore. If he's as good as described, why hasn't he moved on to more impressive crimes than the petty ones he is first attributed with? Mitch himself is a huge cliché. He's a working class cop who was once married to a woman from a wealthy family who cheated on him because he couldn't give her the life she wanted. Now he's bitter and resentful to all rich women. Have we heard that one before? That is about as obvious as Casey being rich, causing the expected friction.

Even if I didn't know the man was nothing but an irritating "type," I wouldn't have liked him. Mitch's prejudices make him hard to warm up to and the condescending way he calls Casey "Princess" annoyed me throughout. Worse than a cliché, he's not a sympathetic one. Miller offers several fascinating facts about her characters, then fails to explore any of them. Casey's past as an Olympic swimmer and the loss caused by her attack are hardly developed, and the fact that Mitch took back his wife and cared for her when she was dying is intriguing, but never delved into at any length. Miller tells us things about her characters. In the end they feel more like a collection of facts than real people.

"One Good Man" is also a story with no surprises. The villains are practically announced with neon letters, acting so suspicious it is impossible to miss how guilty they are. The story is generally well told, but the story is predictable and the clues obvious. Miller is never able to work up a consistent level of suspense despite some good atmosphere and moments. It never drags, but it's not a page-turner. "One Good Man" is an acceptable story. The familiar story and characters ensure it is not more than one.

Rating:
Summary: One Good Man
Review: Julie Miller turns in her first Intrigue with "One Good Man." This is a well-written, but less than satisfying tale. An escaped killer has put his last victim, Casey Maynard, back on alert. Scarred emotionally and physically, Casey has hidden from the world at her family estate. She doesn't trust anyone she doesn't know. That includes Mitch Taylor, the cop who's been assigned to protect her. Their attraction is immediate. With a clever killer moving in, can Casey trust Mitch with her life and her heart?

Creativity and originality have been in short supply in this year's Intrigues. Too often, books have been too similar too ones that came out not long before. Amanda Stevens' "The Littlest Witness" was followed by Leona Karr's "Innocent Witness." The final book in Joanna Wayne's Family Ties series was much like the first book. Man pretends amnesiac is his wife in "A Night Without End." Man pretends amnesiac is his wife in "Love at First Sight" a month later. This does have more to do with the editors not telling their authors they already have a similar story in the works than the authors themselves, but for readers, the similarities are hard to miss. In this case, "One Good Man" is very similar to Gayle Wilson's "Her Private Bodyguard," which came out six months ago. A woman with a severe leg injury that causes her to limp has shut herself away from the world. When she finds herself in danger, she is saddled with a bodyguard she doesn't want, who is scornful of rich women like her. A key emotional scene involves the heroine dancing in her hero's arms for the first time. I'm not saying Miller knew about the other book. I am saying this is a bit much to take so soon.

On a positive note, "One Good Man" is a better book than "Her Private Bodyguard." The romance and suspense are balanced better and the heroine is more sympathetic. Though it is also well-written, "One Good Man" fails to rise above a routine stalker story because Miller uses too many cliches. The killer is a master of disguise (aren't they all?), a device so tired most mainstream thrillers are starting to have the good sense not to use it anymore. If he's as good as described, why hasn't he moved on to more impressive crimes than the petty ones he is first attributed with? Mitch himself is a huge cliché. He's a working class cop who was once married to a woman from a wealthy family who cheated on him because he couldn't give her the life she wanted. Now he's bitter and resentful to all rich women. Have we heard that one before? That is about as obvious as Casey being rich, causing the expected friction.

Even if I didn't know the man was nothing but an irritating "type," I wouldn't have liked him. Mitch's prejudices make him hard to warm up to and the condescending way he calls Casey "Princess" annoyed me throughout. Worse than a cliché, he's not a sympathetic one. Miller offers several fascinating facts about her characters, then fails to explore any of them. Casey's past as an Olympic swimmer and the loss caused by her attack are hardly developed, and the fact that Mitch took back his wife and cared for her when she was dying is intriguing, but never delved into at any length. Miller tells us things about her characters. In the end they feel more like a collection of facts than real people.

"One Good Man" is also a story with no surprises. The villains are practically announced with neon letters, acting so suspicious it is impossible to miss how guilty they are. The story is generally well told, but the story is predictable and the clues obvious. Miller is never able to work up a consistent level of suspense despite some good atmosphere and moments. It never drags, but it's not a page-turner. "One Good Man" is an acceptable story. The familiar story and characters ensure it is not more than one.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! What an entry into the Intrigue line-up!
Review: One Good Man is an exciting and edge-of-your-seat first Intrigue for Ms. Miller. Her writing is supreme and her characters well developed. I cannot wait to read her next book.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: This book is a must read for fans of romantic suspense. Julie Miller combines intrigue, emotional sizzle, and an indepth plot that will keep you turning pages. I can't wait to read her next book!