Smoke in Mirrors

Rating:
Summary: First Time Jayne Ann Krentz
Review: All in all this was a good read. I never suspected the killer.

Rating:
Summary: Not a page turner
Review: Don't get me wrong, I adore JAK. She is one of the few writers I will buy in hardback...but I am beginning to rethink this. Smoke and Mirrors was fun if you are a JAK fan, if not...you might be sorely disappointed in the hardback price and paperback read.

She is a sharp as ever in technique and style, she has polished JAK trademark of wilful ladies and stubborn men to a hard gloss. Maybe too much polishing and too hard of a gloss?? She lacks the snap and fire of her earlier works, going the same as many of the Romance Writers ( Linda Howard, Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Lowell) are - once they get into 'mainstream' they are taking off the romance banner and maybe alienating fans in the process.

It's a fun read, but the story is weak and the ending weaker. She has no real mystery going other than why did she not have a better mystery!!! You see who the obvious murderer is by the early part of the book, if you don't, you will known by the end for there is NO OTHER person it can be, and the reason she has been a murderer for 30 years and killed several people - to pad and protect her retirement account??? OH PLEASE, JAK, thinking cap time!!

I love the lead characters. She is the half sister of murdered women, he is the brother-in-law of a murdered woman and they form an alliance that is warm, witty and charming. Especially love his dog!!!

But on the balance, the plot is thread bear, the mystery weak as they get.

Sorry, I advise waiting for paperback, then the disappointment won't sting as much.

JAK is one of my favourite writers, I am let down by the one on the whole.

Rating:
Summary: Return to the JAK style
Review: For the last several books, Jayne Ann Krentz (who also writes as Amanda Quick) has been ignoring current romance trends to shift her style more and more toward romantic suspense. As she's done so, her writing style has become a bit more aloof, leading to less development of her main characters and the romance between them. Quick's "Slightly Shady" was somewhat of a disappointment for me; the characters and romance seemed almost incidental to the plot.

"Smoke in Mirrors" retreats somewhat from that aloof style, giving us good character and romantic development and appealing secondary characters. In addition, the mystery here is well integrated with the characters.

Leonora is a good Krentz heroine, with the loyalty and spunk we've come to expect. Thomas is another brooding Krentz hero, complete with large scary (but appealing) dog. The romance between them seems natural and easy, and the development of a secondary romance between Thomas's brother and his yoga instructor is handled well.

That said, the pacing of this book was a little off. While the initial build-up of suspense worked well, the conclusion seems rushed, and the eventual unmasking of the "villain" doesn't seem to make all that much sense. All is explained, but it would have been clearer if the conclusion had gone a slightly different direction.

Still, this is good Krentz, with all the hallmarks her fans have come to expect of her. A good read! Enjoy!

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: 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: The relationships (of which there are a few) are the most interesting aspect of this book. Good characters. As either a mystery or a romance alone, this book would be considered a failure. I thought it was obvious who the killer was. Romantically speaking, this book is rather lukewarm. As a combination mystery/romance, I'd say the book was good or fair but not great. The killer coming after Leonora made for an implausible ending.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable From Start to Finish
Review: This book was very enjoyable. I enjoyed the characters. I am looking for more of the same.

Rating:
Summary: JAK does it again!
Review: This was a good one. It had my spine tingling in a couple of spots & I loved the romance between the lead characters. The dialogue was just too fun; I smiled through out most of the book. The secondary characters added a lot to the story & there were a couple of romances on the side. The plot moved along pretty good & had a really interesting development, although I will have to admit it was not wrapped up real well. It was kind of rushed & I didn't understand the reasoning behind the villian's decisions at the end. That aside, I was reminded of the reason I love JAK's writing. If you like JAK, I think you'll definitely like this one.

Rating:
Summary: JAK does it again!
Review: This was a good one. It had my spine tingling in a couple of spots & I loved the romance between the lead characters. The dialogue was just too fun; I smiled through out most of the book. The secondary characters added a lot to the story & there were a couple of romances on the side. The plot moved along pretty good & had a really interesting development, although I will have to admit it was not wrapped up real well. It was kind of rushed & I didn't understand the reasoning behind the villian's decisions at the end. That aside, I was reminded of the reason I love JAK's writing. If you like JAK, I think you'll definitely like this one.

Rating:
Summary: Not a good read!
Review: Vibrant and sexy con artist Meredith has bilked the Bethany Walker fund out of over a million dollars. Thomas Walker, Bethany's brother in law is out to recover it, even if doing so means putting Meredith's lovely half sister, Lenora, in jail, though he would much rather do other things with her. However, Leo, unlike her sister, is honest, and out to do the right thing. Though at first disliking Thomas, she quickly warms up, welcoming his assistance in solving her half sister's murder.

Their investigation has ties to more than one old unsolved murder, and reveals plots involving cover ups, homosexuality, and illegal drugs. Secrets and danger dog their heels as they fall more in love and come closer to the truth.

**** Though not as quirk filled as many of Ms. Krentz's trademark oil and water couples, Thomas and Leonara live up to her classic style. Long time fans will find all the signs of a Krentz novel in this one and will not be disappointed. There are also a couple of charming secondary romances that add depth to the mix. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.