Jayne Reads: INNOCENT AS SIN

Some come to this blog because they write and some because they read but we all have one thing in common: We read! So, in that spirit I've decided to do a series of blogs on books. What a concept, huh? And, because we just happen to have some actual writers here at RWQ, I'm going to start with my sister Quills' books.

These won't be reviews. There are enough of those floating around on the Internet. And, no, I'm not going to give you an extensive summary of the story. You can find that elsewhere, too. (Like at the author's web site).

Instead, I'm going to tell you why I read the book and what I got out of it. Because no two people bring the same thing to a book and no two people take the same thing away from it.

Then I'm going to tell you what the author had to say about her own book. Because no two authors have the same take on any given theme, conflict, archetype or plot. Give ten authors the same plot outline and you will get ten very different stories. That's how fiction works.


INNOCENT AS SIN by Elizabeth Lowell

THE STORY: An exciting, intelligent romantic-thriller. The heroine, Kayla Shay, a private banker in Arizona, is set up to take the fall in a dangerous money-laundering scheme. Her goal is to survive the trap in which she finds herself. People are out to kill her. The hero, Rand McCree, is the mysterious man who is supposed to protect her. His real goal, however, is revenge. They're attracted to each other but deeply suspicious of the other's motives. With good reason.

WHY I READ THE BOOK: I love romantic thrillers and I know from experience that no one does them better than Elizabeth Lowell. I trust her "voice". She's an automatic "buy" for me. I also trust her research. I expect to get a ripped-from-the-headlines look at some mysterious and dangerous aspect of the real world in her books. I am never disappointed.

WHAT I GOT FROM THE BOOK: A compelling love story and an exhilarating thrill ride that gave me a disturbing glimpse behind the curtain that conceals the dark world of international arms sales. (I still shudder when I think about it. I mean, who knew?). I now know more about the arms trade than I will ever learn in the papers.

ONE OF THE AUTHOR'S UNIQUE TALENTS: An uncanny ability to weave the research and the romance seamlessly together.

WHAT THE AUTHOR HAD TO SAY ABOUT HER BOOK: "I find it fascinating that international politics and all the global pushing and shoving that we see in the news can actually intersect in a very personal way with an ordinary character's life."

LAST WORD: Fascinating.

Until next time,
Jayne