cover image Sting

Sting

Sandra Brown. Grand Central, $26 (300p) ISBN 978-1-455-58120-7

This exceptional romantic thriller from bestseller Brown (Friction) pairs Shaw Kinnard, a handsome hired killer, and his beautiful target, Jordie Bennett, the owner of a New Orleans event-planning business, in a spirited contest of wills and wiles. Rather than kill Jordie, Shaw kidnaps her from a bar in the boondocks of Louisiana, hoping for a bigger slice of money. Jordie’s crooked brother, Josh Bennett, helped his boss, Billy Panella, defraud investors of some $30 million, and Jordie may be the key for Shaw to get a share of the loot. No one knows the whereabouts of Billy—or Josh since he escaped from federal protective custody. Brown doesn’t neglect other key figures, such as the two FBI agents searching for Billy and Josh, but the principal focus never strays far from the sexual tension between Shaw and Jordie: her aim to stay alive and his to squeeze from her the information he needs. Brown handles the romance with her usual panache and adds some nifty plot twists that will keep readers guessing. Agent: Maria Carvainis, Maria Carvainis Agency. (Aug.)