Fever

Swan debuts with a flawed romantic suspense novel. Convicted murderer Teague Creek escapes prison, using Dr. Alyssa Foster as a human shield. He believes she is another woman, one he plans to use as leverage against the man who has custody of his daughter. Teague confuses Alyssa; he is covered with swastikas and his fellow escapee is a vicious killer, but he heals her wounds with his strange body heat—the titular fever—and protects her from his partner. To keep her in line once he discovers her true identity, he makes her appear to be his accomplice, yet as roadblocks continually thwart his plans to get his daughter, a relationship slowly develops between him and Alyssa, a credulity-defying conceit that Swan makes startlingly plausible. Less successful is the explanation and integration of the conspiracy surrounding Teague’s original arrest and imprisonment, which may be made clearer in the planned sequel. (Mar.)