River Road

by Jayne Ann Krentz

It's been thirteen years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, as a teenager, she'd been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party -- by the guy she had a crush on, just to make it more embarrassing. Obviously Mason Fletcher -- only a few years older but somehow a lot more of a grown-up -- was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue. Now, returning after her aunt's fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time. Mason had saved her from a very nasty crime that night -- and soon afterward, Tristan, the cold-blooded rich kid who'd targeted her, disappeared mysteriously, his body never found. Summer River has changed, from a sleepy farm town into a trendy upscale spot in California's wine country. But Mason is still a protector at heart, a former policeman now running a security firm and a serious (and seriously attractive) man. When he and Lucy make a shocking discovery inside Aunt Sara's house, and some of Tristan's old friends start acting suspicious, Mason's quietly fierce instincts kick into gear. He saved Lucy once, and he'll save her again. But this time, she insists on playing a role in her own rescue.

• ISBN10: 0399165126
• ISBN13: 9780399165122
• Publish Date: 7 January 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Imprint: G. P. Putnam's Sons
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 343
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

4.5 Krentz has a knack for creating strong characters that you instantly connect to. Lucy is strong, and her instincts are quite good a skill that comes in handy as forensic genealogist. Mason and his brother run a successful firm with his brother solving cold cases. The man is everything that makes my knees buckle. Smexy, noble, smart…*swoons* The friends to lovers trope is one of my favorites and her characters Lucy and Mason were the perfect couple. From the moment, they were reunited you could feel the electricity in the air. Krentz allowed the romance to grow making it feel genuine and have depth. The towns-folk and suspects in this small wine town were complex from the family feuds to the secrets keeping me on edge.

River Road offered an engaging murder mystery with twists and turns that kept me guessing as I pieced clues together. What I found fascinating was the way Krentz weaved events from the past (prologue) to the current mystery and chain of events. It was quite clever; nothing felt forced making it all the more suspenseful and dangerous. She even gave us a glimpse into events through the killer and while I had my list of suspects she kept me guessing till the reveal. When it all clicked into place, I thought it was brilliantly crafted. While the romance was certainly an integral part of the story and brought us some heat, it didn’t overshadow the mystery but only enhanced it.