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La saga Sherbrooke continúa con James y Jason Sherbrooke, los gemelos idénticos tan parecidos a su tía Melissande que irrita profundamente al padre de los muchachos, el conde.

James, veintiocho minutos mayor que su hermano es el heredero. Tiene unos profundos y sólidos principios, apasionado estudiante de astronomía, le encanta montar a caballo y, al contrario que a su hermano Jason, le encanta aprender los entresijos de la administración de las propiedades que algún día heredará. Nunca se lanza a ciegas a una aventura, como hace su vecina, Corrie Tybourne Barrett, a la que conoce desde que eran pequeños, y a la que nunca ha visto limpia. Tiempo atrás harto de sus gamberradas y travesuras, y tras un intento de arrojarlo por un precipicio, le propino una buena azotaina.

Una historia algo desalentadora para ambos. Pero cuando el conde, Douglas Sherbrooke recibe amenazas de muerte que llevan directamente a su pasado, y a un George Cadoudal ya muerto hace años, aunque todo apunte hacia esa historia en particular, Corrie, James y Jason unirán fuerzas para descubrir lo que está pasando.

Workers demolishing a building in Colchester make a horrifying discovery in the basement: a cage made of human bones…with a feral child inside. As Phil Brennan and Marina Esposito investigate, they expose the trail of a serial killer who has been operating undetected for thirty years – a killer with a disturbing connection to Brennan's father.<

Suzanne Perry is having a vivid nightmare. Someone is in her bedroom, touching her, and she can't move a muscle. She wakes, relieved to put the nightmare behind her, but when she opens the curtains, she sees a polaroid stuck to the window. A photo of her sleeping self, taken during the night. And underneath the words: 'I'm watching over you'. Her nightmare isn't over. In fact, it's just beginning. Detective Inspector Phil Brennan of the Major Incident Squad has a killer to hunt. A killer who stalks young women, insinuates himself into their lives, and ultimately tortures and murders them in the most shocking way possible. But the more Phil investigates, the more he delves into the twisted psychology of his quarry, Phil realises that it isn't just a serial killer he's hunting but something? or someone? infinitely more calculating and horrific. And much closer to home than he realised…<

A shocking double-murder scene greets Detective Inspector Philip Brennan when he is called to a flat in Colchester. Two women are viciously cut open and laying spreadeagled, one tied to the bed, one on the floor. The woman on the bed has had her stomach cut into and her unborn child is missing. But this is the third time Phil and his team have seen such an atrocity. Two other pregnant women have been killed in this way and their babies taken from them. No-one can imagine what sort of person would want to commit such evil acts. When psychologist Marina Esposito is brought in, Phil has to put aside his feelings about their shared past and get on with the job. But can they find the killer before another woman is targeted?<

This Gourmet Girl has to take the heat-because she just can't get away from the kitchen.

Chloe Carter desperately needs a job, so she takes one assisting a cookbook writer. Unfortunately it stirs up painful memories of her ex- boyfriend Josh, who left her for Hawaii. While compiling a book of recipes from Boston's top chefs, she comes in contact with one of Josh's friends, Digger. Chloe manages to stay cool until later she finds Digger's apartment charred-with Digger in it.

Not believing that an expert chef would die from a grease fire, she sets about looking for Digger's killer. But things get sticky when the tragedy brings Josh back to Boston-and back into Chloe's life.

Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest's head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim's chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood. At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims? Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims' minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.<

He feared nothing.

.not even after a rock-climbing fall stripped Matt Pearson of his ability to walk. Now the former daredevil was gearing up for a dangerous river run that would test him as never before. So would seeing Alex Penny, his former partner and lover – the woman he let get away. But Matt wasn't one to resist a dare…

Five years ago, Matt had allowed his heartbreaking accident to come between them. How could Alex make him see that he was the same man she'd always loved? This time, nothing – not the river, not an unseen enemy, not even Matt himself – could stem the tide of their feelings, and of a passion too long denied…

THERE GOES THE BRIDE

All her life, Eve Waskowitz had imagined what her wedding day would be like, but jumping into a Dumpster, with train in hand and veil askew, to escape her prospective groom was not it. If she lived, there would be time enough to ponder her questionable taste in husbands-now the question was, where could she go? Who would help her?

Enter FBI agent Jake Redfield, whose surveillance vehicle just happened to be within Eve's reach-and unlocked. He'd been after Eve's former groom-to-be for years-but one look at the disheveled, hysterical and utterly irresistible bride had Jake shifting his target somewhat. Was it too much to hope that he could get his man-and his woman?

Holt Kincaid was this close to finally reuniting a long-lost family. Complications arose when retired poker player Brenna Fallon foiled his plans for her joyous return. Undeterred, the P.I. refused to give up on this scrappy beauty whose inner anguish mirrored his own.

Surviving on the streets had taught Brenna to call anyone's bluff. And Holt Kincaid was clearly using his smoldering sex appeal to gain the upper hand. But all bets were off when a dangerous opponent took extreme measures to get her back in the game. Now Brenna had to entrust her heart to Holt – or she might never find her way home again…

A warrior stepped out of the shadows

Keeping a low profile was Corbett Lazlo's secret for success. But now the super-spy and elusive owner of the Lazlo Group had to confront the faceless assassin who was killing his agents-by making himself the next target.

Then Lucia Cordez, his sexy head of IT, stepped into the line of fire. And the only safe haven for her was Corbett's isolated home, where guarding her suddenly became very risky…to his heart. For although Lucia claimed to love him, she could be the assassin's partner-and Corbett's deadly betrayer.

Temporarily impoverished-and lawsuit-plagued-single mother Summer Waskowitz Robey knew, as she stood alone in court, how badly she was in need of a rescuer. But she never would have dreamed that said rescuer would come in the form of handsome, aristocratic man-about-town Riley Grogan, who also happened to be her opposing counsel!

Inveterate-and child-resistant-bachelor Riley was the last man Summer could have imagined would take her, and her kids, into his perfectly manicured home. The last man she could have imagined falling for, hard. The last man she could have supposed needed the love that she and her children had to give…

But this time, maybe appearances were deceiving…

Pregnant and on the run, Rachel Malone Delcorte is the only witness to the murder of two federal agents. Mob boss Carlos Delcorte wants her baby – his grandson – and he wants Rachel dead. But as fate would have it, sheriff's deputy Jethro "J.J." Fox gets to Rachel first.

After delivering her baby and seeing her safely to her billionaire grandfather's estate, he's sworn to protect the beautiful widow. Keeping mother and son safe isn't the problem for J.J. – he's used to handling the bad guys. Matters of the heart – that's a whole different story. He's always had his own agenda. One he's not sure Rachel can accept…

The Black Sheep’s Baby is part of Creighton’s “Into the Heartland” series. I gather from the references to other characters that this is an inter-generational series and that the hero of the current release, Eric Lanagan, is the son of characters from the earlier books. I assume that the circumstances that turned him into a “black sheep” were delineated in a previous story.

This tale begins with Eric driving down the interstate towards his parent’s home in Iowa. The prologue also introduces us to Los Angeles lawyer, Devon O’Rourke, who wakes dreaming of her dead sister Susan’s pleading for help. She begins to pack her bags for her trip to Iowa.

What is bringing Eric and Devon together is five-week old Emily, Devon’s sister’s daughter. Eric, a photojournalist, had been on assignment from an LA paper to do a story about runaway teens when he met nineteen year old Susan O’Rourke. He took Susan under his wing and learned her tragic story. Abused by her prosperous father and unable to get help, she had fled home at fourteen and lived on the streets with all its terrors. When it became clear that she would not survive the birth, she asked Eric if she could name him as Emily’s father. She made him promise that he would never allow Emily into the custody of her father.

The O’Rourkes had learned of Susan’s death and Emily’s birth. They had sued for custody and a judge had ordered Eric to take a DNA test to determine his parentage. Rather than submit, Eric had fled the state and headed for home. Devon, guilty over having somehow failed Susan, is determined to protect her infant daughter from someone she believes is incapable of giving Emily the life she deserves.

The two meet up at the Lanagan family homestead in the middle of a blizzard and with Christmas coming on. Lucy Lanagan has been missing her son and hoping that he will be home for Christmas. She is understandably delighted when he turns up and even more pleased when he presents her with Emily, the grandchild she has dreamed of.

When Devon appears, stranded in the snow, Lucy welcomes her as well. When she learns that the lawyer wants to take Emily away from Eric, she decides on a bit of matchmaking. This may not make much sense, but I guess it made sense to Lucy. After all, before long Eric and Devon – antagonists to the core – begin experiencing a seemingly inexplicable attraction to each other.

However attractive he may find Devon, Eric does have a hidden agenda. He is convinced – and Devon’s complete lack of childhood memories supports his belief – that she too was abused by her father. If he can just get her to remember, then he won’t have to worry about the O’Rourkes’ custody suit.

While I am generally a fan of Creighton’s stories, this one didn’t quite work for me. Perhaps my lack of familiarity with the previous books detracted from my enjoyment of The Black Sheep’s Baby. More probably, the romance just didn’t work for me. Devon is clearly a wounded soul. Despite her academic and professional success, she is hiding something terrible from herself. Eric is actually a less well-defined character. Clearly his rejection of family tradition and the family farm was a formative factor in his and his family’s life, but it is not really fully explored. Why the hero and heroine fall in love never quite seems clear, given the circumstances.

I am sure that those who have read and enjoyed Creighton’s “Into the Heartland” series will want to read this next installment. I suggest that other readers may want to think twice.

– Jean Mason

CAPTOR- OR LOVER?

One minute they'd been dancing.the next Laurie Brown found herself abducted, with a charming renegade, Apache cowboy Johnny Bronco, as her jailer. She was angry at his deception, but more furious with her own body for wanting the man with the fierce eyes and the skin-shivering voice. For wanting the man who held a politician's daughter captive in the name of blackmail.

Though logic said otherwise, the mysterious cowboy's kindness and sympathy hinted at a hidden agenda. And even more inexplicable was the feeling that, if she could trust him, everything might turn out all right…

With their dark sophistication and dry humor, Andrea Camilleri's hugely popular Sicilian crime novels continue to win more and more fans in America. The day after a storm, Inspector Montalbano encounters a strange woman who expresses interest in a certain yacht scheduled to dock that afternoon. Not long after she's gone, the yacht's crew reports finding a disfigured corpse. Also at anchor is a luxury vessel with a somewhat shady crew. Both boats will have to stay in Vigàta until the investigation is over and, based on information from the woman, Montalbano begins to think the occupants of the yacht might know more about the man's death than they're letting on.<

Lil Dartley's life is upside down. Her previously steadfast and predictable sister is marrying an influential billionaire and needs help planning the wedding of the century in less than a month. Years of middle class rebellion have not prepared Lil for handling diplomats or paparazzi.

Jake Walton knows a train wreck when he sees one. Lil was trouble from the first day he met her, but since her sister is marrying his best friend, he has no choice but to help her or this wedding will be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Teaching Lil how to fit into high society would be a whole lot easier if she didn't drive him insane both in and out of the bedroom.

The Hunt for Jack Reacher Series Book #1 “Make some coffee. You’ll read all night.” Lee Child, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers gives Diane Capri and her NEW Hunt for Jack Reacher Series Two Thumbs Up! Jack Reacher: Friend or Enemy? FBI Special Agent Kim Otto doesn’t know what she doesn’t know... It’s been a while since we first met Lee Child’s Jack Reacher in Killing Floor. Fifteen years and sixteen novels later, Reacher still lives off the grid, until trouble finds him, and then he does whatever it takes, much to the delight of readers and the dismay of villains. Now someone big is looking for him. Who? And why? Hunting Jack Reacher is a dangerous business, as FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are about to find out. Otto and Gaspar are by-the-book hunters who know when it’s necessary to break the rules, but they Don’t Know Jack. Reacher is a stone cold killer when things get personal. Is he their friend or their enemy? Armed with disinformation, they intend to find out. Only the secrets hidden in Margrave, Georgia will tell them. New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Diane Capri brings her insider knowledge to bear on her friend Lee Child’s iconic character. The Hunt for Jack Reacher begins here. Have you joined the hunt yet? “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too. Kim Otto is a great, great character – I love her.” Lee Child, #1 World Wide Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers. “Diane writes like the maestro of the jigsaw puzzle. Sit back in your favorite easy chair, pour a glass of crisp white wine, and enter her devilishly clever world of high skullduggery.” David Hagberg, New York Times Bestselling Author of Kirk McGarvey Thrillers. “Expertise shines on every page!” Margaret Maron, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Judge Deborah Knott Mysteries.<

"Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too. Kim Otto is a great, great character – I love her." Lee Child, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers<