Hate to say it, but this was a DNF for me. ( )

Kilraven was looking forthe murder of his wife and cild. It is a cold case. Kilraven and Winnie Sinclair a police dispatcher get off on the wrong foot at first. Then they went under cover as a married couple to find the murder of his wife and child. ( )

Winnie Sinclair likes her job as a 911 dispatcher - she likes tall dark and handsome FBI agent Kilraven even more. Kilraven comes (of course) will all sorts of baggage in the shape of a murdered wife and child; a cold case which is heating up, and which he'll stop at nothing to solve. Short version: he's not in the market for an innocent like Winnie, no matter how appealing he finds her.

When circumstances converge to result in a quickie marriage (to be just as quickly anulled) it's no surprise things end up in the bedroom.

While this isn't (quite) as vapid as the last of Palmer's I read, the plot is predictable and neither hero nor heroine are particularly memorable. If you're a fan, it's probably going to suit you. Fluffy, sugary, and nowhere close to riveting. ( )

Police dispatcher Winnie Sinclair gets off on the wrong foot with FBI agent, Kilraven. She paints a portrait of a raven surrounded by decorative beads and gives it to him as a secret gift at the Police Dept. Christmas party. When he opens the gift, Winnie sees his look of anger before he storms out of the party.

Later that night, Winnie recieves a surprise visit from her mother. She hasn't spoken to her mother since she ran off with her uncle, a drug dealer. Winnie's father never forgave his former wife and when he drank, he'd take out his anger against Winnie because she looked so much like her mother.

Kilraven realizes that he needs to explain his reaction to Winnie's gift. He invites her to his home and shows her a drawing that his daughter, Melly, made the day before she and Kilraven's wife were murdered, seven years ago. The drawing is so much like Winnie's painting that Kilraven thought someone had shown his daughter's drawing to her.

Kilraven is still in grief over his family's murder. He finds a connection to Senator Sanders and the Senator's brother, Harry. He also learns that the Senator has a thing for young girls and may have caused the death of a young girl because of his actions. The Senator's wife won't stay with him because of his predeliction and she is currently at the family home in Nassau. When Kilraven learns that Winnie's family has a home on the border of the Senator's, he thinks of a plan.

There's not a lot of action or suspense in this novel but for the reader looking for interesting characters, this book is a treat. Kilraven reminds me of Clint Eastwood's character, Rowdy Yates, in TV's Rawhide. Also, when a young character named Matt makes his appearance in the novel, get ready to have your heart won over.

The author's theme seems to be the strength of family and the benefit of forgiveness. I recommend the book for those who enjoy romantic suspense with the emphasis on "romantic." ( )