RELUCTANT RUNAWAY

Author: Jill Elizabeth Nelson ISBN: 1590526872 3/2007 INSPIRATIONAL/SUSPENSE Publisher: MULTNOMAH PRESS

Only Desiree can unearth the horrifying secret that links them all. Museum security expert Desiree Jacobs doesn’t mean to get in danger’s path. Really she doesn’t. But when a friend is in trouble you don’t just walk away. No matter what your overprotective FBI agent boyfriend says! So when Desi and Tony’s date at a presidential ball is interrupted by a frantic Maxine Webb, Desi doesn’t hesitate to jump in. Soon Desi is neck-deep in a confusing array of villains. Did Max’s niece run away or was she taken? Is she still alive or the victim of a perverse ritual? And who wants her infant son—and why? Then Tony’s organized crime case collides with Desi’s investigation, throwing them both into the path of something dark and sinister. Something that craves blood… From the streets of Desi’s beloved Boston to the mountain desert of New Mexico, Desi and Tony must rely on God to thwart unseen forces—and save a young woman and her baby from a villain more evil than any of them can imagine.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Take a captivating mystery rife with a number of intriguing elements, including a missing young woman, a strange religious cult and an even weirder millionaire businessman, add a spunky, slightly zany heroine and RELUCTANT RUNAWAY is a sparkling whodunit.

The several mysteries swirling around in RELUCTANT RUNAWAY are guaranteed to not only keep readers glued to their seats, but also keep them guessing until the end. Fast-paced and smoothly executed, RELUCTANT RUNAWAY pulses with a restless energy mirrored in its one-of-a-kind heroine.

Desiree Jacobs is a terrific lead character, a magnet for danger and a constant challenge to her hunky FBI boyfriend, Tony Lucano. The rush-into-danger Desiree and the more thoughtful Tony balance each other perfectly. This finely sketched pair add an extra dimension to an already entertaining package. Ms. Nelson did not skimp on secondary characters either. RELUCTANT RUNAWAY is packed full of colorful, intriguing minor characters.

The second installment of Ms. Nelson's To Catch A Thief series is a great stand alone. Ms. Nelson skillfully brings readers up-to-date on storylines from RELUCTANT BURGLAR (book one) without bogging down this story.

Unfortunately, I have not read RELUCTANT BURGLAR, but rounding up this first book has just climbed to number one on my 'to do' list, right in front of washing windows.

Debbie Jett