TWISTED

Author: Andrea Kane ISBN: 9780061236785 4/2008 SUSPENSE Publisher: HARPER COLLINS

Women are disappearing . . . When Sloane Burbank, former FBI special agent, discovers that her closest childhood friend is among the missing, she launches into action, vowing to kick-start the stalled investigation. But she's no longer FBI and her involvement is unwanted, particularly by the agent in charge—her ex-love Derek Parker. Derek has a hot new case on his hands, a string of murders in Chinatown that's threatening to erupt into gang warfare, and the missing person case is shoved to the back burner. Not even Sloane's out-of-the-blue appearance or the combustible unresolved feelings between them can change that—at least not at first. But soon it becomes terrifyingly clear that the disappearing women are part of a twisted, heinous crime spree that can't be ignored, especially when Sloane is revealed to be the missing piece of the perpetrator's puzzle—and the ultimate target. Twisted strikes at the heart of our deepest fears, where our greatest gifts attract the greatest dangers.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Andrea Kane's TWISTED is an flawless psychological thriller! It seamlessly brings the reader into the psyche of a deranged killer while giving an insider's view to the workings of the FBI. TWISTED kept me awake through the night—it was so compelling that I couldn't put it down and read straight through until dawn.

Sloane Burbank is a heroine who has her share of emotional baggage, but she doesn't let it get in the way of doing her job. She is a former FBI agent who is recovering from a serious, potentially life-altering injury. Working as a consultant, she is still very much involved in bringing justice to the world, and when a childhood friend's mother phones her and asks Sloane to look into her daughter's disappearance, Sloane can hardly refuse.

Sloane is forced to work closely with Derek, an agent who is also her ex-lover. Together, Derek and Sloane work furiously to uncover the mystery behind a string of missing women at the same time murdered women keep turning up in Chinatown. The intensity of their crime solving ramps up several notches when Sloane begins to receive mysterious phone calls. They realize she is somehow on the list of victims and solving the machinations of a twisted mind becomes even more essential as time grows short.

I loved this book. I have never read anything by Andrea Kane before but I can guarantee you this won't be the last thing of hers I read. TWISTED is so well written, so much like an intricate puzzle, that I was completely engrossed right from the first cryptic passage. All of Ms. Kane's characters have depth and substance, even the murderous ones, and I loved delving into their subconscious minds.

TWISTED is an excellent suspenseful romantic thriller. Do yourself a favor—don't miss this one!

Kay James