Publishers Weekly,Macomber's bestselling multigenerational series returns (following 6 Rainier Drive), interweaving drama and romance from all corners of fictional Cedar Cove, Wash. The focus this go-round is international chess champion Bobby Polgar and his hairdresser wife, Teri. Veiled threats from a Russian opponent have caused Bobby to drop out of tournament play and keep a close watch over Teri, but she's more concerned about the antics of her predatory sister, Christie, who is growing ever more distant. As in past volumes, a raft of supporting characters' subplots run parallel to the leads', among them widowed sheriff Troy Davis, torn between his daughter's needs and a budding romance; physician's assistant Linnette McAfee, leaving town and a broken heart behind; and a love triangle involving Teri's best friend, Rachel. Fans will pick up the threads easily, and newcomers will find most of the relationships self-explanatory (though a chart of characters would prove helpful). As usual, Macomber's unique mix of naivete, soap opera plotting and smalltown charm is virtually guaranteed to please. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Publishers Weekly,Well-developed, multidimensional characters and an exceptionally strong plot power bestseller Ellison's eighth Taylor Jackson novel, a prequel to 2007's All the Pretty Girls, the series opener. When Vanderbilt University students appear to be the target of a serial killer, Nashville cop Taylor teams with FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin to discover the killer's identity. The killer's victims, beautiful college students, are posed in death with herbs sprinkled across their bodies. Meanwhile, Taylor is battling her own demons as she faces a grand jury investigation into a justifiable homicide in which she killed another officer in self-defense. And John, who struggles with depression, holds himself responsible for the deaths of three of his fellow agents. The suspense remains high throughout as the police work round the clock to find the killer before he claims another victim. The characters' humanity and the gut-wrenching problems they face in life-and-death situations put Ellison in the top rank of romantic suspense novelists. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (June) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.