Deadly Devotion

Romantic suspense maven Orchard (Shades of Truth) plunges readers into the fray immediately in this first of the Port Aster Secrets series. Kate Adams demands that Det. Tom Parker reopen the investigation into her colleague Daisy Leacock’s death, setting in motion a tale that careens from suspect to suspect and action to action in nearly uncontrollable fashion. Kate harbors suspicions about a lengthy string of possible killers, believing that one of them switched the ingredients of the herbal tea that led to the botanist’s death. Stakeouts, possible bombs, ignored advice, betrayal, and even a very public allergic reaction keep up the breakneck pace of this tale as Adams and Parker try to uncover a killer and, perhaps, a little romance as well. The writing is uber-dramatic (“Tom hammered his escalating urgency into the question...”) and the action hectic. Fans looking for a quick read and a unique mystery will surely enjoy it. Agent: Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary Agency. (June)