Strike and Burn

Hutton’s high-intensity debut pairs a woman with a history of abuse and the billionaire who’s captivated by her. Artist and shopkeeper Honor Stone loses her last surviving relative when her identical twin, Grace, is murdered. She heads to the morgue to identify Grace’s body—and there unexpectedly collides with a handsome stranger in a tux. Strike Madden, a video game entrepreneur who’s there for reasons he keeps vague, is immediately captivated by Honor. As she tries to unravel the mystery of her sister’s murder, Honor discovers that, unbeknownst to her, Grace took out business loans in both their names, putting the future of Honor’s shop in jeopardy. That’s when Strike swoops in with a plum job offer: creating erotic images for his company’s new game. Honor accepts and their chemistry ignites, but it soon becomes evident that Strike has a dark side. When Grace’s killer starts targeting Honor, Strike will do anything to bring the man down. Hutton’s multilayered characters captivate, particularly Strike, whose drive to deliver justice for Honor will please fans of alpha male heroes. The tone is often heavy, but the thrilling plot keeps the pages turning. It’s solid romantic suspense. (Jan.)