One Last Breath

A wedding gone bloodily wrong kicks off this overstuffed romantic thriller from Jackson and Bush (Wicked Ways). Liam Bastian’s mother insists upon an elaborate public ceremony to consecrate Liam’s bond with Rory Abernathy, despite their legal marriage two months earlier. Rory’s background is very different from the Bastians’ wealth and privilege, and Liam’s mother disapproves of the match. En route to the altar, Rory is aggressively threatened and attacked, while a sniper wounds Liam and other wedding guests. Rory flees to a small town in Washington State, convinced she’s the cause of it all and desperate to protect a vital secret. Five years later, Liam is about to call off the search for her when his private investigator gets a lead on Rory’s location. Reunited against Rory’s will, Liam and Rory can at last reconnect, though their relationship takes a back seat to conflict and crime. Vandalism aimed at the Bastians’ business, simmering family quarrels, and additional murders thicken the byzantine brew, obscuring the true villain until the breathless finale. This novel is aimed much more at fans of puzzling thrillers; those who prefer a focus on romance will be disappointed. [em]Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (May) [/em]