One Dark Wish: Deadly Force, Book 2

Wray’s sensual second Deadly Force romantic thriller (after Every Deep Desire) sets up a tender romance in parallel with an exciting adventure. Historian Sarah Munro is working for the Savannah Preservation Office when she meets Nate Walker, a handsome ex-military man who gives her a 17th-century map to study. When Sarah’s father is hospitalized and Sarah is accused of elder abuse on scant evidence, Sarah is devastated. After Nate protects Sarah from an intruder in her home, an elusive figure known as the Prince demands that Sarah stop trying to understand the map’s centuries-old cipher; the Prince’s enemy, Remiel, wants the cipher solved. Nate and Sarah work together to solve the cipher and use it as a bargaining chip between the Prince, who’s threatening Nate’s fellow soldiers, and Remiel, who controls Sarah’s father’s institutionalization. Danger and sensuality surround Sarah and Nate in their race to figure out the puzzle and protect those they love. This complex novel, chock full of characters and simmering subplots, is the opposite of fluffy; it will appeal to those who appreciate intricate stories. Agent: Deidre Knight, Knight Agency. (Jan.)