Justin Drake had everything he wanted...except respectability. Marriage to
the right woman would change that though, and his chosen bride appeared to
fit his requirements nicely. Alison Bond was young, beautiful, wealthy, and had
all the right connections. Wooing her into marriage didn't look like it was
going to be a problem either. Then he met Cassie.
Cassandra Bond didn't trust Justin Drake around her sister. He was too old,
too experienced, too sexy; and with no visible means of support, he was
probably a fortune hunter too. She was determined to keep him from marrying
her sister. Unfortunately, Justin seemed equally determined, so she
blackmailed him by threatening to reveal her knowledge of his past. They
both knew that her socially-conscious sister would never marry him if she knew that
he was an ex-casino owner with ties to some very shady people. Justin
agreed to stop seeing Alison, but made it plain that Cassie would pay a price for
her interference.
Satisfied that her sister was safe, Cassie set out for a planned vacation.
Although she had a natural ability with the stock market that had made her a
small fortune, she wanted to explore more artistic endeavors. Armed with
how-to books on poetry, painting, and writing, she set out to discover her
hidden artistic talents. She even rented an old Victorian mansion for
"atmosphere." It certainly had plenty of it too. The cold, dark, mansion quickly got her imagination working overtime. It was the perfect setting for vampires, and
other creatures of the night. Which was why she shouldn't have been
surprised when Justin arrived at her door.
Cassie had made it plain that an ex-casino owner was not what she wanted for
her sister's husband, but Justin was not going to be satisfied until she
admitted that he was exactly what she wanted -- for herself. Propinquity
was a problem though as Cassie had apparently left town. Undeterred, he
followed her and found her ensconced in a decaying Victorian monstrosity which was
not the most desirable location for his seduction plans. Surprisingly, things
proceeded better than he had expected ... until strange things began to
happen and Cassie began to wonder whether she should be running to him, or away
from him.
Nightwalker is an excellent example of Jayne Ann Krentz's ability to balance
romance and mystery. Neither element overwhelms the other, instead they are
blended together seamlessly to provide a thoroughly satisfying read. What
more could you ask?
Sondrea Cash
