Little did would-be novelist Emelina Stratton suspect that
when she constructed the plot to save her younger brother Keith
from being blackmailed that she would be the one to pay the
price. But Emelina Stratton would bargain with the devil
himself for those she loves. Julian Colter is the devil who
discovers her plan and offers to help her, for a price.
Together with Julian's Doberman, Xerxes, these two set out
to find the evidence to turn the tables on a blackmailer,
uncover a smuggling ring, and discover that love can survive
even a bad cup of coffee.
The DEVIL TO PAY is set in a small Oregon beach community
where Emmy is keeping tabs on the blackmailer's cottage.
Julian Colter, who the village suspects is a mobster, provides
the expertise in carrying out Emmy's mad, if ingenious,idea
and it is Julian who is surprised when her plan works out.
What surprises Emmy is the trust and affection that draw her
closer and closer to this mysterious man, aligning her with
him against the town's gossip and against her own sense of
self-preservation.
The novel's strength lies in the humorous situations underscoring
a very basic plot line (Emmy's battles with the good townsfolk,
Xerxes demands for attention, and the use of grocery receipts
to trip up the blackmailer) and not its dramatic content.
Little action occurs and there is no true sense of menace to
the main characters. Tension is maintained by the protagonists
each learning to trust the other. The book's tone is evident
in the final denouement where Julian attempts to collect on
their bargain and Emelina is completely bombed.
Writing as Stephanie James, Jayne Krentz has written a light but very
engaging story; one of my favorite from her earlier writings.
Demanding special attention from fans of Ms Krentz's
futuristic novels will be Emmy's attempts to write a new
genre combining science fiction and romance.
