Jayne Ann Krentz - Truth or Dare

The sexy, suspenseful sequel to Light in Shadow Zoe is an interior designer with a unique sense of style. But even more uncanny is her sense of what's going on under the surface, the secrets a house can hold. At the moment, though, Zoe isn't concerned about a client's space. She's more worried about what's going on in her own house in Whispering Springs, Arizona, where she lives with her new husband, private investigator Ethan Truax. After a whirlwind courtship, and a dangerous adventure, they've gambled on commitment, hoping that their powerful attraction can help them learn to live together despite their utterly opposite personalities. But newlywed life is suddenly interrupted when a shadowy figure from Zoe's past shows up in Whispering Springs, and her closest friend is put at terrible risk. For Zoe and Arcadia Ames share a shocking secret. And as they seek to protect the truth, they must join together, and with Ethan's help, accept a very dangerous dare.

Comment: Last year I've read a book by Jayne Ann Krentz that had been in the pile for a long time and because I liked it, I've decided to read the sequel, this title. I think that both are in the same level, so one can trust on the author's consistency at least. I hoped for something with more impact, though.

In this sequel, we have Ethan and Zoe still married and trying to balance their expectations because they do like one another but both have secret thoughts about themselves they find difficult to share, like Ethan's fear of not being able to be who Zoe needs and Zoe thinking Ethan might never accept her psychic side.

At the same time life goes, including their jobs and routines. Among all this, there are still some loose threads to solve from the previous book regarding a third character and that will put everyone again on guard about possible weird situations that might compromise their safety...

I can't think of a better way to be both vague and to the point about this novel. The story is very much to the point despite the amount of pages but because the biggest complexity is how several situations come together in order for the finale to happen.

I did miss some more...psychological content, to say it simply. I'm glad the characters discussed their issues but since all are clever and well adjusted despite their past experiences, there wasn't much to see or develop regarding their personalities.

I, therefore, had hopes about the problem still to solve and while it did offer some interesting situations, it was a huge letdown how everything was solved.

I think the author used a technique I tend to like, which is how good guys don't fully lose control of the problems, and it's always great to see authors trying to portray this while maintaining the mystery, the suspense. This takes talent.

However, at the same time, mrs Krentz went a little too far because when the biggest enemy is dealt with, when the climax of his actions happens, the solution and final scenes are.... outside the page.

I mean..... we know of what happened, we don't see it. What a disappointment.

And after this, we have left several pages that read like a huge epilogue but that felt too much and not that important considering everything could have been said with a lot less pages.

This book is not perfect, no. I think the chapters aren't all very well interwoven together. But there's something about simplicity and knowing what to expect that made it easy and fluid to read and one didn't need to anticipate negative surprises. I also liked seeing all the characters discuss stuff together, trying to live their lives in peace but while being friends, that was positive. But I got to say, if the focus was on so many people, apart from the protagonists Zoe and Ethan, the others were left a bit too much to the "underdeveloped" stage and I would have liked to see them as complex and detailed as the main couple.

After reading several books by the author (in all her pseudonyms) I can see not only the trend and formulas in her work but also common character-types. This can be good for those who enjoy knowing what to expect and in part I liked that but the stories feel slightly superficial, as if we didn't get to all the layers. I'd change this a bit in her books if I could.

Despite this and my critiques, I had a great time reading and it does feel like spending time with interesting and close people. This is a very nice feeling and while I might not read a JAK as soon, I might dive into some of her other work, just to change genres.

Grade: 7/10

Jayne Ann Krentz - Light in Shadow

Zoe Luce is a successful interior designer in the Arizona town of Whispering Springs who's developed an unusual career specialty-helping recently divorced clients redesign their homes, to help them forget the past and start anew. But Zoe knows that some things can't be covered up with a coat of paint. And when she senses that one of her clients may be hiding a dark secret, she enlists P.I. Ethan Truax to find the truth. Working together, they solve the mystery . . . and barely escape with their lives. 
But Ethan's exquisite detection skills are starting to backfire on Zoe: she never wanted to let him find out about her former life; she never wanted to reveal her powerful, inexplicable gift for sensing the history hidden within a house's walls; she never wanted him to know that ""Zoe Luce"" doesn't really exist. She never wanted to fall in love with him. Now, no matter how much she resists, Ethan may be her only hope-because the people she's been running from have found her. 
And just when Zoe dares to dream of a normal life and a future with the man she loves, her own past starts to shadow her every step-and threatens to take her back into a nightmare.

Comment: The last book I've read was this title by Jayne Ann Krentz. I still remember I bought it in its Portuguese translation at a book fair in 2008 when I was still at the university. Along with this, I bought 3 more titles by the author, still in the list to be read. Since I managed to read all the books I wanted for August, I just randomly picked this one too, to complete my month.

In this book we have Zoe Luce's story, she's an interior designer who only wants to do a good job and life her life in peace. Her problem is she has a very sensitive reaction to older things and spaces where harsh or powerful things happened meaning she can feel if something bad happened in a room or a house and that isn't always pleasant in her line of work. The problem leads her to Ethan Truax, a private investigator, so he can investigate one of her clients, a recently divorced man Zoe thinks might have been involved in the disappearance of his ex-wife.

As Ethan proves to be a unique person, Zoe gets more and more involved with him which proves handy when her past comes back to haunt her...

I admit I haven't read much by this author when she uses her own name. I've loved many novels she wrote under her Amanda Quick pen name, meaning her historicals, and even some fantasy ones with the Jayne Castle name. I remember one or two contemporary Krentz' but those didn't leave such a big impression so I put her aside as a possible author to follow. 

This title has been in the pile for a long time but I can confess I actually liked reading it. I don't think I'd ever consider it the best ever but it provided entertainment and that was already very positive.

The plot revolves around an apparent simple investigation but the characters' lives get in the middle and that prompts more situations to deal with. When compared to other contemporaries, maybe it can become a bit obvious this is a book written in the beginning of the decade and some time has passed already (15 years already) which makes some situations quite dated but not to the point where one couldn't still enjoy.

I've read this book in my mother language, Portuguese, which obviously means some details in terms of linguistics are lost in translation but the overall impression I got it that the plot/romance dichotomy wasn't as woven together or as complex as I imagined it could be. Everything felt rather easy and although discussed, it was still a little bit too superficial for my taste.

Maybe, like I said, it was a matter of reading with a translated flavor after being used to english most of the time.

The plot has its moments, some situations are interesting and Zoe's past has an experience I imagined could have been focused on more but it was just another detail. Even final explanations when the book was ending didn't seem to be such an important element as that which was a pity, it was something I'd have liked to see developed more.

The secondary characters were interesting enough. Some were there just to justify some plot needs but those closest to the main characters were explored well enough, except one, Arcadia, a friend of Zoe who is too much of a mystery. This wouldn't matter if some details about her weren't presented the way they were but...imagination works too, I guess.

The romance wasn't as complex as I imagined. It was certainly nice to see both Zoe and Ethan had inner characteristics that not only complemented one another but those traits were easily understandable and defended and somewhat approved by the other, meaning they were a good match. I liked this side of them but yes, their relationship developed quickly at first and I felt it lacked some seriousness towards the end. I suppose the next book shows a stronger connection between them but what a pity for those who don't want to read more. I'm still debating that.

Overall, this was a positive mystery book, not the most complex or complicated one for sure, but it was easy to read and to spend time with.

Grade: 7/10