IF I SHOULD DIE – Allison Brennan
A Lucy Kincaid Novel , #3
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0-345-52041-8
December 2011
Romantic Thriller

Spruce Lake in New York's Adirondacks Mountains

Aspiring FBI recruit Lucy Kincaid and ex-cop turned private eye Sean Rogan have come to this out-of-the-way location for a week's vacation away from their hectic lives. But it seems trouble just finds them. The small lodge where they are staying has been experiencing a series of sabotage events that has now escalated to arson. When Lucy and Sean smell the smoke from the lodge kitchen, they hasten to help. Sean sees someone fleeing the scene on an all-terrain vehicle and hops on another to follow him. Once in the forest, the chase becomes a foot race into dangerous territory where there are, unknown to Sean, open shafts from an old mine. He plunges into one of them, is injured and trapped, but still lives. He's eventually found and rescued by Lucy and Tim, one of the lodge owners. While Lucy is down in the pit waiting for Sean to be lifted out, she does a little exploring and comes upon the dead body of a woman. Lucy has spent time learning forensics in a morgue and is convinced the woman did not die in an accident, but because of the underground near freezing temperature, she can't tell how long the woman has been dead.

It doesn't take long for Lucy and Sean to realize that something most strange is going on in Spruce Lake , something that affects the whole area. At first it seems the local citizens just do not want the lodge to open, even though it would boost the town's ailing economy. But then it becomes apparent that the people are living in fear of something…or someone.

IF I SHOULD DIE takes us on a thrilling ride full of danger and suspense with its complex plot and many well-drawn characters. It's the third novel in the series starring Lucy and Sean. By now, readers of the earlier books know what happened to Lucy on the day of her high school graduation that left lasting scars on her body, mind, and heart. She's an eminently sympathetic woman with strengths to offset her vulnerabilities, but still without the courage to say what Sean is longing to hear. Maybe she will before the conclusion of IF I SHOULD DIE.

It's not absolutely necessary to read the first two books in the series, LOVE ME TO DEATH and KISS ME, KILL ME, to enjoy IF I SHOULD DIE, but I do recommend it if only to learn more of the captivating duo, Lucy and Sean, as well as other recurring characters. Besides, it's a terrific series.

In addition to the riveting read above, readers are treated to a stand-alone novella, Love is Murder, that features Lucy and her brother Patrick. It takes place a year before the series starts and before Lucy and Sean hook up. In Love is Murder, previously available in electronic form, Patrick takes Lucy to a ski resort in the Sierra Mountains to teach her to ski. They become involved in a blizzard and murder…a well done mystery.

Ms. Brennan writes edge-of-seat stories, but what I like best about her books are the psyches she delves into so deeply and the various relationships she explores. The villain in this one is truly a monster.

Jane Bowers