BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER - Elizabeth Lowell
William Morrow (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-06-082985-8
June 2008
Romantic Suspense

Blessing, Arizona; Reno, Nevada, and Various Other Locales - Present Day

Melody Breck is a tough old lady who has lived her life on her terms. She will not willingly relinquish her freedom, or what is hers. When an attempted robbery turns deadly, Melody is murdered and her home burned to the ground to cover the crime.

One of the best river guides on the Colorado River, Jill Breck comes from a long line of independent women. The day she saves the life of Lane Faroe, the son of two of Kilda Consulting's operatives, she doesn't realize that her act of bravery will one day save her life. In gratitude, Joe Faroe tells Jill if she is ever in a bind or needs help to call him. Jill never expects to need Kilda Consulting until her great aunt dies and leaves her the Breck family paintings: brilliant Western art that has been hidden for years. The rumor of the Breck paintings creates a frenzy that leads to Jill's life being threatened, and she begins to suspect her great aunt's death might not have been an accident. Jill finds evidence that Melody attempted to have a painting appraised, and shortly after that, she died. Jill decides to send out some feelers about the painting and soon finds herself in deadly danger and in need of help.

Zach Balfour works part time for Kilda Consulting as a bodyguard. After his last stint with a Hollywood ditz who believed she was being stalked, he's more then ready for some downtime to indulge in his passion for restoring old cars. But before he can get home, Joe Faroe asks him to meet with Jill Breck and find out who wants her dead and why?

Jill and Zach are both strong-willed individuals used to going their own way. Jill has problems taking orders from a man because of her upbringing in a strict religious town where the men ruled and women had no say in their own lives. But with the threat hanging over her, Jill is not foolish enough to turn away help. Working together, being together 24/7, makes it difficult to keep things on a professional level, and the attraction between Zach and Jill is impossible to resist. However, Zach's job is to keep Jill alive and find out who wants her dead; he can't afford to be distracted.

BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER is a novel of suspense and mystery. Who really painted the thirteen paintings that have been in the Breck family for years? Are they the work of a famous Western painter, or just very good forgeries? As Jill and Zach try to find the answers, someone will do anything to keep the paintings from being seen -- even if it means murder. Fast-paced and filled with multi-layered descriptions, BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER is a fascinating read on many levels. From the romantic elements to the suspense, to the history of the paintings and the world of art itself, each element is brilliantly depicted and all of the elements are blended to create a fabulous story that will keep you up late into the night to read…just one more chapter.

For a thoroughly satisfying read, I highly recommend BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER.

Terrie Figueroa