TASTING FEAR by Shannon McKenna is a romantic suspense about three women trying to stay one step ahead of a killer bent on finding a valuable treasure, and then brutally killing them. They're not looking for love, most times not even a hero or protector, but it does come. John Esposito is hired to find an invaluable treasure hidden from the Nazi's and forgotten by most. One person knows its whereabouts, the elderly woman Lucia D'Onofrio. Following a lonely old woman, his work pays off however about to reap his reward and pull the information from her, she smiles, suffers a heart attack and dies, leaving him clueless. In the throngs of near defeat, he spots a cryptic letter to her daughters. There's still a chance and his employer did say 'use any means possible'. His target has changed. Before her death, their adoptive mother was playing matchmaker between her oldest daughter Nancy, a musician's manager, and Liam Knightly, a carpenter. Even though she's is a workaholic and he's ready to find Miss Susie Homemaker and make her Mrs. Knightly, there is immediate attraction and chemistry.

Lucia's apartment is trashed. The next night somebody attempts to abduct Nancy. It puts Liam into the defensive mode and he secrets her away. He can only keep her protected for so long before her independent nature puts her further into jeopardy and within the killer's grasp. While Nancy and Liam work things out, Nell, the middle daughter, has enough of the distant and silent treatment of her mystery man. When she finally gets the courage to push his buttons, he can't take his eyes off of her. Going for her master's degree, she applies for a temp job in the computer game business. Duncan Burke is Mr. strip steak sandwich. She admits why she's frightened. He's not sure until he witnessed her attempted abduction and throttles it. Duncan is all about business. He wants his way or else. Although the sex is great, his suggestions to shack her up seems more like being kept as a mistress rather than the passion they felt. She's an intellectual woman and although Nancy's fiend is around, she'd hold her independence rather than accept those conditions. Vivien is the third sister. She runs away to Oregon and Jack Kendrick, a friend of Duncan's. She's an artist of jewelry and sculptures. She's been doing the carnival circuit for her business and Pebble River seems like the perfect place to set up her little shop. Although he's attracted to Viv, Jack feels she'll leave him just like everybody else in his life had abandoned him. I liked TASTING FEAR. It is a well written romance book in the form of three novelettes as each sister's story is told. Although I couldn't put it down during Nancy's storyline, I started noticing too much similarity in characters and plots in the two other sisters. I grew immune to the suspense and became bored with the sameness.

Book Summary

BLOOD WILL TELL

Nancy . . . Nell . . . Vivi . . .
Three sisters who know there is no force on earth greater than love . . . unless it is the desire for vengeance. When their adored foster mother is murdered, the D’Onofrio women come together to hunt for her murderer—and track down a family legacy gone missing; rare, priceless art from the Renaissance, a treasure worth killing for. The law can only do so much and the three sisters are on their own—until three mysterious men get involved . . .

Startled to find a brawny stranger at her mother’s house, Nancy is even more surprised at the heat of passion that flares between them. Liam is intense and instantly protective. But is it wise to trust him with every secret? Her sister Nell has turned to Duncan, her new boss, for help. He’s an expert on the dark underworld of cyberspace, where other clues may lurk. And Duncan is so sexy its scary. All Nell has to do is say the hardest word of all: yes. But what about the youngest of the D’Onofrios, the wild and willful Vivi? She’s on the verge of falling in love with Jack, who’s all about fierce vigilance . . .

The sisters embrace the ultimate in passion as danger stalks them all. Unknown and unseen, the killer is very, very near...

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