If it's Sunday I must have finished a book...

Acutally it's Monday, but for the last two weeks I've finished books Sunday afternoon, Indiscreet and As Darkness Falls.

Indiscreet by Carolyn Jewel

I finished Indiscreet last Sunday and talked a little bit about it most of the week.  Sabine Godard is the niece of an Oxford professor and is "ruined" by the good friend of Lord Edward Marrack.  Fast forward 2 years and Lord Edward is now the Marquess of Foye.  He's traveling in Turkey and ends up in the Godard's circle of friends and collegues.  The professor is very sick and finishing his last academic writings.  The attraction between Foye and Sabine happens quickly, though Sabine is cautious because of Foye's friendship with man who ruined her.  Ah, but Foye has a good reason to dislike, even hate his old friend.  Foye is very concerned about Sabine's safety while traveling in Turkey.  She's caught the eye of a Pasha that doesn't have good intentions.  Sabine wont leave her uncle.  When disaster happens, the second part of the book becomes an adventure, road story.

I enjoyed this story.  In the past I've found Carolyn Jewel's writing to be a bit scattered sometimes focusing on secondary characters that didn't have a story to tell.  Indiscreet is very much focused on Sabine and Foye and that's why the book worked for me.   Even though Sabine needs rescueing, it's not because she has done something stupid and Foye is completely dedicated to her.

Give it a try, I thought Indiscreet was worth reading.

As Darkness Falls by Bronwyn Parry

It rained in our little area of the world on Halloween.  I sat on my front porch with As Darkness Falls and read while giving out candy.  A dark and dreary night is a good atmosphere for reading a very dark, yet very enjoyable romantic suspense.  If you are like me and expect your RS to be dark, this will probably work for you.  Ms. Parry does an incredible job creating an oppressive atmosphere that revolves around a small town on the edge of the Australian Outback and the consequences of vigilante justice.

Isabelle O'Connell is drawn back to work as a detective after the kidnapping of a friend's young daughter.  Alec Goddard is the lead inspector.  Bella's backstory is slowly developed until you fully understand the horror she has survived.  She is an amazing heroine... smart, strong, survivor.  Alec's story comes in small dumps of information, but it doesn't feel like large scale info dumping.  The secondary characters are smartly written, interesting and very typical of a small town.  The town itself is an important charcter to the story.  Bella needs closure and Alec involvement goes quickly from professional to personal.  I can't imagine how difficult it is to remain professional when a case involves a child.  This anxiety ratchets up the overall suspense of the story.

This book is worth hunting down.  I recieved it from Bronwyn Parry after winning Wendy's book contest.  I know it's available from The Book Depository and I believe the shipping is free.