DANGER IN A RED DRESS

Author: Christina Dodd ISBN: 9780451226266 3/2009 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: SIGNET

Home care nurse Hannah Grey is dedicated to her patient, an aging widow still tainted by the financial scandal her late husband perpetrated. She makes Hannah promise that upon her death, she'll right the family's wrongs, and gives Hannah her offshore account's access codes. But Carrick Manly will do anything to discover where his family's fortunes lie— including kill his own mother. Fearing for her life, and desperate not to betray the widow, Hannah flees. And when Carrick's half-brother, Gabriel, tracks her down in Houston, Hannah must trust her own instincts—and her heart—to survive.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

DANGER IN A RED DRESS is the culmination of two series—Fortune Hunters and Lost Texas Hearts. The hero, Gabriel, is both a Manley and a Prescott. I haven’t read either series so I can attest that this book is an enjoyable read as a standalone, though I’ll bet it would be more poignant if you’ve read the two series.

I’m a sucker for Gothic elements—there’s a hint of Mary Stewart here, and I love the old secrets-holding mansion. Still, I didn’t like DANGER IN A RED DRESS as much as I wanted to. I didn’t think either the heroine or the hero were especially sympathetic. Certainly, Hannah is in a bad situation, but neither she nor Gabriel behaved heroically at times. My problem may stem from my opinion that you could drive the proverbial truck through the plot, which may be why a lot about the characterization feels so forced. Or maybe there was no choice but to put these characters through these motions given scenarios set up in the previous books.

Also, what hero thinks of breasts in terms of “boobies”—that was really off-putting.
Still, Dodd is an engaging writer and my quibbles didn’t kill my satisfaction in this fast read. But I wouldn’t put it on my keeper shelf.

Heather Hiestand