Sharp Edges on 1998 Pages: 368
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Eugenia Swift is a young woman of singular sensibilities, a connoisseur of beauty...and naturally inclined to tackle even the most difficult tasks on her own. As the director of the Leabrook Glass Museum, she's been asked to travel to Frog Cove Island— an artistic haven near Seattle— to catalog an important collection of art glass belonging to the late Adams Daventry. But thanks to unsavory rumors surrounding Daventry's death, the museum insists that Eugenia take along Cyrus Chandler Colfax— a rough-hewn private investigator whose taste in glass runs to icy cold bottles filled with beer. When Colfax declares they must pose as a couple, Eugenia protests in terms as loud as his Hawaiian shirts. She's loath to disclose the secret purpose of her trip: investigating the disappearance of her good friend Nellie Grant...the late Adam Daventry's lover. Meanwhile, the green-eyed calm of Colfax's gaze shields his own hidden agenda— locating a priceless Daventry treasure that will help him avenge an old wrong.
While Eugenia has always kept her heart on a shelf, their very lives soon depend on making an utterly convincing couple. Because among the chic galleries of Frog Cove Island lurks a killer, and their only chance for survival is the boldest, most artful collaboration they can dare to imagine.
Review
Suspense, taut plotting, and the fascinating world of art glass combine with an unlikely hero-heroine pairing in Sharp Edges. On the surface, Eugenia and Cyrus are nothing alike: she’s a sophisticated museum director with a passion for art glass, while he’s a a private detective who dresses in loud Hawaiian shirts. She’s impatient and headstrong; he’s self-controlled and doggedly patient, a self-described “tortoise” rather than a “hare.” I was skeptical of their attraction to each other at first, but as I got to know each one better, I realized along with them that they share some fundamental traits: loyalty, a sense of responsibility and of justice, determination, commitment, honor, and strength of character. Those shared characteristics make the pairing work despite their surface differences– and their initially conflicting agendas.
While the focus is strongly on Eugenia and Cyrus and the dual mysteries they are trying to solve, the secondary characters are well-drawn and, in the case of Cyrus’s nephew Rick, engaging as well. Cyrus’s relationship with Rick does a lot to establish and deepen his character, but despite the fact that he doesn’t get a lot of page time, I liked young Rick as well. He’s a kid on the cusp of manhood, trying to find his feet. I’d love to know what he did with his life (hint to Ms. Krentz: he’d be about 36 now, just the right age to be the hero in his own book!)
The plot twists and turns in true JAK style, and overall, it’s well-constructed. I did feel there was a weakness in one character’s actions and her explanation of them, and the villain’s methods aren’t clearly laid out, but those are minor quibbles that didn’t keep me from enjoying the story. And the book holds up quite well despite its age (it was published in 1998.) Sharp Edges is a solid entry in the Krentz canon.
About Jayne Ann Krentz
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonyms: Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick, Stephanie James, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Taylor, Amanda Glass.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge (Mar. 2016)
- The Backlist Reader (TBR) Challenge 2016
Quinn's Book Nook
I read a few JAK books when I first got into romance novels, probably about 10 years ago. I haven’t read many, though, and I’m thinking I should read some more of her books now. I’m glad you liked this. It does sound good and I’m adding it to my TBR.
Lark_Bookwyrm
I usually enjoy her books!
Literary Feline
I have only read one of her books (under her pseudonym Amanda Quick) and really enjoyed it. I need to read her books under this name. This one sounds good even despite the small flaws you mention. I am glad you enjoyed it!
Literary Feline recently posted…Shelf Control: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
Lark_Bookwyrm
Her books as Krentz (which I think is her real name) are always contemporary, and usually romantic suspense; she uses Amanda Quick for her historical romance/romantic suspense. For a while, there was a paranormal element to most of her books (ESP rather than werewolves etc.), but in the last few years, she seems to have gone back to straightforward romantic suspense, except for her futuristic RS written as Jayne Castle. Her books aren’t deep, but they’re page-turners!