Scarlet nights

Undercover detective extraordinaire Mike Newland's new and urgent case sends him from Ft. Lauderdale to Edilean, Virginia, the setting for Deveraux's popular series. His job is to protect Sara Shaw, whose fiancé Greg is part of the notorious Vandlo crime family. Everyone in Edilean hates Greg except Sara, who stubbornly believes in Greg even after he disappears weeks away from their wedding. Mike figures it will be easy to get Sara to trust him; women have always been attracted to him. But Sara is the exception. Weary of being seen as weak, she believes hunky Mike, brother of her best friend, has been sent to tempt her away from marrying Greg. The longer Mike stays, however, the more appealing he becomes to Sara, and soon they begin revealing secrets to each other, including Mike's true mission. As Deveraux continues her series, she brings to life the sort of sweet and spunky heroines who attract the muscular men her fans expect and enjoy. So this is another guilty-pleasure romance of suspense that will hook readers and leave them with a smile.--Engelmann, Patty Copyright 2010 Booklist

Deveraux (Days of Gold) returns to Edilean, Va., to tie up some loose ends, return to familiar characters, and introduce a few new ones. Sara Shaw is happily preparing for her marriage to Greg Anders, and though her family doesn't like him very much, she sees his good nature. That is, until he disappears three weeks before the wedding, and Mike Newland crawls through the trapdoor in the floor of her apartment. As it turns out, Mike is her friend Tess's brother and a cop investigating Greg, who is actually a criminal with a fiendish plan that Mike doesn't yet fully understand. As Mike and Sara fall in love, they remain at risk until they can figure out what Greg wants. Readers familiar with the series will delight in immersing themselves back in the comfortable world of Edilean, and new readers should enjoy exploring it with Mike and Sara. While the threat presented by the villains is minimal, Deveraux's colorful cast and easy way with words shine, even if the story's thin on plot. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The third in bestselling Deveraux's Edilean series (Days of Gold, 2009, etc.) offers a dashing detective, a spunky heroine and a town with old secrets.Sara Shaw is about to marry outsider Greg Anders, even though the whole town of Edilean, Va., distrusts the man. Luckily the FBI and Florida undercover detective Mike Newland is on the case. It happens that the townspeople are right in their suspicions: Greg Anders, aka Stefan Vandlo, is a murderous con man who works with his equally notorious mother Mitzi. Law enforcement knows that Greg/Stefan is marrying Sara for some large monetary gain, but no one can figure out what it could be. Mike's baby sister Tess is best friends with Sara, and while Tess is honeymooning in Italy, Mike arranges to stay at Tess' apartment with Sara, while Greg is "away" (actually the Feds threw him in the slammer on trumped-up charges so Mike can begin the investigation). Initially Sara despises Mike, but he soon charms her, as he's charmed the rest of the town. There is danger, and a lot of romance; Sara favors ladylike dresses and Mike swings down from ropes to save her. Mike eventually reveals to Sara the truth of his presence in Edilean, but by the time she learns Greg is really murdering Stefan, she's fallen for Mike. Sara and Mike begin to realize that everything points to the ownership of Brewster Lang's farm. Greg had desperately wanted it, but Tess has instead (through her husband's estate) gotten Mike a lifetime lease on the place. What is it about the farm? It's not the few pot plants old man Lang grows, it's not the historic buildingscould it be the Federalist tea set? Mike convinces Sara they need to marry for her protection (but could the hardened Mike also be in love with Sara?). In wedded bliss they are ready for the return of sociopathic Greg.Bodice-ripping romance is coupled with all the suspense of a Scooby-Doo episode.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.