Sweet Talk - Julie Garwood

Sweet Talk

Julie Garwood
Dutton
 
Romantic Suspense
 
Olivia MacKenzie is a lawyer working for the IRS.  In a sort of side job, she works as a children’s advocate.  It’s a long way from the part of her childhood she spent in an isolation ward.  She took part in an experimental cancer treatment for years.  While there, she formed lifelong friendships with her fellow sufferers: Samantha, Jane, and Collins.  As an adult, Olivia is independent and content in her life, and has one overriding goal in life: to put her father in prison.  Robert MacKenzie makes money.  His friends and investors think he’s a genius.  Olivia is positive that he’s running a scheme, but no one but her Aunt Emma will believe her.
 
Grayson Kincaid, an agent for the FBI, meets Olivia under slightly compromising circumstances.  Grayson is involved in investigating a possible money launderer.  It just so happens that Olivia, having heard rumors of possible cutbacks at the IRS, is interviewing for a job with the target of Grayson’s investigation.  When the interview turns nasty, Grayson jumps in to defend Olivia, destroying what would have been a great sting.  One thing leads to another and Olivia finds that she and Grayson are on the same page regarding her father.  But Olivia steps on the wrong toes and finds herself in the hospital again.  This time, because someone tried to end her life with bullets.
 
This novel is entertaining enough and the narrative never drags.  If you enjoy your romantic suspense with a very heavy emphasis on ‘romance,’ then this is the book for you.  I’m always more interested in the suspense aspect, and found that here, it’s almost an afterthought.  That’s too bad, because the book contains the bones of a very good suspense story.  On the very bright side, the story moved along quite quickly and contained some interesting characters.  I imagine we’ll be seeing the other three ladies in books of their own soon.  Since the author took care to give them all diverse backgrounds and interests, that should be fun.
 
Rating: 7
August 2012
ISBN# 978-0-525-95286-2 (hardcover)