I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Deadly Sins
by
Lora Leigh
romantic suspense in Paperback edition that was published by St. Martin Paperbacks on February 28, 2012 and has 376 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Styx's Storm, Moving Violations, Cops and Cowboys, B.O.B.'s Fall, Manaconda, A Wish a Kiss a Dream, "Dragon Prime", Primal, Live Wire, Navarro's Promise, Forbidden Pleasure, Beyond the Dark, Black Jack, Tempting the Beast, Dangerous Pleasure, Maverick, Man Within, Midnight Sins, Wild Card, Tied with a Bow, Lawe's Justice, Legally Hot, Stygian's Honor, Surrender to Fire, Nauti Temptress, Submission & Seduction, Wicked Sacrifice, Secret Sins, Nautier and Wilder, Shameless Embraces, Wicked Pleasure, Only Pleasure, Guilty Pleasure, Wicked Lies, Twin Passions, Nauti Enchantress, Shattered Legacy, Intense Pleasure, Knight Stalker, Enthralled, Secret Pleasure, Rule Breaker, "The One", Nauti Angel, Nauti Seductress, Wake a Sleeping Tiger, Collision Point, Cross Breed, One Tough Cowboy, Hot for the Holidays, Dawn's Awakening, "Night Hawk"
Second in The Callahans, a.k.a., Heroes and Heartbreakers, romantic suspense series revolving around three men, cousins, who are targeted by the ruling clique in Corbin County. The couple focus is on Logan Callahan and Skye O’Brien.
My Take
Well, it’s better than the first installment, Midnight Sins. Leigh created a lot of tension and question in that first story and in Deadly Sins, she’s expanded upon it, providing yet more questions. And, yeah, I’m curious enough to want to know who or what is truly behind this vendetta against the Callahans. In the first story, Leigh had us believing that their parents’ families wanted nothing to do with them. That those families would stop at nothing to destroy the three boys. Now, Leigh is throwing in a lot of confusion with contradictory remarks, or are they statements?, from the barons. It’s certainly one way to ensure that her readers continue to read this series…
WTF does Saul Rafferty expect? Their entire lives, these boys have been treated like dirt, shunned, despised and now ol’ Saul is upset that his grandson so obviously wants nothing to do with him?? This whole set-up is worse than a soap opera.
The whole premise of this series is both intriguing and damned irritating. There’s some guy who fell in love with the woman who met David Callahan (one of the fathers). When she married David, this guy went gonzo.
The boys finally begin to have some allies in this damned county. About time.
The Story
The FBI has a cadre of agents positioned in and around Corbin County, including Skye O’Brien carefully placed in a house next door to Logan Callahan. She’s there as bait. To draw out a killer. The one who seems to target any woman any of the cousins takes to bed. There’s that little clause in the cousins’ inheritances that needs to be got ’round.
Too weird. Grandfather Rafferty giving him a dog? There is just no way that Logan is taking that damned dog. Just another creature to love and find murdered. That’s how it’s always been. When any one of the boys loves or cares for something or someone, they find it destroyed. Even leaving the county didn’t change a thing. So now the boys are back and they will take care of business.
That whole attitude of care for nothing is really hampering Skye’s objective — taking Logan as a lover. It certainly isn’t helping Bella, the little Chinese pug puppy, who wants nothing more than to lie at Logan’s feet. Then someone tries to kidnap Skye and a sniper fires on Cami when one of her own betrays her.
And Ryan gets his kill order. In person. From a person he would never have suspected.
The Characters
Three cousins, Rafer (engaged to Cami Flannigan; see Midnight Sins), Crowe (who’s in love with baker Anna Corbin), and Logan Callahan have had each other’s backs since their parents died when all three were children. All three suffer horrible nightmares about those they loved and couldn’t save.
Special Agent Skye O’Brien is an orphan who learned, in yet another soap opera-twist, that she was raised/trained to join some elite group. Amy Jefferson had been her foster sister and raised/trained in the same way; her foster father is the current governor of Colorado, Carter Jefferson and his wife Marla. Anna Corbin (the baker Crowe fancies is also John Corbin’s granddaughter) and Amelia Sorenson (the county attorney’s daughter and personal assistant and Cami’s former best friend) are old schoolmates of Skye’s. Amara Resnova became Skye’s friend when Skye saved her from the DC Vigilante. Now Amara’s father, Ivan Resnova, feels he owes her everything. A man who is probably a criminal, but certainly can hide anyone, anything.
Seems that Corbin County has a plethora of sheriffs as there’s a Jeannine Thompson, an Archer, and a Tobias whom Leigh refers to as “sheriff”. John Caine is a deputy sheriff; must be a busy man serving under all these sheriffs. Detective Ian Staton is from Boulder investigating Marietta Tyme’s murder and all that DNA.
The “barons” are the cousins’ grandparents. Doing their very best to destroy the boys. Or are they? Saul Rafferty is Logan’s grandfather (Sam and Mina Callahan had been Logan’s parents); Tandy is his grandmother and she raised dogs. John Corbin is Rafer’s while Marshal Roberts is Crowe’s grandfather.
The Sweetrock Slasher is a serial killer, in particular, of Amy Jefferson. There is a man who directs who the Slasher takes and how he treats them. Marietta Tyme‘s only crime was sleeping with Logan Callahan. Once. As was Jenny Perew.
Ryan Calvert plays an assassin. He’s been undercover in Corbin County for over twelve years and his purpose for being there has finally arrived. John is his second-in-command.
The Cover and Title
The cover is rather scary! It’s a close-up of Logan staring out at us quite intently with his beautiful green eyes; it’s that mouth of his that terrifies with its first impression of blood. Skye is standing behind him, looking over his shoulder.
My guess is that the title refers to the Deadly Sins perpetrated by the three boys’ grandparents.
