I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Behind Closed Doors
by
Shannon McKenna
romantic suspense in Paperback edition that was published by Brava on October 1, 2003 and has 430 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Ultimate Weapon
First in the McClouds & Friends romantic suspense series with this episode based in Oregon. The couple focus is on Seth Mackey and Raine.
My Take
This was an interesting story with twists, but it was too melodramatic for me. Seth and Raine, individually and together, were always experiencing extremes, and it was mentally exhausting. I’m not sure if McKenna’s intention was to pull the reader into the story through their emotions or to create dramatic tension with it, but…not for me.
“His breath hissed”, “he wasn’t missing it for anything”, “she fumbled with her cuffs until he wanted to scream at her to get the fuck on with it” is all within the first 15 pages. Raine’s whiny drama about how she was hired at Lazar Import & Export was just tedious. This was followed by her initial [to us] entrance into Lazar’s office which was so over-the-top — the attempt to make it a tension-building moment failed, and I wanted to send her packing.
“Breakfast would help, but there was no time, not even to grab a pastry.” Oh, no…! *eyeroll*
McKenna does make you see the characters and the settings. Although I wasn’t excited about the psychic aspect of the story. McKenna needed to either go deeper with it or skip it. As it was, it felt tacked on to make the story seem more interesting. It was the same with her pirate fantasy. A tacked-on attempt at…what, erotica?
I did enjoy Seth’s plan to infiltrate Victor’s security, and I loved his insecurity combined with his brute approach, for he’s fallen in love for the first time in his life and he hasn’t a clue. I found I enjoyed hearing a gorgeous man beg a woman to be his girlfriend… Definitely not a male character one sees every day! As for Victor’s sentimentality, it was sweet if out of character.
I simply shook my head when Raine realized that, hmmm, maybe her disguise wasn’t so great after all. I mean, she’s known that her uncle was very intelligent, WTF was she thinking?
It’s also a good example of why you never want to owe the bad guys a favor.
Oh, brother…some of these twists and turns feel so contrived.
The Story
Raine has gone undercover to infiltrate her Lazar Import & Export, uncle’s company, determined to find out who killed her father seventeen years ago. Only, Seth Mackey thinks she’s another one of Lazar’s bimbos.
The Characters
Lorraine “Raine” Cameron, a.k.a., Katya Lazar, may speak six languages, but she bumbles her way through this and has lied her way into Lazar’s employment. She’s also practically a virgin at 28. Alix is Raine’s slut of a mother. Peter Lazar is her father and Victor’s younger brother. The man who is supposed to have committed suicide all those years ago. Hugh Cameron is her stepfather.
The rich and socially clueless Seth Mackey, a computer surveillance and security expert, burns for revenge against the man who murdered Jesse Cahill, his too-trusting younger brother. Kearn is one of his coworkers. DeAnne Mackey was their drug-using mother; Mitch was Jesse’s drug-using father. Hank Yates is the retired cop who took Seth and Jesse in.
Connor McCloud was injured in the same incident in which Jesse died. He’s Mackey’s FBI co-conspirator. Sean and Davy are Connor’s brothers.
Special Agents Bill Haley and Edward Riggs (the traitor) were the agents in charge of Raine’s father’s death. Riggs has a lovely wife, Barbara, and two daughters: Erin and Cindy.
Victor Lazar is Raine’s uncle and a businessman with an eye for any deal that will fuel his desires. Family is important to him. On his terms. Harriet is the witchy office manager. She must have the most awful life. Stefania is not as bad. Clayborne is Victor’s personal assistant on Stone Island. Mara is one of the house sluts. Charlie drives the boat.
Kurt Novak is a psychopath business associate of Victor’s; one of a type of the people Victor likes to acquire for his own “collection”. Belinda Corazon was a minor celebrity who learned the hard way not to say no.
Dr. Fischer did the autopsy on Peter Lazar.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a close-up of the eye of a peacock feather.
The title would make more sense if it were Behind Closed Minds, but then I’m always so literal minded and suppose that Behind Closed Doors is a more interesting metaphor.
