2008: #80 – Fat Tuesday (Sandra Brown)

Book #80 was Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

Burke Basile is a cop with nothing left to lose. Haunted by his partner’s death, his marriage and his career over, he focuses on his nemesis, Pinkie Duvall, a flamboyant attorney who helps killers evade justice. Burke’s shocking revenge centers around kidnapping Remy, the lawyer’s trophy wife. But Burke hasn’t planned on the electric attraction he’ll feel for this desperate woman, who rose from the slums of New Orleans to marry a man she can never love. Nor can he predict the fierce duel that will explode as the clock ticks toward midnight on Fat Tuesday, when all masks will be stripped away–and Burke must confront his own terrifying secret.

This wasn’t my favorite Sandra Brown.  While Pinkie Duvall makes an especially dastardly bad guy (I don’t think he had even one redeeming characteristic), I wasn’t that taken with Burke Basile.  Frankly, I thought his revenge “plan” was a little ridiculous. But there are some bright spots… I did like Remy, and Brown does a good job with the red herrings and keeping you guessing.  Though I did guess who the police mole was, I was doubting myself before the final reveal.  This wasn’t a horrible book, but it was certainly no Envy.

Page count: 480 | Word count: 130,140

2007: The Killing Game (Iris Johansen)
2006: Strip Tease (Carl Hiaasen)