Mercy

Julie Garwood

1/22/2006

Theo Buchanan is a lawyer for the Justice Department. He has recently helped put a mob group in jail and has to carry a gun because of death threats. He left his Boston home to make a speech in New Orleans. Instead of making the speech, he collapses in the arms of Dr. Michelle Renard, the surgeon who then takes out his appendix.

After he has returned home, Theo returns to Louisiana to visit Michelle's father and do some fishing in the bayou. He accidently finds himself drawn into the community and accepted immediately. There is also some vigorous match making around the community to connect Theo and Michelle.

Michelle doesn't know it, but she is the object of a white-collar criminal ring. Michelle's new medical clinic in her small community is broken into and trashed. Someone was trying to find something, presumably drugs, didn't find what he or she wanted, so tore the clinic apart. When Theo looks over the damage with Michelle, he doesn't believe it was someone wanting drugs. He thinks a professional went through the place. Michelle scoffs. Who would want what she has in the clinic? She had felt like someone was in her home the other night but it had to have been the noises she wasn't used to.

Theo's legal hackles are raised - both by the happenings around the town and Michelle's odd problems. He contacts his local FBI agent friend. Noah comes to town. Like Theo, he enjoys fishing and they both enter the weekend fishing contest. In the meantime, they can discover what is going on - if they aren't killed first.

As I started reading this book it was an enjoyable enough suspese romance novel. As I kept going, I got sucked in. Julie Garwood gives us the criminals' story as well as Theo's and Michelle's story. We know what is at stake and why. But how are Theo and Michelle going to avoid them and stay alive? There's a twist near the end I didn't see coming that makes the book more exciting. I predicted the twist at the very end of the story, though.

Garwood's characters, especially Cameron of the white collar criminals, are filled out. We are able to grasp who the characters are and what is happening. I haven't read the other Buchanan family novels, but I'm going to be looking for them. Mercy makes me want to read more of Garwood's contemporary suspense romances.

You can find more about this book at .

Notice: Explicit sexual situations

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