The Lost

J.D. Robb, Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, and Ruth Ryan Langan

The Lost is four novellas that combine mystery and/or romance with the theme of being lost.

"Missing in Death" is part of J.D. Robb's ongoing In Death series. A woman disappears on the Staten Island Ferry. No one left the boat and there is no body. But there is a lot of blood in a woman's bathroom, so Eve Dallas and her team are called in. This story is well contained within its length. It's not rushed and has a good twist and link to Eve and Roarke. The story itself is close to a locked door mystery except the body is missing.

Patricia Gaffney's "Dog Days of Laurie Summer" gives a woman a chance to look at her family from a different point of view. She thinks her family and life are perfect. Then she gets the opportunity to watch her husband and son from a new angle. Will she get a second chance? I like the way Gaffney has written this story and it's odd viewpoint.

A man is locked in an ancient Caribbean island fortress in Mary Blayney's "Lost in Paradise". He has had a curse cast upon him for an old wrong. His ex-priest is able to lure a new nurse out to the island. Is it possible she will be able to mend the captive man's heart? Unfortunately, "Lost in Paradise" is too short. It is rushed, especially near the end. The man is not fleshed out well, nor is his change of feelings as he spends more time with her. She's not believable, either, when she suddenly melts for him. It either needs to be longer or the pacing changed.

The rushed feeling is also true in the last story by Ruth Ryan Langan. "Legacy" has a young woman visiting Ireland for the first time at the request of an old man she's never met. He believes she is his granddaughter. She knows better. She has her genealogy. Even so, she needs the money he is offering. She visits him, honestly telling her him opinion and her reason for the trip. He and his young lawyer want to prove differently to her. The ending is nicely done. The romance between the woman and the lawyer, though, is rushed and unbelievable. It's still charming despite that.

Notice:  Strong sexual content