Spotlight on an Author

Catherine Coulter

Well-known for her bestselling FBI thrillers, Catherine Coulter has also written historical romances which is how she became an author. I first discovered her through the book The Deception but soon became an avid fan of her suspense mysteries. The thrillers are unpredictable and riveting with just the right amount of romance- enough to keep you interested without overwhelming the plot. The Cove is the first book in her FBI series, but the books can be read out of order; I started with Whiplash. The main characters are a man and woman, the same characters pop up throughout the series but they are not always the main focus. The woman are strong and self-sufficient without being overbearing and the men are the same.
The historical romances are both accurate and engaging. The women are not the type to faint away at the sight of blood and yes, the men are stereotypically nefarious or blustery saying things like, "Damnation!" and being ruggedly handsome.

The Cove

Sally Brainerd is on the run; her high-profile father has been murdered and more than one person is after her. Her estranged husband wants to put her back into the mental institution she escaped from, the doctor who abused her in her incarceration wants control over her again, and Special Agent James Quinlan is undercover and in hot pursuit. Sally's father was into something dangerous and Sally may have the clues James needs to solve the case.
Sally escapes to the Cove, a tiny town that caters to tourists by selling their famous World's Greatest Ice Cream. The Cove is not just a small town full of the elderly and infirm however, something sinister lurks beneath the quaint exterior of charm; something dangerous...

   The Deception

Evangeline de Beauchamps is part English and part French, she lives in France with her father during the Napoleonic era. One night her father is kidnapped by supporters of Napoleon who want to see the Emperor take back the Empire taken from him by the English.  Evangeline is chosen to become a spy to the Duke of Portsmouth because her cousin was once married to the Duke before she died. Evangeline has no choice, she must worm her way into the Duke's household so that she can pass information onto the French, if she refuses then her father will die.

Evangeline persuades the Duke to give her a position as governess to his young son Edward. But as time passes Evangeline's guilt grows along with her feelings towards the Duke and his son. Her position is made harder by the fact that the Duke's friend was murdered by French supporters and the Duke himself is vehemently anti-Napoleon.

I will admit the story is a little hokey, it's all melodrama and instant attraction but well the worth the read if you ever find yourself bored on a rainy afternoon.