Shannon C.‘s review of Kansas City Christmas by Julie Miller
Contemporary romantic suspense released by Harlequin Intrigue 11 Nov 08
I know that, by the time you read this, you are probably not looking for another Christmas book. I know that I’m certainly not in the market for one now that the excitement of the holidays is past. But I did read this book on Christmas eve, having been drawn to it because of the title. (I know, I know, I shouldn’t encourage the Harlequin marketing department.) After all, I have spent Christmas in the Kansas city area and surrounding environs, and I decided that, since I was reading the book on Christmas Eve, I could forego my obsessive need to read all previous books in a series. What I got was exactly the kind of book to read during the holidays–a heartwarming story of love and redemption.
Edward Kincaid is one of the most damaged souls I’ve read about in a long time. After his wife and daughter were cruelly murdered just before Christmas, he spent much of his time in a bottle until the murder of his father. After that, it’s all he can do to keep going from one day to the next, slowly working his way back to sobriety. He’s not sure he can handle his family, let alone his job with the Kansas City Police Department. But his brothers–all of whom have received their own story–convince him to help pin down the last bit of the evidence they need to uncover the murderer of their father. And to do that, Edward must seek the help of cheerful, Christmas-crazed medical examiner Holly Masterson. But helping Edward puts Holly in much more danger than either of them anticipated, as a shadowy terrorist group tries to keep her from discovering their secrets.
I like to tell people that I don’t like my heroes tortured, but I don’t think that’s precisely true. It’s more that I dislike heroes who wallow in whatever has caused them angst. Which is all to say that I loved Edward, who had me from his first appearance in the book. He’s a very damaged soul, both physically and emotionally, and I liked that he starts out the story well on the way toward recovery, needing only for someone to push him just that little bit farther. Holly provides exactly what he needs in that regard, and though I don’t think she’s as well drawn as Edward, she certainly works very well as a foil for him. I believed in their romance, and I wanted them to have a future together.
The plot is slightly more problematic. I was able to keep up just fine even though this was the last book in the series, but I didn’t quite understand the stakes. It felt like it was just too big for one book, and there were often moments where I really just wanted Ms. Miller to get back to Edward and Holly, who are by far more interesting.
Ms. Miller’s writing is compelling. I was at the edge of my seat in the appropriate places, and there was one scene in particular near the end that made me shudder, and not in a good way. While I didn’t find the particular suspense plot itself compelling, I did appreciate its effect on the characters, if that makes any sense.
Overall, this book was satisfying. I came to care about Edward and Holly, and even though the series they’re in is wrapped up completely, I do think I’ll be revisiting the Kansas City police department to read the books about the other Kincaid brothers.
Grade: B
Summary:
A detective with no badge, Edward Kincaid’s brooding nature scared medical examiner Holly Masterson, but couldn’t dim her holiday spirit. It was when she attracted a stalker that the most wonderful time of the year turned into the most frightening. Working together to reveal a conspiracy too many people had died covering up, Holly found Edward’s protection–and powerful embrace–hard to resist. Now, as new clues surfaced, could she bust the case wide open and give her silent knight the Christmas miracle he deserved?Read an excerpt.
