Veena’s review of Haunted by Kat Martin
Romantic Suspense published by Kensington Books 24 Sep 24
It’s 1898 in Jerome, Arizona where violence and prostitution are rampant. A murder of a prostitute is just a footnote, until we fast forward to 2024 where strange things are happening at the Copper Star Saloon and Hotel. Can it be ghosts from the past? Or something else? Cain Barrett and Jenny Star are determined to solve this mystery.
After the spine-chilling beginning, it’s almost a relief as Jenny and Cain pursue a scratch-the-itch relationship. A very wealthy Cain might be pursued by some beautiful women, but he’s settled his attention on Jenny. Will this develop into something more long term? Only time will tell. Things might be going smooth on the relationship front, but it’s soon obvious that something is going on.
Cain’s very expensive racehorse is kidnapped, and it seems to be very personal, especially when the valuable animal is returned mutilated. In the meantime, a motorcycle gang is threatening Jenny, and a murder occurs in her hotel, and there are other ghostly sightings in her hotels that are scaring her customers. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Cain engages a PI and a bodyguard.
The story that evolves from that point on will sweep you up and keep you reading into the dark of the night, even as the hair stands up on your arms and you don’t want to turn off the light. After a somewhat scary beginning, I settled down and thoroughly enjoyed both the romance and the suspense.
Grade: A
Summary:
1898: Robbery, prostitution, and violence are commonplace in the fabulously rich copper mining city of Jerome, Arizona. But a brutal murder sets the stage for a series of strange events that will echo far into the future.
2024: Jenny Spencer’s Copper Star Saloon and Hotel is one of the best-loved attractions in the popular tourist destination, but eerie occurrences in the newly renovated wing are souring business.
Cain Barrett, the wealthy owner of the nearby Grandview Hotel, has his eye on Jenny. He’ll help her any way he can, but Cain has problems of his own . . .A brutal murder at the Copper Star, entries in a dusty journal, and ghostly sightings at both hotels . . . is the connection a figment of Jenny’s imagination, or a threat to her life? And who is causing trouble for Cain?
As they work together to solve the mystery, Cain vows not to let anything, or anyone—living or dead—stand between him and the woman he has come to love.
