There's no denying it - Jayne Ann Krentz's books have a sameness to them, and her newest release, Eye of the Beholder, is no exception. Rest assured, if you have read other JAK books in recent years, then you have definitely been there and done that. That being said, it's not a bad book. If you like JAK (and I do), you will probably find it a good comfort read (and I did). Just be forewarned that it's nothing new.

When she is just seventeen, Alexa Chambers witnesses an argument between her step-father and J.L. Trask. Trask's father has just died in a suspicious accident, and he's sure that Alexa's step-father knows something about it. When Trask can't find out anything, he leaves Alexa's home - and the town of Avalon, Arizona - vowing to return someday.

Twelve years later, that day arrives. Trask is now the owner of a hotel empire, and his latest hotel is opening in Avalon. Trask flies down from his headquarters in Seattle to oversee the hotel's opening gala. Of course he has another agenda - he wants to finally discover the truth about his father's death.

Trask meets Alexa at the grand opening party, and discovers that Alexa has had her own problems during the intervening years. Once a successful expert in Art Deco, Alexa was discredited when it was discovered that her employer was creating forgeries. Never mind that Alexa is the one who blew the whistle - her reputation is still tainted. But Alexa has secretly been the genius behind the hotel's art deco collection, and she's hoping that it will bring her the respect she deserves. What she doesn't want to hear is that Trask is digging up the past again. Alexa loves her step-father, and she doesn't want to see him hurt. So Trask strikes a deal with her; he'll tell her what he finds out before he tells anyone else.

But there is more to this scandal than meets the eye. While Trask and Alexa are getting to know each other a little better, other people in the town are hurt or killed. It seems that someone at Dimensions, Avalon's new age cult, must be behind it all. Whoever it is doesn't want Alexa and Trask joining forces. But their feelings for each other are too strong to deny, and their desire to find out the truth is equally powerful. Together they will discover the driving force behind all the destruction so they can have a secure future.

The plot is a familiar one, but Krentz handles it fairly well. The suspense angle is enjoyable, and the villain came as something of a surprise at the end. Alexa and Trask have a nice rapport as they work on the crime together, and the author's humor comes through in many of these scenes.

What really takes a back seat, however, is the love relationship. Trask and Alexa have a few nice scenes together when they are really thinking about each other, but they really spend more time thinking about the solving the crime. In the end, their relationship came across as an afterthought.

If you enjoy Krentz's books in spite of the similarities they share, or perhaps because of them, then you may want to pick up this one. But I doubt it's worth the $24.00 sticker price. Get it at the library, or wait for the paperback. And if you've never read Krentz before, I would recommend starting with something else. Both Trust Me and the more recent Flash are better than this one.