Never Sleep With Strangers
Grade : C

Never Sleep With Strangers has a creepy gothic setting and likeable lead characters. But while I've read many romantic suspense novels that suffered because there weren't enough suspects, but this is one of the few that had too many suspects. This book should've come with a cast list. The over-abundance of characters really clutters the plot, and gives the hero and heroine little time to interact with each other.

Jon Stuart's wife died at a mystery week Jon had organized, and some people think he killed her. Jon wants to find out who really killed his wife. For that reason, four years later, he organizes another mystery week. He invites all the people who were there when his wife died. Jon has also invited Sabrina Holloway, though she wasn't at the last mystery weekend. Years ago, they had a brief fling. It might have grown into a lasting relationship, but apparently they never learned about the importance of communication. Both ended up marrying the wrong people shortly afterwards.

Almost from the start, it's clear something strange is going on with the mystery week. Shots ring out, and it's not part of the plan. Some participants are given the wrong instructions. These incidents keep the suspense going strong. Sometimes, however, believability is strained. For example, one of the participants is killed, and it takes the others more than 100 pages to find the body! Eventually, the participants find themselves snowbound and without power. Then, the bodies are found, and the mystery is solved, almost too quickly. Though I must admit that I had my eyes on the wrong suspect for most of the book.

While I liked Sabrina and Jon, their relationship never clicked for me. Sabrina spends most of the time trying to avoid Jon, though that means she has to put up with her lecherous ex-husband, Brett. Meanwhile, Jon thinks Sabrina is trying to get back with Brett. Even after Jon and Sabrina become lovers again, distrust rears its ugly head. Their relationship doesn't develop believably. I wish they'd spent more time together. (Talking - it's a wonderful invention!)

Like Jon and Sabrina, most of the other characters are writers. Some are catty, a few are nice, and most are hiding secrets. The problem is keeping track of all these people. Many of them are too similar. As if that weren't enough, you have to keep track of which person writes which type of book. To add to the confusion, each person is given an identity in the mystery week.

The setting was perfect - an old Scottish castle with secret passages and a dungeon. The dungeon housed an exhibition of wax statues displaying horrifying scenes from history. As another great touch, many of the figures resembled the participants.

I wish the rest of the novel had lived up to the promise of the setting. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to combine a traditional mystery plot with a classic Gothic plot. It didn't leave enough room for development of the other elements. Still, some readers might enjoy this novel just for the setting and Gothic ambiance alone. Just remember to keep a scorecard nearby when you're introduced to the multitudinous suspects.

Reviewed by Anne Marble
Grade : C

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : October 16, 1998

Publication Date: 2005

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Recent Comments …

Anne Marble

I buy too many books, too many weird heavy metal albums, and too many pulp novel reprints.
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