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SLOW BURN by Julie Garwood Ballantine Books, August 2005 368 pages $25.95 ISBN: 0345453840 Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Kate MacKenna is a positive person for the most part. She is the type of person who will find a constructive way out of a bad situation. That is until now when it seems as though someone is out to get her. She almost dies in an explosion, her company might go under if she cannot find a huge influx of money, and her sister's ex-boyfriend threatens her. And as though this is not enough bad news, a close friend is in hospital.

With all of this stress and chaos it is amazing that something does not give. Something does, and Kate has a one-night stand with Dylan Buchanan, her friend's brother. This does not make the situation any better as someone is still threatening her and her company is still in trouble. Dylan visits Kate at her home and discovers that the threats are real enough. His police background gives them a solid basis in which to find Kate's attacker. Together they must determine who wants Kate dead and how to stop this person before it is too late.

SLOW BURN is typical of Julie Garwood's work in the sense that this book is a combination of a romance novel and a mystery. Many of Garwood's more recent works use this genre combination as she continues to leave her romance novel days behind. Garwood does a successful job of blending the genres but there might be a little too much romance for the typical mystery reader.

While hardcover books are not the first format choice for a vacation book, SLOW BURN might be worth the trouble of lugging a heavy book around with you. The relationship between Kate and Dylan sparkles even though the situation they find themselves in is deadly. There is enough romance and action to keep you racing through the book. In addition, Garwood has the ability as a writer to produce a book that allows the reader to disappear into it. All of the above characteristics are the traits of an ideal vacation book.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, June 2006

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