A small, friendly Colorado town, nestled in the breathtaking Rockies, cloaks a malevolence, an evil that stalks women.
Jesslyn Black, a writer, is content living her now-single, childless life. If she keeps to herself, she can’t get hurt. Haunted by the past, Jesslyn never again wants to experience the soul-shredding pain of losing loved ones.
But a murder changes that.
Aiden Kinncaid is running from his own secret loss. As the CEO of Kinncaid Enterprises, he travels to this remote Colorado resort town to oversee the opening of the new Highland Hotel. Though he’s not interested in any kind of relationship, he finds himself drawn to this temperamental, brown-eyed beauty. And her rough-edged attitude is a challenge to him.
But whether or not either sought a relationship—they’ve found one. Aiden wants to protect Jesslyn even if she claims she can take care of herself, and she finds she can’t stop thinking about Aiden, even when he annoys her. Will they get their second chance at love and life before the killer eliminates one problem he doesn’t need?
"Deadly Shadows" wasn't my first read by Jaycee Clark...and it won't be my last either. Clark manages to imbue her stories with menace that can give me a chill down my spine. Her ability to invoke absolute evil in her villains is downright freaky.
Jesslyn lived through unspeakable pain and sadness when she lost both her husband and her children to a drunk driver. Just as she begins to feel strong enough to 'live' instead of 'exist', she's again subjected to loss. She stumbles on the body of her dear friend, blood-soaked and dead and catches just the outline of her fleeing murderer. If that's not enough to deal with, she's also very attracted to her new 'guest'. And since nobody feels she's safe, she agrees to stay in the main house with him. But the murderer isn't done, and he isn't done with Jesslyn either.
Spooky, sexy, and scintillating. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. My only beef was in the identity of the villain. I didn't think I'd gotten enough clues to guess his identity...he kind of came out of left field and that bugged me. But it didn't bug me enough to kill my enjoyment of the overall story. If the rest of Clark's 'Deadly' series is about the rest of the Kinncaid brothers, I can see a book-buying spree in my future. And won't the hubby just love that! These brothers' motto is "This I'll defend", and they are fierce in their love ***sigh***. Anyway, if you like your romance chilling and a bit eerie, try out "Deadly Shadows".
★★★☆☆ Probably my best three-star read of the year. I really like this author’s voice, and I’m sure I will go on with the series... maybe on audio next time. However, there were several things I went “Huh?” over.
The dialogue between the H/h at the very beginning, for one; but it improved. However, the worst was the obligatory plot device: “have the heroine pull a TSTL move in order to get her in the clutches of the villain” - not once, but twice! Although, the “buddy read” members I read this with convinced me to let the last one go. Kind of. ☺ BTW, they all liked this one better than I did, so consider that when deciding to read this one or not.
There was also something in the epilogue that caused me to go “Huh?” again.
In addition, I wanted to know
I do give credit to the author for keeping me on the edge of my seat for most of the book. I also liked that
A very solid and impressive beginning to the "Kinncaid Bros." series. I'm looking forward to the next one right away. "Deadly Shadows" introduces us to the Kinncaid family, who bring an Irish background of love, laughter and loyalty. The story has a dark and gritty storyline whose villain is very evil and psychotic. I was able to narrow the villain down to two suspects but remained stumped until the end. The steamy romance is balanced very well with the suspense. And both lead characters are very likable. They have great chemistry and the heroine may come in a small package but she's dynamite! Truly enjoyed this one!
Wow! This was quite a thrilling, romantic-suspense! It reminded me of Karen Rose's serial killers in that she would go into the mind(s) of her killers. Very intense, heartbreakingly sad (at times), and once the heroine hit my TSTL meter.
The heroine, Jesslyn, moved to a small town in Colorado to write and deal with the horrendous grief of loosing her husband and two children in a car accident three years prior. Why she took in a renter, Aiden, was not mentioned. It didn't appear she was financially strapped. She had enough to buy into a local bar as a "minor" partner...Anyway, some things in the book gave me "pause."
This author has talent, but this book needed a tad of polishing. A few places dragged out and I was frustrated by leaving an intense scene to something minor. The type-setting of the book was BAD. It was all squished together and one chapter heading was at the very bottom of one page. (Chapter 10, page 98). That would be the fault of the publisher, though.
The story was excellent, the characters were neat--loved the smart-assed dialogue. I had to pause when Aiden made a "phone call" to his brother, Ian, toward the end. I thought I'd missed "something." It was not explained and I'm assuming that will be carried into the rest in the series. I see Ian is the main character in book 4...
This was NOT an erotic read. The murder scenes were NOT too graphic in nature. Don't know why that was included as a warning on the back of the book. I think that's another "thunk" in the publisher's head.
This was a good solid 4 stars. It is my first book by this author and I really liked that we didn't get to figure out the villain or the motive until the end. Although serial killers are not my favorite villains, this one was very creepy with no info to figure out who it was.
Jesslyn's emotional life has been in deep freeze since an accident that killed her husband, daughter and unborn child. She is just coming out again after three years when a murdered takes the life of a good friend. Jesslyn happens to arrive just as the killer is finished and she sees him, and he sees her. But Jesslyn can't ID him. On returning home Jesslyn finds a strange man in her house. Aiden, her temporary renter has arrived a day early and all kinds of sparks start to fly, not to mention reawaked libidos for both of them. Jesslyn also awaken very protective feelings in Aiden that he doesn't know what to do with since Jesslyn is stubborn, abrasive and thinks she can take care of herself.
The first book in Jaycee Clark's Deadly series, featuring the Kinncaid family. Aidan Kinnaid came to Colorado to oversee the opening of a hotel. He rented a house that belongs to Jesslyn Black. Meanwhile, Jesslyn just got back in town and finds her friend dead and the murderer fleeing the scene. Later she returns home and finds a strange man in her house and chaos erupts.
I really enjoyed this one and now have to invest in the rest of the series. Romantic Suspense is my favorite genre and this one kept me interested from start to finish.
This was my first book by this author and I had a hard time getting into it mainly because I found the character interactions awkward, they seemed to jump from one conversation to the next with things remaining unsaid plus the heroine was too thorny for my tastes. She is an author who lost her kids and husband a while back and the hero is renting her place. There is a murder mystery of course and there is this weird insta love thing which seemed weird to me but I am gonna give the other books a shot.
Not really my thing. Some suspect grammar, and rather poorly edited. Author had a tendency to write "he" when there are lots of men in the room and it's not clear who is the subject. Takes a bit of working out. Also I kept having to flick back to see if someone had left the room as they weren't there any more but there was no mention of them leaving. Rather frustrating. Wouldn't read any more by this author.
Aborted because I'm tired of having to enter the mind of yet another done-to-death religious nutjob serial killer.
Don't like the narrator with her odd cadence either. Not sure which part of the US that accent would be from but I don't like it. Okay for a character but not for the narrative. I checked the other installments and the narrator, Johanna Parker, speaks the same way for all the books. Perhaps this is why I did not listen to the series despite having them for 3 years.
This was my first time reading this author but it certainly won't be my last. The story moved along at a good pace, with the right amount of humor thrown in, (the early banter between Jess and Aiden). Good character development, especially the showing of how Jess was dealing with all of the tragic events that occurred in the story.
Good read, can't wait to read the rest of the series.
This one was really good! Aiden Kinncaid comes to Colorado to open a hotel and rents a home from Jessalyn Black and on his first night in town Jess comes upon a murder scene and then her new housemate. This is the beginning of a series of murders and several attempts on Jess's life. So much in this book and I had this one on audio and listened to it in one sitting because I could not put it down!
I can’t connect with any of the characters. I love small town stories with suspense, but I did not care for this one. I loved the killer’s POV and that is about it. The switch in POV was too frequent. I don’t have to know what each character is thinking at every moment.
5 Stars – Deadly Shadows is an adult contemporary romantic suspense thriller by Jaycee Clark and the 1st book in her Deadly (Kinncaid Brothers) series.
The Deadly (Kinncaid Brothers) series is fast becoming one of my favorites. Kinncaid family motto:This I’ll defend. Because nothing is more important to a Kinncaid than his family. The series revolves around the wealthy and powerful Kinncaid brothers, the women they love, and the strength of family ties. Each story blending the perfect balance of contemporary romance and a chilling, highly suspenseful plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat, dying to know just what happens next.
In the small, friendly town of Crested Butte, nestled in the breathtaking Colorado Rocky Mountains, a serial killer stalks his prey. A monster who believes it’s his destiny to make women pay for their sins …
Considering it to be a working vacation in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, Aiden Kinncaid, CEO of Kinncaid Enterprises, has come to the remote resort town of Crested Butte to oversee the opening of The Highland, one of his family’s many hotels. To keep his staff on their toes, never knowing when he’ll show up, he rents a house to stay in rather than the hotel. The only catch … the owner of the house lives there too, staying in the cottage above the garage while renting out the house. Though he’s not interested in any kind of relationship, Aiden finds himself drawn to the complex, stubborn, brown-eyed beauty and challenged by her smart-ass attitude. And the more time he spends with her, he realizes he wants to protect her and take care of her.
Haunted by the past, Jesslyn Black never wants to experience the soul-shredding pain again of losing loved ones. She’s had to learn to be on her own—had to—and is content living her life in solitude. Having only herself to depend on and comfort, she doesn’t have to worry about another person being taken away from her. A published author, she gets by one day at a time, escaping into the world she writes about, where she has control. And though it’s sometimes lonely there in her world, it’s also safe.
But all that changes when she stumbles upon the blood-soaked body of her murdered friend, catching a glimpse of the fleeing killer ...
Deadly Shadows is a well-written, fast-paced romantic suspense thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very end. Filled with complex characters and a riveting storyline, I simply couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Ms. Clark blends sensual romance and danger into a thrilling story, pulling on emotions that will leave you laughing, fighting back tears, and cheering for the villain’s demise. I thoroughly enjoyed the verbal sparring between Aiden and Jesslyn, both of whom are strong, very likable characters with great chemistry. A highly recommended read, Deadly Shadows is a sexy, scintillating and emotional story of personal loss, rediscovering love and the strength of family ties with a satisfying HEA.
Content: graphic language, mild violence, explicit sex, and oral.
I read this book after reading the fourth book in the series. I enjoyed the fourth book so much, I was sure I would like this one too. And sure enough, it started with a bang... ok, more like a slash and a scream, but she had my attention from the very beginning. However, as she introduced the main characters my attention slowly waned.
Jesslyn came of as abrasive and bitchy, with moments of stupidity at the worst times. Aiden liked to puff his chest but seemed virtually importent in the face of Jesslyn's bitchiness. There was no chemistry between Jesslyn and Aiden. As a reader i was sympathetic to Jesslyn's history but she was also pretty abrasive, like stupid abrasive. Aiden for some reason found that attractive. So of course in a matter of like a week, their in love. I couldn't figure out how it happened so quickly, because basically they'd had one date.
I look back on this book and i'm not sure how I finished. At about the point The book as a whole seemed move about the writer putting together dramatic scenarios, than about about scenarios that really made sense. The book seemed to drag on and on, not because it was overly long, but because the story construction was so poor.
So as much as I loved Deadly Games, I won't seek out any other books by this author.
I thought this was going to be pure chick-lit. And in some ways it was, but it was a lot more besides.
A more than decent thriller, with (mostly) great characters. It was a lot longer and more involved than I had anticipated as well. A decently 'hefty' read that wasn't afraid to go into details and develop the story beyond mere 'girl meets guy chick-lit'.
One or two quibbles though pulled this back from a potential five stars for me - Not quite what I expected but all the better for that. I will definitely look up more books by this author!
Highly recommended for chick-lit-thriller fans who like more than the bare bones of a story.
I happened upon this book looking in the Barnes and Noble books under $5 on my NOOK. Quickly relized it was a series and downloaded all 4. How can you go wrong with hot Irish/Scottish brothers whose family motto is "This I'll defend."? Loved Jesslyn and Aidan. The suspense was great. I, personally, didn't have the murderer figured out till close to the end. But I rarely try to figure it out until it's revealed. I love a couple that argues and banters back and forth, and that was definintely Jess and Aidan. Even found myself laughing out load at times. There are some heartbreaking moments and the suspense scenes had me reading faster to see what would happen. I did find a few times I got a little lost in a scene because it jumped around a little. Overall it was a great romance/suspense. Already started Deadly Ties...and I love the whole Kinncaid clan!
I'll be nice and give it 3 stars, tho 2.5 is more like it. Not even sure why I didn't like it. I can't put my finger on it. All I know is, I kept looking at my progress and thinking, that's it? At 53% I felt like it should have been almost over. It just dragged. And I skimmed alot of it. It just did not hold my attention. I liked Aiden, not sure how I feel about Jesslyn. I hated their initial meeting. It felt like forced dialogue crammed in to make it work and it didn't make sense. I understand him being caught off guard and she was a bit distracted, to say the least, from the night's events. But her attitude and things she said didn't fit the situation. She came off bitchy and that didn't seem necessary. Overall it was just meh. Not even sure why I finished skim-reading it.
I don't know what it was about this book for me, but I was never really able to get into this book. There were so many good reviews about it and it seemed really interesting, so I decided to give it a chance. The beginning started off with a bang, other than the commentary between the hero in the heroine which was kind of annoying. I really liked hearing from the killers perspective, but after the beginning of the story it seemed like the story just started to focus on the hero and heroine and the murder mystery took a back seat to the romance building between Aiden and Jesslyn. Around 30% percent of the book i got too frustrated with Jesslyn's character and started to skim until I came upon the killer's POV or something having to do with the murder.
3 stars for story, 1 star only for the WORST EDITING EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD! I kept having to re-read passages because of sloppy sentences and just mistakes. Irked me and took me out of the story.
THat being said, Aiden and Jesslyn were enough to keep me going. Decent suspense, though the "whodunnit" is not really much of a mystery. It's revealed fairly quick. But only you and I know, not the characters. So it's still a suspense.
I am absolutely loving this series, these Kinncaid boys are awesome, I loved this book, it was different to those typical man meets women romance novels, this story had me hooked n I loved Aiden n Jesslyn was a strong independent heroine n I loved her. A great book with plenty angst, a good plot, plenty romance, a hot alpha male, Lol what more could a girl ask for!! I'm on book 4 now, which is Ians story but I must admit I am itching to get into Quinlanns story :)
It wasn't a disaster even though the only thing I found remotely interesting was the line about the killer - to find out who the monster was was what kept me skimming through the book. Yes, I skipped lots of pages or read a sentence or two, because it was a typical unoriginal romantic writing and especially the sex scenes were so detailed it was boring. I might read other books from the series but onlz in the distant future when I will be in a mood for this kind of romance.
WOW!!! "Deadly Shadows" wasn't first book to read by Jaycees Clark and I loved it!!! I read a lot of romantic suspense books and tor the first time I could not figure out who the killer was until.it was revealed! I warn you ahead of time to make sure you have nothing going on when you start the book as you wontbe able to put it down.
good story, witty dialog, strong characters, fast paced and suspensful. I had no idea who the killer was until the very end when the author revealed him!
There were a few unanswered questions (which should have been wrapped up) and at least one "huh?" moment, but overall, good story.
I believe I am so hooked already to this series.... and it's an older series that I just discovered and cannot freaking wait to divulge. I just pray they all hold the same steam, suspense and amazing characters....
I really loved the romance between the two main characters, also the love between the woman and her ex-husband was beautiful. I also liked the insane mind of the killer. :)