Twilight Shadows

Palm Springs Confidential #2

by Emilie Richards

A GUNMAN'S GAME... — Private Investigator Kelley Samuels thought her only official business at her friend's wedding was as maid of honor--until all hell broke loose. Sudden blasts of gunfire drowned out the "Wedding March," and Kelley was losing her wrestling match with a lunatic. But pressed hard against the long, lean body of her rescuer, Griff Bryant, Kelley knew she as in a different kind of danger...

Any of the guests could have been the escaped gunman's target, and with a long list of enemies and a young daughter to raise, Griff wasn't taking any chances. He had to hire a bodyguard, and having his body guarded by a petite, armed private eye as she posed as his lover would keep Kelley safe, too--but not from Griff...

251 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

About the author

I'm the author of seventy-something novels, including romance, women's fiction and mystery. When We Were Sisters debuted in June 2016, a stand alone novel about two foster sisters traveling back into their past together. I loved writing it and love the cover my publisher chose.

I'm also excited about my recent series, Goddesses Anonymous, which started with One Mountain Away and was followed by Somewhere Between Luck and Trust. The third book in the series, A River Too Wide, came out in July 2014. The Color of Light debuted in August 2015. Will there be more? We'll see.

I'm also putting up my newly edited romance backlist and love re-reading and updating them a bit.

Last year my husband and I moved from Virginia, to Osprey, Florida, the state where both of us were raised, met, and married. In the summer we live in Chautauqua, New York. I'm a quilter, knitter, kayaker, and the mother of four children, whom I regard as my greatest creative endeavors. And now there are four wonderful grandchildren to spoil.

Visit me at my web site, emilierichards.com, and my blog, www.emilierichards.com/blog. You can also find me at Twitter and on my Facebook reader page.

Reviews

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful sequel to Desert Shadows that opens at the wedding of h/H from previous book that turns into mayhem and leads to the introduction of our leading man, a Hollywood heartthrob, and child actor turned cop turned PI heroine. Since the target of the attack is unknown and hero's 11 year old daughter is coming to live with him, the heroine is with difficulty persuaded to become his bodyguard who is pretending to be his lover. The romance was a bit slow to take off, the heroine is way too cautious and puts the break everytime. The hero comes across as more vulnerable as he lives in a world where people know him as the actor and not as a plain old guy. I think it was fairly obvious he was falling for the heroine, while she was a tougher nut to crack hiding behind professionalism etc. Even the bad guy was a surprise. A really nice read.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emilie Richards now republishes the second book in her Palm Springs Confidential books. We get up close and personal with Kelley, the partner of Felice, the heroine of the first book.

I was hooked into this story straight away, I loved the characters, the Hollywood setting grabbed me, the mystery, the action, the suspense and the tension between Kelley and Griff. I did like Tara - Griff's twelve year old daughter and Kelley's dog too, I just wanted more of them!

I liked that we caught up with Felice and Josiah, and that we first renew our acquaintance at their action filled wedding. It's not the only time we meet them as they play small but important roles later on. Twilight Shadows and Desert Shadows are named so, because private investigators are sometimes referred to as shadows. I rather liked that little nugget of information. Kelley and Felice are private investigators.

This story really engaged my emotions and I was left feeling very satisfied and happy as the book ended. Well as happy as a reader can be when a book you love ends!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story continues where Desert Shadows ended. You don’t have to have read the first in order to enjoy the second but it does give the backstory. The book begins as Kelley is helping her best friend and business partner, Felice get ready for her wedding to Josiah Gallagher. Felice’s mother is a force to be reckoned with and has orchestrated a wedding beyond anything that the bride and groom had wanted. Among the guests is Gallagher’s friend, Griff Bryant. Griff is Hollywood’s Golden Boy of the moment. He had been asked to do a reading as a part of the wedding ceremony. As the well-trained actor he was, he spoke from the heart without referring to any notes. He had the congregation in the palm of his hand when a burst of automatic gun fire filled the church. Kelley is ex-police and currently a private investigator. She immediately went into protection mode and tried to apprehend one of the gunmen. Griff grabbed the gun she was holding before she could stop the fugitive. A misunderstanding ensues and the story makes him to be the hero. There were so many law enforcement officers in attendance that the intended victim could have been anyone. The story is gripping and fast paced.
I would highly recommend this book as I would any of Emilie’s. I haven’t found a single book that she has written that I didn’t enjoy.

[Denise A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Amazing Book by Emilie Richards

I have to say that I love reading books by Emilie Richards. She creates great characters in each book. She also has great storylines that keep me interested throughout each book. Characters to make me laugh, cry, or want to cheer them on. I usually feel like they could be a friend of mine.
Twilight Shadows was no different. It begins with Kelly, a private investigator, being maid of honor in her co-worker’s wedding. Someone breaks up the event by opening fire on the guests. What a way to crash a wedding! Kelly is hired to protect a famous wedding guest, actor Griff Bryant. They soon discover that they are being followed and both their lives are turned upside down. Kelly learns that even though she was hired to protect this man, she struggles to keep everything professional when she starts to care for him and his daughter. I really enjoyed following along on their journey to discover who is after them and why. I felt like I was right there with them. I hope you enjoy reading this book just as much as I did!

[Terry Guerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second of Emilie Richards’ Palm Springs Confidential novels is just as exciting as the first one!
In the aftermath of the violent attack that put a stop to the Josiah Gallagher/Felice Cristy wedding, Josiah’s friend Griff Bryant and maid of honor Kelley Samuels are brought together to find out who is to blame for the incident. Griff is a well-known actor and Kelley is Felice’s partner at their private investigation firm. Kelley also happens to be a former child actor and a former police officer.
Felice nudges Kelley into moving in with Griff and his teenage daughter to protect them. She also takes a role in his current movie to be close to him. But as more attempts are made on their lives, just which one of them needs a bodyguard?
Griff has a few potential suspects who he’s worked with. Kelley can identify one of the armed men who was at the church. As they try to identify just who is behind the attempts, they both realize that just maybe their ideas for what the future may hold for them are the same.

[Delores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emilie Richards has once again proven that a story can be successfully edited for a second release—nearly three decades after being originally in print. The story easily fits into the current time period and is filled with all of the excellent writing style I expect from this author. It has likable, enjoyable characters, plenty of action, mystery and intrigue//from the shots fired at the wedding to the resolution that surprised me. Who is really the target? Why? How can everyone best be protected and how will relationships develop and change? Another page turner! The same high quality I have come to expect from this author’s current works.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am totally loving these older books that Emilie Richards is updating and re-releasing. Twilight Shadows is action packed and still very romantic. In it, Kelley and Griff are both attending a wedding when a shooter comes in. Not really knowing who is the target, the person in charge of Griff's current movie decides he needs a bodyguard. Since Kelley is a bodyguard, he picks her for the job. Griff's troubled daughter is supposed to be more comfortable with a woman.

As the attacks keep coming, will Kelley be able to keep a professional distance between them as the forced proximity continues?

I love Ms. Richards writing and these books are no exception. Her story telling is exceptional and keeps you flipping pages as fast as you can!

I was gifted a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

[Sallee · Rating 5 out of 5]

she’s still got it

I’ve been reading her novels since the beginning and the story-telling talent is still fine, fun, and sexy. I read the second in this series first and am into the first one now. Emilie writes with a quick wit that undercuts at just the right moment. This one doesn’t disappoint!

[Helen Gentry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fast-paced story. I very much enjoyed Emilie's expertise in her storyline. The characters kept me guessing and kept me in suspense all the way through. I liked the characters and the romance was fun to follow. I couldn't quit reading until I got to the end.

[SOMDReigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romantic suspense originally released in 1991, the story was edited to fit into the current time. It has likeable characters, action, and mystery. You can never go wrong with an Emilie Richards story and her story telling is wonderful and keeps you interested.

[Marti Mynatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Readable

The shadow books are a different style from her later books, but still very readable and intriguing. Give them a try. You won't be disappointed

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel to Desert Shadows! This book started with a bang at Felicia and Josiah's wedding and built from there. The twists while they are trying to figure out who was after Griff were great, it wasn't who I thought was responsible! I loved the interactions between Kelley and Griff, it was a great slow build romance story.

I received an ARC prior to publication and decided to voluntarily review it.