What do you think?
Rate this book
For Love Or Money
Everything about the case was odd.
With no enemies and no money, a motive for the murder of heiress Joni Wilson could not be established. And when Detective Samantha Turner sought information from Joni's loyal, trusted friends, those bastions of L.A. society stonewalled her. Were Joni's friends protecting a murderer? Or protecting the reputation of an heiress who'd apparently squandered a twenty-million-dollar estate?
Scotty Lawrence was more than just a private investigator -- he was the man who'd captured Sam's heart. But he brought an additional mystery to the case. He had reason to believe that, days before the murder, his office had unwittingly supplied Joni Wilson with a false identity. The solution to the Wilson case? As Sam and Scotty would discover, that was the oddest part of all.
With no enemies and no money, a motive for the murder of heiress Joni Wilson could not be established. And when Detective Samantha Turner sought information from Joni's loyal, trusted friends, those bastions of L.A. society stonewalled her. Were Joni's friends protecting a murderer? Or protecting the reputation of an heiress who'd apparently squandered a twenty-million-dollar estate?
Scotty Lawrence was more than just a private investigator -- he was the man who'd captured Sam's heart. But he brought an additional mystery to the case. He had reason to believe that, days before the murder, his office had unwittingly supplied Joni Wilson with a false identity. The solution to the Wilson case? As Sam and Scotty would discover, that was the oddest part of all.
256 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1988
6 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Rodgers
40 books4 followersM.J. was one of those lucky children whose mother read to her every night, filling her imagination with the magic of brave heroes and smart heroines overcoming adversity to ensure their own happy endings. From as early as she can remember she wanted to be a writer so she could give readers that same kind of pleasure that had been given to her by the creators of those wonderful stories.
But M.J. is very practical. She knew how few struggling writers were ever published—and how few of the published could support themselves by writing alone. She also understood that the best writers had extensive life experience that made their stories rich with meaning. So she set aside her dream of becoming a writer and focused instead on working hard to get the kind of education that would lead to a good job and lots of that important life experience.
She attended Pepperdine University at Malibu, California, graduating summa cum laude with degrees in psychology and journalism. She received her MBA from St. Mary's college in Moraga, California. She held managerial positions in several corporations and traveled extensively throughout the world. The work was exciting and demanding; the people she met were intelligent and stimulating; the life experiences were invaluable.
Yet despite all the years that had passed and the outward trappings of success that had been achieved, the dream of being a writer had never left her. And no wonder. The most important message in all those wonderful books her mother had read to her as a child—and she had continued to enjoy as an adult—was that happiness meant going for your dreams. She was now ready to go for hers.
She gave up her high-powered job in the corporate world and turned her attention to writing romantic mysteries for Harlequin. But she was glad she'd waited until the timing was just right. Because to have tried to write before she could give it her best would have been a mistake.
M.J. is the winner of the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for romantic mysteries, twice winner of their Best Intrigue award and a recipient of their Reviewers Choice Award for Best Miniseries Romance. She is also a winner of B. Dalton Bookseller's top-selling intrigue award.
She lives with her wonderful husband, adorable cat and two loving dogs in a tiny community in the terrific Pacific Northwest until the winter, when they realize it isn't so terrific and relocate to sunny southern Nevada.
M.J. loves to hear from readers. During the winter, she gets her mail at P.O. Box 786, Overton, NV, 89040. Come spring, she can be reached at P.O. Box 284, Seabeck, WA, 98380. Or email her year-round at mjuniverse@yahoo.com.
But M.J. is very practical. She knew how few struggling writers were ever published—and how few of the published could support themselves by writing alone. She also understood that the best writers had extensive life experience that made their stories rich with meaning. So she set aside her dream of becoming a writer and focused instead on working hard to get the kind of education that would lead to a good job and lots of that important life experience.
She attended Pepperdine University at Malibu, California, graduating summa cum laude with degrees in psychology and journalism. She received her MBA from St. Mary's college in Moraga, California. She held managerial positions in several corporations and traveled extensively throughout the world. The work was exciting and demanding; the people she met were intelligent and stimulating; the life experiences were invaluable.
Yet despite all the years that had passed and the outward trappings of success that had been achieved, the dream of being a writer had never left her. And no wonder. The most important message in all those wonderful books her mother had read to her as a child—and she had continued to enjoy as an adult—was that happiness meant going for your dreams. She was now ready to go for hers.
She gave up her high-powered job in the corporate world and turned her attention to writing romantic mysteries for Harlequin. But she was glad she'd waited until the timing was just right. Because to have tried to write before she could give it her best would have been a mistake.
M.J. is the winner of the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for romantic mysteries, twice winner of their Best Intrigue award and a recipient of their Reviewers Choice Award for Best Miniseries Romance. She is also a winner of B. Dalton Bookseller's top-selling intrigue award.
She lives with her wonderful husband, adorable cat and two loving dogs in a tiny community in the terrific Pacific Northwest until the winter, when they realize it isn't so terrific and relocate to sunny southern Nevada.
M.J. loves to hear from readers. During the winter, she gets her mail at P.O. Box 786, Overton, NV, 89040. Come spring, she can be reached at P.O. Box 284, Seabeck, WA, 98380. Or email her year-round at mjuniverse@yahoo.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 2, 2014
I first discovered M. J. Rodgers when I read the light romance, CRADLE AND ALL back in 2010. It was part of the Cooper's Corner series but I remember having some issues with the storyline; it contained some highly unbelievable moments. I rated it two stars for OK; I think I was expecting more from the higher ratings but was disenchanted instead.
Then I found BONES OF CONTENTION. Even though it was written more than ten years earlier than CAA, it contained more believability and I found the plot interesting. It contained some light suspense though I found the romance was somewhat lacking.
FOR LOVE OR MONEY turned out to be Ms. Rodgers first published story. It was originally published in 1988; beware, it does have some datedness. The heroine was a police detective and the hero was a former cop-turned-private investigator. The title of the book was a play on words referring to our hero, Scotty Lawrence, and the choice he needs to make: earn and win Samantha Turner's love or make a sizable portion of money by completing an assigned job for an insurance company. The choice was his.
This story was the strongest of the three that I have read. I was disappointed because, again, the romantic aspect felt somewhat flat. There was a connection but very little passion. The secondary characters and what they did filled in the holes. The mystery was much stronger and this made up for the story's weaker areas. There were plenty of twists and turns. This light but older contemporary romance earned a solid three stars.
Then I found BONES OF CONTENTION. Even though it was written more than ten years earlier than CAA, it contained more believability and I found the plot interesting. It contained some light suspense though I found the romance was somewhat lacking.
FOR LOVE OR MONEY turned out to be Ms. Rodgers first published story. It was originally published in 1988; beware, it does have some datedness. The heroine was a police detective and the hero was a former cop-turned-private investigator. The title of the book was a play on words referring to our hero, Scotty Lawrence, and the choice he needs to make: earn and win Samantha Turner's love or make a sizable portion of money by completing an assigned job for an insurance company. The choice was his.
This story was the strongest of the three that I have read. I was disappointed because, again, the romantic aspect felt somewhat flat. There was a connection but very little passion. The secondary characters and what they did filled in the holes. The mystery was much stronger and this made up for the story's weaker areas. There were plenty of twists and turns. This light but older contemporary romance earned a solid three stars.
Displaying 1 of 1 review