Devious

Author: Lisa Jackson
Publisher: Kensington April 2011 (Audio book by Brilliance Audio)

The crime scene at St. Marguerite’s cathedral in New Orleans is shocking, even to seasoned detectives like Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya. A novice nun named Sister Camille has been found dressed in a yellowed bridal gown and viciously garroted, her body covered with an altar cloth.

Valerie Houston is devastated by her sister’s death. For weeks, she’d begged Camille to leave St. Marguerite’s, where she seemed determined to live as some kind of martyr. But Camille had a knack for making bad choices — she joined the convent in part because she’d fallen for Val’s soon-to-be ex-husband, Slade.

Convinced the police aren’t doing enough, Val begins to investigate. Slade, on a mission to repair their marriage, is determined to help her. But the deeper Val’s inquiries go, the more twisted the case becomes. St. Marguerite’s is far from the tranquil retreat many believe, and everyone, from handsome Father Frank O’Toole to the mysterious Mother Superior, has their own agenda. Despite their closeness, even Camille had a hidden life Val never suspected. But someone knew about Camille’s past — and Val’s, too. Now she has no choice but to catch a devious, depraved killer intent on purging St. Marguerite’s of all its sins — before she becomes the next victim…

Devious is the latest "Bentz & Montoya" romantic suspense that came out in the spring. I am a big fan of this series, so I was happy when I was finally able to get the audio of this one from the library. I loved it! Despite the length of the book, it went rather quickly and I was never bored with it. The killer was hard to pin down and I was a bit surprised in the end. The epilogue leaves the reader hanging with a sort of cliffhanger. I hope it is resolved in the next book.

Val and Slade were great together. It was refreshing to have a couple that actually has a past together find their way back to each other. Ms. Jackson also gives us glimpses of both Montoya's and Bentz's marriages. I always love follow-ups with past characters to see how their HEA's are holding up. My only complaint was that I wanted more of Cruz Montoya and Lucia. I felt like I was given a tiny taste of how they could be together. Hopefully, we will see them again in the future!

I definitely recommend this one, especially if you have been reading the series from the start. The audio is read by Joyce Bean, another of my favorite narrators. Pick it up, you won't be sorry!

--Kari