Book Review: Matters of Seduction

Author: Amanda Stevens
Title: Matters Of Seduction
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue
Publish Date: May 2005
Rating: 4 Stars
Book Blurb: Special Agent Prudence Dunlop was anxious to leave her desk job and get out in the field, but her all-too-handsome boss, John Cahill, denied each request she made. So when the opportunity to catch a cunning serial killer arose, Pru would do anything to prove herself. She'd even strip off her plain Jane persona and pose as a seductive temptress in the hopes of luring out the murderer. Instead, she unleashed an even more dangerous scenario between her and her boss. Though taking on the elusive killer threatened her life, would falling in love with John be the greatest risk of all?

MATCHMAKERS UNDERGROUND
Coincidences... Chance encounters...
It's what one Houston, Texas, firm specializes in. Who knows what lies around the next corner?

Review: This book was hands down the best intrigue I've read in a very long time. I don't usually read from this line because all the plots are the same. PI or cop is trying to save girl (and usually baby) from some evil guy trying to kill her or kidnap her child. They never used to be that way, but lately the stories have been bland. This one from 2005 was anything but.

The romance was really toned down so there was more to the actual mystery, which involved someone the FBI thought was a "surrogate" serial killer. John and Pru work for a special ops type of group that deals with serial killers.

The thing that bugged me the most was how inaccurate the book blurb was. Yes, Pru posed as a the exact type of woman the killer was looking for, but it wasn't until the last 20 pages and there was so much more to this story than that. It really read like a good episode of Criminal Minds or NCIS only with a newbie on the team that has a crush on the boss.

I only wish the relationship aspect wasn't in this one. Not because I didn't want Pru and John to be together, but because it felt so secondary to the story that it was almost a distraction.

The best thing about this book? You won't guess who did it which is really amazing considering it is a Harlequin Intrigue.