Dark Summer

by Iris Johansen.

St. Martin's paperback, 357 pages. 2008.
Contemporary. Nevada and etc.


he singlehandedly helps all, even tho vastly outnumbered.

 

"Casper brayed in the paddock.

God in heaven, what was she doing? She drew a shaky breath and pushed him away. 'This doesn't make any sense.'

'No.' He smiled recklessly. 'Let's do it anyway.'

She shook her head. 'I don't do one-night stands.' She took a step back. 'I'm not one of those town girls you used to take up to Paco's cave. I'm boring conventional.'

He tilted his head and gazed at her. 'Your cheeks are flushed, and you're still shaking. You're as hot for me as I am for you. I could probably persuade you.'

'Maybe.' She stared him in the eye. 'But you said you wanted to take care of me, protect me. Is screwing ne how you'd go about it?'

His smile faded. 'Low blow. Can't I do both?'

For a moment she could almost see the reckless, hungry kid who wanted the whole world and tried to devour it. 'No, you can't do either.' She took a deep breath. 'I'm trying to come out of this with as few scars as possible.  Don't make another move on me, Marrok.'

'No promises. I still think a roll in the hay would be therapeutic for both of us. Besides the fact that I get hot every time I look at you, and I need it like hell.' He paused. 'But I'll wait until the move is a little more welcome.' He turned away. 'I'll let you go back to the house alone. We're both still in the zone. I'm no good with restraint.' He suddenly looked back at her. 'It was the damn donkey, wasn't it? I almost had you until he cut loose.'

'Yes, it was Casper.'

He shook his head. I never did like donkeys.'"

On a search and rescue mission far from home, Devon Brady meets Jude Marrok when he brings his dog, Ned, to the veterinarian for removal of a bullet. He hunts down the assailant and leaves Ned with her until he can retrieve him later.

Back in the states, days later, her office is attacked and all killed while her ranch is burnt to the ground. However, Marrok has sent someone ahead of him to rescue all the animals at the farm and get the people who are there, as well as Devon, safely awa. For he has anticipated this. He then deals with the bad guys.

Devon Brady and her people and animals are all transferred to Marrok's secret ranch in Nevada where security is tight. Finally, questions are answered. Marrok works for a private agency as an assassin and has been guarding four special dogs which hold the secret of longevity. They, in turn, transfer their special powers onto others just by staying with them. Someone wants to kill those dogs to get the answers of what it is in the dogs DNA that makes this happen. Greed is the motivation. Marrok is determined to protect these valuable dogs. He and Devon, no submissive female, find their attraction for one another almost too much to ignore. And there is more than one secret and more than one enemy.

Johansen adds a little paranormal to this intense mystery. People die and more questions arrive as fast as answers are found. This all makes it almost impossible to set the book down. You don't have to be a dog lover to love this book. Their special abilities are awesome. The sexual tension between Devon and Marrok makes it interesting. And who is what and why keeps you in great suspense. It's not a simple plot, but a good one. Only brought down a rating because of a few things like convoluted thinking at times and a having a working refrigerator in a cave.

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