BOOK REVIEW: A Stranger's Touch by Cait London

Due to the fact that I have begun to run out of books to read (the horror!), I decided to open my mind up to other authors. While I was in the used bookstore on my last trade-in, this one by Cait London caught my eye, mainly because I had seen Cait London's work on books in other genres, and I was wondering if, like most of the authors I have read, she's got a Main Talent and pretty much just applies the template, or if she has a genuine separation. I figured I might need to read more than one book of hers to make that distinction.

Alas, but no. Her characters are right out of the pages of a bodice-ripper: cheesy names (Tempest Bartel, who changes it to Tempest Storm to make herself less visible!), excessive brooding, melodramatic dialogue, and enough breadcrumbs to lead you to the killer with enouch red herrings to make you annoyed at the side plots. Her characters sometimes do improbable things, as when the hero fires the loyal family retainer because she was secretly in love with his mother (yes, that really happens in this book, all of it).

So no, I did not need to read another one of her books to see if this genre is her first love. I do wonder however, if maybe a change of venue might complement her style more. She is, at the very least, imaginative and a good solid writer. The plot was well-crafted and some key issues were handled very deftly. The chemistry between the hero and the heroine was good and believable. The writing was not so much bad as the book itself was an historical fiction disguised as a thriller. Like the emperor's new clothes, they just didn't suit well.

For people who love her historical fiction, this book may very well be an interesting segue. For the rest of the population, I give it 2 packs of Dunhills and pound of Maxwell House.