Download Ebook Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul
This is not around just how much this book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul prices; it is not also about just what kind of publication you truly like to check out. It is for exactly what you could take as well as get from reading this Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul You could choose to decide on other book; however, it does not matter if you try to make this book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul as your reading choice. You will not regret it. This soft documents book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul can be your excellent close friend regardless.
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul
Download Ebook Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul
Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul Just how a basic concept by reading can improve you to be an effective individual? Reading Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul is a quite simple activity. However, just how can lots of people be so lazy to read? They will like to invest their spare time to chatting or socializing. When actually, checking out Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul will offer you a lot more opportunities to be effective completed with the efforts.
Why ought to be this e-book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul to check out? You will certainly never ever obtain the expertise and encounter without managing on your own there or attempting on your own to do it. Hence, reviewing this e-book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul is required. You could be great and appropriate sufficient to obtain just how vital is reviewing this Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul Also you always review by responsibility, you can support yourself to have reading e-book behavior. It will certainly be so useful as well as fun after that.
But, just how is the method to obtain this publication Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul Still puzzled? It matters not. You could appreciate reading this e-book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul by on the internet or soft data. Simply download the e-book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul in the link offered to check out. You will obtain this Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul by online. After downloading and install, you can save the soft documents in your computer or kitchen appliance. So, it will reduce you to read this book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul in certain time or area. It may be uncertain to appreciate reviewing this publication Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul, since you have lots of work. However, with this soft file, you can delight in checking out in the leisure even in the voids of your works in office.
Once again, reading practice will always give beneficial advantages for you. You could not should spend several times to review the book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul Just reserved numerous times in our extra or free times while having meal or in your workplace to read. This Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul will certainly show you brand-new thing that you could do now. It will aid you to improve the top quality of your life. Occasion it is merely a fun e-book Shades Of Passion (Hqn), By Virna DePaul, you could be happier and much more fun to appreciate reading.
Shades of the Past
Detective Simon Granger has devoted his life to solving high-risk cases, and he's vowed never again to get involved with a woman whose work is equally as dangerous. But when the Special Investigations Group teams him with a beautiful psychiatrist, his resolve is shattered by the tense and emotionally charged partnership….
Shades of Intrigue
Determined to outrun the grief over her sister's death, Dr. Nina Whitaker reluctantly agrees to use her training to help the police. Despite Detective Granger's disdain for her profession, she believes she can change his mind. But then a grieving father begins a deadly game of revenge, threatening Nina's life, challenging her beliefs and drawing Nina and Simon together in an explosive endgame of intrigue…and unstoppable passion.
Shades of Passion…
- Sales Rank: #794836 in eBooks
- Published on: 2013-04-01
- Released on: 2013-03-26
- Format: Kindle eBook
Review
"Sexy, page-turning excitement!" -New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster on Shades of Desire
About the Author
VIRNA DEPAUL was an English major in college who somehow ended up with a law degree. For ten years, she was a criminal prosecutor for the state of CA. Now, she’s thrilled to be writing stories about complex individuals who overcome incredible odds for love. A national bestselling author, Virna’s blessed to write for HQN and Harlequin’s Romantic Suspense line. Virna also writes paranormal romantic suspense. She loves to hear from readers at www.virnadepaul.com.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Simon Granger's father had always measured a man's worth by his ability to man up. Didn't matter how tired or angry or sick or sad he was—a man did what he had to. Otherwise, he was worthless. No, less than worthless. He was nothing but a bag of bones taking up space.
That's why, the day after his ex-girlfriend Lana Hudson was murdered by a serial killer, Simon showed up for work just like always.
Now, six months later, he still worked. He testified in court. Occasionally he even socialized with the other members of the Special Investigations Group, a division of the California Department of Justice.
He did what he had to. No complaints. No excuses.
But this…
This was harder. Much harder. So hard that he'd put it off.
So hard that he wasn't sure he could actually do it. But his father's voice prodded him.
Don't be a wuss, Simon. All that counts in this world is a man's actions. Do the right thing and it doesn't matter what you feel. You, the man, what you do—that's what counts. That's what's real.
As usual, playing back his father's words spurred him into action. This time, he didn't stop until he stood by the grave site. He studied it with an odd combination of regret and relief.
It was in a good spot, in the shadow of a willow tree, covered with the thick green lawn that sprawled across the cemetery grounds. The place emanated peace. He could almost feel Lana standing beside him, her hand on his shoulder, a soft smile on her face as she thanked him for coming.
The gravestone suited her. It was polished. An elegant marbleized cream. The epitaph, however, made him flinch. Underneath her birth and death dates, it read:
Lana Hudson Beloved Daughter Taken by a Soul in Pain but One Better for Having Met Her
He wanted to wipe out any mention of the "soul" that had taken Lana from them. It seemed obscene that a tribute to Lana's life would include any mention of the man who'd killed her. But the epitaph hadn't been his call. As a man Lana had briefly dated, Simon had no right to override her parents' wishes. That was especially true given he couldn't dispute the epitaph's overall message—that Lana had blessed every life she'd touched, no matter how dark that life had been.
"Hi, Lana. Sorry it's taken me so long to visit. Things have been busy at work and…" He cringed, imagining how Lana would have called him out for his lameness if she'd still been alive. "Yeah. Well, you know why I haven't come by. I was pissed as hell at you. I—I still am. But I loved you, babe. And I miss you. I couldn't let another day go by without telling you that."
A faint breeze encircled him and he closed his eyes, imagining her arms holding him close. They'd fought before she'd been killed. Fought because she'd taken risks to help a criminal and Simon hadn't approved. Hadn't understood. He still didn't.
But that didn't matter. Not anymore.
Lana was gone. She'd taken part of Simon's heart with her. Without it, there was no joy in life. No hope for it.
Still, he'd do what he had to. He'd do his job.
Whether he did it from a desk or on the streets, he'd do his part to make sure that men like the one who killed Lana got what they deserved. A fast-track ticket to hell.
The breeze that had wound around him suddenly stopped, and he heard its absence as a sigh of disappointment. He imagined Lana's voice chiding him. Urging him to be compassionate. To understand that not all killers were evil. That bad things sometimes happened due to pain, not hate.
As he always did, Simon tried to hear the truth behind her words. But he couldn't. Like the soul immortalized in her epitaph, he was better for having met Lana. Yet even she hadn't been able to work miracles.
Crouching, he placed the flowers he'd brought against her tombstone.
And as he walked away, he was bleakly aware that he hadn't felt that gentle breeze again.
Two days later, Simon sat on a wooden bench in the foyer of the Welcome Home homeless shelter in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, waiting for the director, Elaina Scott, to come out of a meeting. To pass the time, he opened the file he held, reviewing what he knew about the victim, a previous resident of the shelter.
It wasn't much.
Three days ago, Louis Cann had been stabbed to death in Golden Gate Park. Normally, the homicide would have been handled by the San Francisco Police Department. In fact, SFPD had already conducted most of the preliminary investigation. Yesterday, however, things had changed. And that was putting it mildly, Simon thought with a mental snort. Now, a prostitute named Rita Taylor claimed she'd seen Cann's killer walking away from the crime scene—wearing a patrol cop's uniform.
Talk about a conflict of interest.
Which was why SIG had been assigned the case. SIG was the state equivalent of the FBI, with jurisdiction over every law enforcement agency in California. The team of five special agents assisted with some of the most complex investigations, but one of their primary duties was to handle cases that other agencies couldn't due to some kind of conflict.
Unfortunately, even with the preliminary work conducted by SFPD, the meager contents of the file Simon held were just that. In addition to Rita Taylor's statement, he knew the victim's identity and that Cann had often stayed at Welcome Home. He also knew that Cann had once served in the military, that he'd fought in Desert Storm and that at the end of his tour he'd managed a fast-food restaurant. Within a year, he'd been living on the streets. He'd been doing so for over ten years and would probably have continued right on doing so if he hadn't been killed.
He didn't have a record of significant problems with the police, and the few volunteers and street people that had known him had denied knowledge of anyone wanting to hurt him. In fact, every person that had been interviewed had said the same thing: Cann kept to himself. He didn't have friends. He didn't want them. He talked to no one. Who would want to kill someone like that, especially when that person had nothing worth stealing?
In other words, everything in Simon's file amounted to a major dead end.
There was no reason to believe that interviewing the shelter director would result in anything new, but this was his case now and Simon wanted to make sure nothing important had been overlooked the first time around. After he was done here, he'd reinterview Rita Taylor, check with SFPD about patrol officers on duty near Golden Gate Park three days ago and then spend the next few days conducting even more interviews—of patrol officers, park vendors or other employees who might have been in a position to see anything, and anyone else he could think of. A whole lot of legwork for what was probably not going to be a lot of payoff.
Didn't matter. His job was to pursue every lead, weak as it may be, and that's what he was going to do.
He flipped through the crime scene photos, settling on the close-up shot of the Semper Fi tattoo on Cann's left biceps. He couldn't help thinking how pathetic it was that Cann, a man who'd once served his country, had ended up living on the streets. Dirty. Wizened.
Dead.
Bags of bones taking up space.
It's what Simon's father would have said if he was here. And despite knowing it was wrong—or at the very least, politically incorrect—Simon would have had to agree with him. He wasn't exactly proud of his thoughts, but he wasn't a fraud and he wasn't a liar, either. While it was true that justice should be blind, that didn't mean it had to be ignorant, too. Even so, any personal feelings he might harbor about individual weakness didn't affect the way Simon did his job.
Simon sought justice for a lot of people and that included the ones he didn't necessarily like, as well as the ones he'd privately characterize as weak. To Simon's way of thinking, homelessness was the ultimate sign of weakness. Criminals were weak, too, but at least criminals still fought for something, even if it was something selfish or depraved. The homeless no longer fought for anything, even their own dignity.
Or did they?
Had Cann fought for his life in the end?
If so, they'd found no evidence of it. No defensive wounds to indicate he'd resisted his attacker. Which meant he'd most likely been taken unawares. Even the expression on his face at the time his body had been found suggested it. He looked slightly surprised. As if he couldn't quite believe what had happened to him. But in that startled gaze, Simon saw something else. An unspoken plea for justice. A haunted yearning for Simon to find his killer.
That desperate, desolate expression was something Simon had long ago become familiar with. He'd seen the same expression on the faces of every murder victim he'd ever encountered. He'd even seen it on Lana's face, too, he thought grimly, blinking rapidly to drive the disturbing memory away.
And damn it, he didn't want to see it anymore.
Not like that. Not like this, he thought as he shut the file with a snap.
Hopefully he wouldn't have to. Not once he closed this case, anyway.
Visiting Lana's grave had helped him make the decision he'd been struggling with.
He couldn't do this much longer. One way or another, Simon's days of working the streets were coming to an end. His choices were either early retirement or a move to management, and despite everything, he wasn't ready to leave the job altogether. Then again, he could always do private security. A lot of former cops did, including Lana's father, and they made an extremely good living doing it, too. Gil Archer had made it clear that Simon could work for him anytime he wanted, but Simon wanted balance. Off the streets but not completely off the streets. That left management, only this time—unlike eight months ago, when he'd walked away from a captain position because it hadn't been exciting enough—he'd have to make it stick. If he could convince the brass to give him another shot, that is.
Understandably, Commander Stevens was reluctant to stick his neck out for Simon again, especially when so many other qualified applicants were jonesing for a cushier gig with increased pay. Still, Simon figured if he solved this case, Stevens would owe him big-time. Hell, the mayor would probably be so grateful he'd speed the promotion along, cutting through all the civil service bureaucratic red tape Simon had had to navigate last time.
Unfortunately, closing this case wasn't exactly going to be a walk in the park. So far, they'd managed to keep Rita Taylor's accusations locked down, but that wasn't going to last long. While he was trying to win over Stevens and the mayor, Simon's actions would be scrutinized like crazy—by a public wanting to make sure a guilty cop didn't get away with murder, and by his fellow officers who'd be judging his loyalty and his ability to protect one of his own. And that wasn't even counting the press. The minute Rita Taylor's statement got leaked, the higher-ups would have a shitload of reporters riding their asses.
And that meant they'd be riding Simon's ass, too.
Hard.
A homeless man—a homeless ex-marine—dead. The only suspect a possible cop.
Things weren't looking good for a city that was already suffering negative publicity from recent police encounters with the homeless. Simon's involvement would either make him a scapegoat or a hero. It was up to him to make sure the latter occurred.
A minute later, a sound made him look up.
A bewhiskered man wearing a filthy khaki jacket and equally dirty green-and-white-checkered golf pants made his way down the hall, coming toward him, placing each foot in front of the other equidistance, murmuring numbers to himself. After a moment, Simon realized the man was counting steps, making certain not to step on the black tiles and only stepping on the white ones. Even with twenty feet between them, the man stank—the perpetual stench of homelessness.
Each city's homeless had a particular odor. New York's stank of the subway—engine grease and urine. In San Francisco, the pungent odor that surrounded the homeless had a different scent—urine and pine. Probably because so many hung out in Golden Gate Park, and despite what had happened to Cann, that wasn't likely to change.
The man drew closer and Simon wanted to pull back, away from the increasing wave of stench, but the slats of the bench kept him trapped. When the man reached Simon, he stopped walking. Stopped counting. As if waiting for something. But what?
At first, Simon thought the guy had made him for a cop. That he was going to ask him a question. Maybe even share something about Cann. But then…
Oh, hell.
Simon lifted his foot from the white tile.
"Forty-two," the man murmured as he stepped on the tile, then continued walking and counting, reaching fifty before opening the outer door and leaving the building.
After the man left, Simon stood to stretch his legs and scanned a large bulletin board on the wall. It was covered with flyers announcing everything from AA meetings to pleas for volunteers to an upcoming fund-raising gala to benefit the mentally ill. The price of admission? Four hundred dollars a plate. It was being put on by the San Francisco Golf Club and Simon had seen the same flyer before—at work. The event would be attended by some of the city's wealthiest philanthropists and politicians, and Commander Stevens had mentioned that with all the bad PR the police had been receiving lately, the mayor wanted a few officers to sit at his table. Free of charge, of course, but Simon still wondered how many volunteers Stevens had managed to line up. Most cops Simon knew, Simon included, would hate putting on a monkey suit and rubbing elbows with a bunch of socialites, even if it was for a good cause. But because Simon wanted Stevens and the mayor on his side come hiring time, because he wanted that captain position, he'd volunteered anyway.
Still, something about seeing the fundraising flyer here—in a homeless shelter, for God's sake—bothered him. It didn't take a genius to figure out why. Hell, the residents who stayed here could probably live a year on the cost of one night's admission to the gala. Even worse, most of the money raised wouldn't go directly to places like this shelter, but toward providing a bunch of rich people a gourmet meal and a night's entertainment.
It just seemed wrong somehow. But, he reminded himself, it was a good cause and the homeless would benefit to some degree. It wouldn't make a bit of difference in the grand scheme of things, of course, but—
The door next to the bulletin board opened and a pretty Asian woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties stepped out. Wearing a skirt and an ivory blazer, she looked as overdressed in these surroundings as Simon did in his slacks, button-down shirt and suit jacket. She smiled, nodded at Simon, then walked away.
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Thrilling mystery/suspense
By k.c. quinn
This is a well written, intricately plotted mystery/suspense/thriller with just enough romance to keep things interesting. I loved the h/h, both of them have sadness and loss in their backgrounds but when they meet the sparks fly and the fun begins. The mystery aspect of this novel is very well done and there is enough misdirection that the reader is hard pressed to solve the puzzle before the end of the story. If you like a heart pounding nonstop pace in your thrillers and some pretty hot sex, with a side order of mystery and intrigue, this is one you will thoroughly enjoy as I did.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
An excellent romantic suspense novel
By Under The Covers Book Blog
~Reviewed by ANGELA & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog
"Ms. Depaul did not disappoint, she delivered another excellent romantic suspense novel. Shades of Passion is a great addition to the SIG series." ~Under The Covers
Ms. Depaul did not disappoint, she delivered another excellent romantic suspense novel. Shades of Passion is a great addition to the SIG series.
Detective Simon Granger and Dr. Nina Whitaker both had tragic losses that were related to mental illness. Unfortunately, their points of views are from opposite sides. Nina has devoted her life to helping the mentally ill with a focus on educating the police departments. Due to the loss of her sister and a patient, she had vowed to stay away from that part of her life and decided to do something else. Unfortunately, even with her move to San Francisco, some things are just unavoidable. On the opposite end, Simon is the old dog who refuses to learn new things. Because of his past, his stereotype of any criminals is set in stone. Fate has it in for them because they will have to work together on that very matter. When Nina's life is threatened Simon will have to trust his instincts to save her. It will be complicated, it will be intense and it will be a matter of life and death. But in the end, their biggest challenge will be trust.
I really enjoyed this novel. The suspense kept me guessing until the end. Simon and Nina were awesome and sexy together. Simon is a very sexy, very dedicated detective.....and yes, I had to mention that he is sexy because, well, he just is. I thought Simon has the that "cop" persona of wanting to save everyone, an alpha to the bone. Nina is also strong minded. She is smart and she is a heroine that thrives on independence. I loved that about her. Cameos of the characters from the past book was of course a good treat. I'm guessing Demarco's story will be next. There was quite a build up on his character in this book. I can't wait to see what is eating at him and I am excited to meet the heroine who will pull him out of the edge of breakdown.
*ARC provided by publisher
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
A- rating.....
By Smitten with Reading
My Review:
This is a book that kept me guessing all the way through. At first, I wondered how in the world Virna DePaul was going to turn it into a romantic novel when the hero was so torn up about his former girlfriend's death, but then the last half of the novel was spent trying to figure out who in the world was the bad guy...btw, I never did figure it out until it was revealed in the novel. This book is a great romantic suspense. All the clues are there, but I was NEVER able to piece it all together because they were woven so beautifully into the story.
And what a story it is. Simon is part of the SIG team. Last year, his ex-girlfriend, Lana, was murdered in one of the other books from this series. It was shocking and horrifying, both to me as a reader and to Simon, the fictional character (I know, I know....but they are real to me...hehe). Her death was devastating to him because even though they broke up, he still loved her. This book takes place six (or maybe eight...I can't remember) months later and he's still having issues dealing with her death.
Then he meets Nina, a woman who is very similar to Lana in both her career and looks. For the first time in a long time, Simon feels the draw to another woman. BUT, and this is a big but, the exact same issues that Simon had with Lana about her career are there between him and Nina too. He does not understand the mental field and how doctor's can justify their patient's actions based upon mental state...in his cop's eyes, hurting someone else is wrong, no matter what the reason.
This is really just a masterfully woven story. Both Simon and Nina are complex characters. They both have their very real issues. Add to that: a serial killer who obviously has his own mental difficulties, several grieving souls, a new program for the police department to help them identify suspects with mental difficulties, and another cop on the verge of completely losing it... It really does weave in and out to keep you guessing. All the way through the book, I completely kept changing my mind about who was the real guilty party. I love a book that keeps me guessing like that.
Then there is the romantic story between Simon and Nina. Even though I didn't think I was going to be able to buy into it at first, Virna DePaul convinced me. They were a great couple with incredible chemistry. I loved how Simon transitioned and grew through this book. Nina had to face her own demons too. Constantly, the characters in this book were having to take a step back to take a good mental look at where they were. I loved that and the whole psychological aspect to it. It made for really interesting and entertaining reading.
I continue to love this series and the team from SIG. I cannot wait to read DeMarco's story. My heart hurt so much for him in this book....I want to see him in a happy place.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul PDF
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul EPub
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul Doc
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul iBooks
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul rtf
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul Mobipocket
Shades of Passion (Hqn), by Virna DePaul Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar