Blue Smoke and Murder Elizabeth Lowell Morrow

Billed as romantic suspense, Elizabeth Lowell's Blue Smoke and Murder provides both in satisfactory proportions. Jill Breck is feisty, independent and intelligent. She's a lot like the Breck women before her.

Jill, despite her three college degrees works guiding rafts down the Colorado. She saves the life of the son of one St.Kilda's, a security firm, chief agents. Promised anything security-related as a result, Jill doesn't feel she'll ever have to take up the offer until her aunt dies under unusual circumstances and Jill inherits thirteen paintings. The paintings are potentially, extremely valuable and Jill's life is threatened. She calls in the favor and within hours Zach Balfour appears at her door. Zach and Jill hit it off in more ways than one and their search for who destroyed one of the paintings and killed her aunt keeps them in close proximity and under constant threat. The tension builds nicely as does the romance. Though not what I read on a regular basis, I found Blue Smoke and Murder pleasant, diverting fun. Those who enjoy art related mysteries, and novels with well rounded female leads should look into Blue Smoke and Murder as well as Elizabeth Lowell's other works.

Dave Biemann