Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Review: Epiphany (anthology) by Rita Herron, Mallory Kane, Debra Webb

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Title: Epiphany
Author: Rita Herron, Mallory Kane, Debra Webb

Read copy: eBook
Published: November 1, 2005
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 1552543730
ISBN-13: 9781552543733

These three stories are set in Atlanta, Georgia and are loosely connected via cops who work in the same police precinct. Each cop is on a mission to rid the streets of crime during the holiday season. The stories are all holiday geared and the authors came up with the idea of doing a chronological Christmas countdown, (i.e. book #1 takes place three weeks before Christmas, book #2 two weeks and book #3 the week prior to and leading up to Christmas).

Story #1—AN ANGEL FOR CHRISTMAS by Rita Herron is a witness protection/child in jeopardy story featuring a jaded cop who must protect a child who witnessed his mother's murder. The heroine is the boy's aunt/guardian and passion ignited when she bands together with the hero to protect her nephew and bring her sister's killer to justice.

Story #2—UNDERCOVER SANTA by Debra Webb features a cop who is assigned undercover surveillance of a jewelry shop that is the next likely target of the "House Call Murders"—robbery/murder by criminals who strike around Christmas time. The hero poses as Santa in the heroine's prestigious jewelry store to try to catch the killers.

Story #3—MERRY'S CHRISTMAS by Mallory Kane is a woman in jeopardy story featuring a brooding cop who is assigned to guard the very pregnant widow who is the latest target of the deranged "Widow Maker" serial killer.

My rating:

This could've been a great collection of stories, but unfortunately it isn’t so. Three stories firmly connected in theme – Christmas and damsel in distress, and flimsily connected by the leading men, Detectives, working for the Atlanta PD. The suspense was good, the writing was also good, the said leading men were drool-worthy and though two were real Scrooges, they had valid reasons for being so…

The first to major problems were the first two damsels in distress. One was silly and just plain annoying – if the kid says “no Santa!” he has a reason, don’t push him just because you’re selfish and ridden by guilt. The other was a bossy snob and control-freak with so many issues is made my teeth ache.
The third problem was the heavy amount of suspension of disbelief needed to digest the third. It took one night for her to almost die, deliver a baby, and fall in love with the man she’s met that same night. And he fell in love with her as well. Whah?!

This collection was good, it just wasn’t great. Sadly.

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