These Violent Delights

February 13, 2012
The forthcoming 20th anniversary reunion of the cast of the classic film Tristan and Isolde in the U.K. provides the backdrop for Linnéa’s extravagantly romantic first in a new movie mystery series. The three leads—brilliant actor/director Pierce Hall as King Mark, young star Peter Dalton as Tristan, and beautiful discovery Anastasia Day as Isolde—formed a romantic triangle that mirrored their characters. When Anastasia and screenwriter Bruce Amerman tote up the list of former cast members who have died since the filming, they find too many suspicious deaths. Threats and more deaths occur after Leah Hall, Pierce’s director daughter, joins the discussion. Skillfully interwoven flashbacks detail the filming and the professional and personal jealousies as well as emotional entanglements that roiled the cast. The romance and picturesque settings in Scotland and England compensate for a solution that strains credulity. Linnéa is the coauthor with B.K. Sherer of the Eden Trilogy (Chasing Eden, etc.). Agent: Eric Myers, the Spieler Agency.

April 1, 2012

Unable to resist the allure of an anniversary, a movie studio plans to showcase the stars for a 20-year rerelease of a 1980s movie blockbuster, Tristan and Isolde. Sadly, the film's two young leads, Anastasia and Peter, have never quite recovered from the epic experience. Widowed Anastasia lives in a castle and suffers from agoraphobia, and Peter has seemingly disappeared. More troubling is that key members of the cast and crew have been dying at an unusually high rate over the years, and it doesn't look innocent. Three of the survivors--including Anastasia--determine to figure out who has it in for them before they themselves are eliminated. VERDICT With its requisite love triangle, jealousies, and dysfunctional families, this delicious confection from veteran thriller writer Linnea (Chasing Eden) oozes romantic suspense. Movie buffs will enjoy the backstory and romance readers the tangled romantic web. To boot, there are plenty of red herrings and creepy suspects for mystery fans. Darken the lights, bring out the popcorn, and enjoy.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.