Mean Streak

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

The last thing marathon runner Dr. Emory Charbonneau remembers is forging ahead, praying that the end is near. Step by step, refusing to succumb to the frigid air, she is determined to finish what she started. Ice crystals cover her eyelashes making it hard to see the deserted road ahead. Why wasn't she better prepared ? She reminds herself it's simply mind over matter. Nothing can deter her from accomplishing her goal; nothing except the sudden, seething pain exploding inside her head.

Emory now finds herself in a stark one-room cabin. Nothing looks familiar, especially the imposing man who towers over her. Even as the pain rages in her skull, she feels panic and fear, knowing that her life may be in danger. The argument she had with husband, Jeff, hours earlier before embarking on her journey, means he won't be looking for her anytime soon. They both needed time to cool off, to take a break from the angry, accusatory words that they'd surely regret later. She's alone and afraid as the walls close in on her. It's only a matter of time before she dies.

As days pass, Emory realizes nothing is as it first appeared. This imposing stranger is not going to hurt her. Even though he refuses to reveal his identity, Emory begins to feel trust building with her captor. Her unwavering resolve to escape begins to gradually fade as she realizes her abductor may have a hidden agenda. When he finally releases her, the story doesn't end, it actually begins anew with startling revelations. Everything and everyone she thought she knew becomes a maze of lies and deception. Someone is determined she never knows the truth.

Sondra Brown once again writes a gripping thriller that challenges the reader to ultimately uncover the story within a story. The characters aren't particularly deep; there's the tall rugged  mystery man who Emory can't resist, with Brown's characteristic steamy passages, the shallow selfish husband with a mistress and secrets of his own, and the FBI agent who vows to never stop until he finds what he's been looking for, elusive as that may be.

 Full of surprises, this book is fun and entertaining, a romantic suspense novel that will keep you guessing with a startling conclusion.