REVIEW: Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz

In Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz, A secret from her childhood has hung over Madeline Chase for the past eighteen years. At the tender age of twelve, she and her best friend Daphne Knight, whom she called her ‘secret sister’, learned that the world is filled with people who are capable of indescribable acts of violence. After being attacked by such a man, Madeline and her grandmother left Cooper Island, Washington behind, as did Daphne and her mother, with a secret buried in the ground.

‘No matter what happens, we will be secret sisters forever.’
It was an oath sworn by two terrified girls of twelve who were forever bound by the terrible events of a night filled with blood and panic.

Now Madeline is headed back to the island. Her security expert Jack Rayner lets her go with trepidation and fear for her safety. His nightmare becomes reality when Madeline is thrown into a situation where her past comes back to haunt her and everyone who was involved almost two decades ago. With Jack, his business partner and brother Abe, and Daphne by her side, their lives are threatened as they uncover a web of lies and deceit so intricate that it will take all of their involvement to untangle it.

‘This was a kiss that crossed all the lines that she had drawn for herself eighteen years before; a kiss that pushed back her personal boundaries in ways she had never imagined possible. It was a kiss that broke the rules.’

Set up in a way that even with multiple POVs we didn’t know who the ultimate mastermind was until the end, Jayne Ann Krentz has created an exciting romantic suspense that was truly entertaining.

‘Jack might not be the warm and fuzzy type, but he had the vibe of a man who could handle just about any crisis. And she had a crisis on her hands.’

Secret Sisters was romantic suspense done right. There were a lot of elements that worked well: just enough characters to keep things interesting, serious family drama, political and financial corruption, a small community filled with secrets, and multiple bad guys to make the reader wonder who really set things in motion. I enjoyed the intelligence with which Krentz told the story and that was also behind the creation of the characters themselves. All the pieces went together to create an explosive plot. (Sometimes literally explosive!)

This was basically a twofer as far as the romance went. We had Jack and Madeline who had been falling for each other for about three months, and then Jack’s brother Abe and Daphne. I know…two childhood best friends falling for brothers. It might sound cliche, but it was a lot of fun actually. I thought the chemistry was there between both couples and it worked for the storyline. The main focus was on Jack and Madeline. They were pretty intense individuals so there was an edge to their conversations that kept things lively and meant tons of passion when things got personal.

It was interesting watching Madeline and Jack handle situations and to see how they interacted with all of the bad guys. I’m not kidding when I say it was difficult to tell whodunit. Talk about a bunch of sick & twisted, greedy, power hungry individuals they had to deal with. It may have put Jack, Madeline, Abe and Daphne through hell, but what an intriguing situation it made for us to read and enjoy!

A story of sisterhood, lies, romance and corruption, Secret Sisters was everything I was hoping for and then some. I think there will be a little bit of something in this for everyone to enjoy.

Book Info:

Publication: Published December 8th 2015 | Berkley |

No one does romantic suspense better than Jayne Ann Krentz. Now, the New York Times bestselling author of Trust No One and River Road delivers a novel that twists and turns into a read that will leave you breathless.

Madeline and Daphne were once as close as sisters—until a secret tore them apart. Now it might take them to their graves.

They knew his name, the man who tried to brutally attack twelve-year-old Madeline in her grandmother’s hotel. They thought they knew his fate. He wouldn’t be bothering them anymore…ever. Still their lives would never be the same.

Madeline has returned to Washington after her grandmother’s mysterious death. And at the old, abandoned hotel—a place she never wanted to see again—a dying man’s last words convey a warning: the secrets she and Daphne believed buried forever have been discovered.

Now, after almost two decades, Madeline and Daphne will be reunited in friendship and in fear. Unable to trust the local police, Madeline summons Jack Rayner, the hotel chain’s new security expert. Despite the secrets and mysteries that surround him, Jack is the only one she trusts…and wants.

Jack is no good at relationships but he does possess a specific skill set that includes a profoundly intimate understanding of warped and dangerous minds. With the assistance of Jack’s brother, Abe, a high-tech magician, the four of them will form an uneasy alliance against a killer who will stop at nothing to hide the truth….