COVER OF NIGHT
by Linda Howard
Ballantine Books
www.ballantinebooks.com
ISBN: 0345486501
Hardback, 342 pages, $25.95

Widow Cate Nightingale runs a bed and breakfast in Trail Stop Idaho, an isolated community boxed by mountains and a dangerous river. Cate’s guests are sparse, consisting of rock climbers, hunters and fishermen, and Cate struggles to make ends meet. If it weren’t for shy handyman Cal Harris, the B&B would fall apart and Cate would be bankrupt. But Cate is determined to raise her four-year-old twin boys in a safe environment and this charming town seems the perfect place.

Cate’s nightmare begins when one of her guests climbs out of a window and disappears, leaving behind his personal effects. A few days later, two men show up and demand she turn over the man’s belongings. Held at gunpoint, Cate fears for her life until Cal intrudes and forces the men to leave. Cate hopes that’s the end of it, but soon she and the entire town find themselves held hostage by these two men, with the aid of four others. And there’s no way to escape; the road leading into town has been blocked and the bridge over the river has been blown up. Cate and Cal team up to try to save their community. Their forced camaraderie leads them into not only danger but reveals the two share a hidden passion for one another.

Linda Howard is tops at romantic suspense. Although holding an entire town hostage seems implausible, she manages to make it real and provides a good read along the way. The chemistry between Cate and Cal is fun as it unfolds over the course of the book. With plenty of suspense, great characters, and a fast pace, Cover of Night will provide plenty of entertainment.