| Plot Summary of Standing in the Shadows |
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Kensington, Aug 2003, 14.00, 416 pp.
ISBN: 0758204531
Former FBI undercover agent turned private sleuth Connor McCloud knows life in his profession means double-crosses and betrayal. He bitterly reflects on the cruelty of life now that he is little more than a hermit except for serendipitous surveillance and distant photos of individuals that end up destroying relationships. His most trusted friend Ed Riggs deceived him and set him up to take a fall though blackmailing circumstances caused the actions. When Connor put Ed and his blackmailer, deviously clever maniac Kurt Novak, behind bars, he also lost the woman of his dreams, Erin, the daughter of the traitor.
When insiders abet Kurt enabling him to escape, Connor knows that he and Erin must be revenge targets of this lunatic. Though he expects that Erin detests him for putting away her father, he vows to keep her safe, but wonders how he will hide from her how much he loves her. Erin reciprocates, but does not trust the man she loves.
Fans of erotic romantic suspense will enjoy the hot action-packed thriller STANDING IN THE SHADOWS. The story line moves quickly except for the heated scenes that take a bit of acceptance at first as Erin mistrusts Connor yet entices him as the goddess of sexual seduction to jump into bed with her when they are BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. Still, Shannon McKenna provides a powerful bodyguard tale filled with tension, sexual and intrigues.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"Connor's partner was murdered, and Connor spent several months in a coma, left with scars, burns and a shattered leg. His colleague, Ed Riggs, was corrupted and blackmailed and is now in prison. Conner was the cop that put him away. He also saved Riggs daughter Erin who he loves. Novak is supposed to be rotting in a maximum security prison, but Connor has just heard of his escape. Novak almost got his vicious claws into Erin once, and if the Feds won't protect her, then Connor will. He's loved Erin for over a decade and has had hot, sexual fantasies about her for all that time. Erin is the only person capable of pushing his lamebrain "hero" button.
Connor doesn't know it, but Erin sees him as her hero, her protector, the man of her dreams. He's intense, intelligent and has a force of will so overwhelming, he sweeps her away. But, her strong and noble Connor turns into a puddle around her. This is a powerful book rife with steamy sex, an imperfect lead character, a nasty villain and a happy ending. The sexual chemistry between the lead characters is hot enough to singe the pages and honest enough to be utterly captivating.
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amy smith, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Standing in the Shadows |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 25%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 45%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is....
- stalking/killing innocents
Crime Thriller
Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- finding a known killer
If story PRIMARILY about main chr. being hunted...
- hunted by killer/stalker
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- obsessed
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- accused criminal
- criminal
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- mentally ill
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
The antagonists are:
- foreign organized crime
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Genius
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 1
- 2
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
- licking
- actual description of sex
- descript. of breasts
- descript. of other female areas
- descript. of male nudity
- rape (yeech!)
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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