The mysterious twin [Paperback]

It's not a bad idea. Unfortunately, it's one Karr visited before in "Bodyguard" (Intrigue 309), where a woman agreed to take her twin sister's place to infiltrate a rich man's home, and fell in love with the bodyguard assigned to watch her. There are actually more similarities which I won't mention. The books are about even in quality. The main difference is that this one is less suspenseful and has more of a gothic feel. Those who have read Karr's recent Intrigues ("Innocent Witness," "Mystery Dad"...) know her books have become more light and pleasant than gripping and suspenseful. "The Mysterious Twin" continues this trend. It isn't a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but though it doesn't have much action or mystery, I was surprised to find that I was never bored at all. Karr's writing is smooth and flows well, carrying the reader along nicely even without most of the usual surprising plot twists and dangerous situations. Readers who are looking for romantic suspense without too much violence will find "The Mysterious Twin" highly enjoyable. Karr uses a gothic tone and creates a nice sense of atmosphere. Her characters are likeable, and though the ending is too abrupt, the story is well plotted. Altogether, it is a pleasant read.

Unfortunately, much of the story was ruined for me by the back cover, which reveals at least one big secret that doesn't come out until very late in the book. I spent most of the book wondering if the back cover was wrong (they often are), since there was no mention of this element at all for the first two thirds. Then the "surprise" revelation came. Or it might have been a surprise if the back cover hadn't ruined it. I know exactly why the copywriter did this, and I find it unconscionable that the publisher would be willing to ruin the story just to sell more books. In the end, I was angry that the book was ruined for me by an inconsiderate copywriter. I might have enjoyed the story more if I didn't know what was coming. I'll never know.

Leona Karr has written a pleasant story in "The Mysterious Twin." It might even be better if the reader is able to read it without having it spoiled first.

Without giving away the story, Ashley Camdon substitutes for her sister as a nanny where she meets the mysterious hero, Kyle Stone. Ashley's twin, Jill Gordon is in trouble.

I don't know that many identical twins, but, Jill and Ashley don't seem to have anything in common personality-wise. The hero and heroine are likeable but fairly standard characters. Most of the secondary characters are somewhat sketchy.

The plot was well written and moved quickly prehaps a little too quickly to the end. The bedroom scene felt thrown in, it was about three paragraphs. This book was more about intrigue than sex.

It was a quick and pleasant read.