Sacred Sins

Combining explosive suspense with sensual passion, Nora Roberts turns up the heat in this classic tale the sizzling story of a man and woman on the trail of a demented killer, a search that will plunge them headlong into danger....

In the lazy days of summer, a merciless heat wave is the biggest story in Washington, D.C. But the weather is knocked off the front pages when a young woman is found strangled to death. A note left behind reads Her sins are forgiven her.

Two more victims soon follow, and suddenly every headline is devoted to the killer the press has dubbed the Priest. When the police ask top-notch psychiatrist Dr. Tess Court to help with their investigation, she comes up with a disturbing portrait of a twisted soul.

Detective Ben Paris doesn t give a damn about the killer s psyche. What he can t easily dismiss is Tess. Tall, dark, and good-looking, Ben has a legendary reputation with women, but the coolly elegant Tess doesn t react to him like other women he s known and he finds the challenge enticing.

Now, as the two are thrown together in a perilous quest to stop a serial killer, the flame of white-hot passion flares. But someone also has his eyes on the beautiful blond doctor ... and Ben can only pray that if the madman strikes, he'll be able to stop him before it s too late....

For those of you who can't get enough Nora Roberts, Roberts has dusted off this romance thriller from the early '80s, slapped a new cover on it, and republished it. After so many years, Sacred Sins may feel a bit musty, but those readers just looking for a good time won't mind some outdated attitudes or references when the timeless suspense and romance keep them flipping the pages.

With the talents that later led her to create her J.D. Robb line of In Death romance thrillers, Roberts uses an "opposites attract" theory of appeal between her lovers and firmly places her heroine in the killer's sights. Dr. Tess Court is a successful psychiatrist who is guilted by her senator grandfather into advising on a serial murder case. Detective Ben Paris hasn't much respect for shrinks after his brother's unsuccessful treatment for post-war depression. However, forces align to put these two together and things turn hot and heavy. As they work to uncover the murderer's motives, Tess and Ben realize that she is both the killer's next likely victim and his best hope for a savior.

Tess has all the spunk and determination of a typical Roberts heroine with a great wardrobe and elegant tastes to boot. Though the killer's motivations remain somewhat simple, he is convincingly creepy, and this thriller will satisfy loyal fans and new readers alike. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien