Merciless, by Diana Palmer

Date read:  7/1/2011, book provided by Net Galley for an honest review

Rating:  Solid B

Jon Blackhawk is an FBI agent in San Antonio, and Jocelyn is his assistant.  Jocelyn needs help with her fashion sense (boy howdy does she!!),  is a single mother to Markie, and is an all around happy person and great assistant.  Wow – all this in a Diana Palmer book?  Aside from a crazy name or two, this book was a very pleasant surprise after a few sub par books by one of my favorite authors.

Take a step back a book or two, and we are reminded of McKuen Kilraven’s (Jon’s half brother)wife and daughter’ murder.  Harold Monroe, who we thought was the killer, is out on bail, and has made threats to both Jon and Jocelyn.  While everyone is watching Jocelyn’s back, Jon is shot from behind, has surgery and returns to the family ranch in Oklahoma to recuperate. 

Cammy, Jon’s mom, returns from a trip abroad to find Jocelyn and Markie there with Jon, and wastes no time in getting them to leave the ranch.  Cammy does not feel that Jocelyn is wife material for Jon, and is after him for his money.  Markie has an asthma attack as they prepare to leave, which has Cammy wondering…….Jon had the same thing as a child.  And said child has Jon’s Native American good looks.  As Cammy puts two and two together, she chases Jocelyn back to San Antonio to make sure Markie is all right.  The two women make amends, and Cammy returns to her hotel room.  She is on the phone talking to Kilraven and he hears gunshots.  He rushes to the hotel, only to find his mother murdered. 

Kilraven is off to Oklahoma to tell Jon what has transpired.  All the while I am thinking that Rick Marquez was acting strange at the hotel when he arrived to investigate the murder.  But with all this chasing back and forth with Jon and Kilraven, I am getting exhausted just reading about it, and forget all about Rick.  Back to Oklahoma, on to San Antonio, then on to Jacobsville to make funeral arrangements, back to San Antonio,  back to Jacobsville again for the funeral.  This is the spot where I determine that if you are not a DP fan girl, there’s no way you can keep up with all the places and faces.  So be warned – this is not a good book to start on if you are new to Diana Palmer! 

There is no beating around the bush here, and no big, mean nasty man who intimidates the little woman.  Jocelyn and Jon are only four years apart in age, and both are intelligent, strong characters.  There are your typical Diana Palmer love scenes,  but one of the few in all of her books that is mutually enjoyable for both characters because, well – they love each other.  Need I say more?  If you are a fan of Diana Palmer’s, you will enjoy this book, as Merciless is one of her better books in recent years.