The Waterfall (©2000)

by Carla Neggers

Three years ago, Lucy Blacker Swift, a young widow with two children, relocated to rural Vermont from Washington, D.C., after the sudden death of her husband, Colin. She has finally got her life back together and now runs a successful adventure travel company. When a series of strange accidents threatens her idyllic life, Lucy has a difficult time keeping her powerful father-in-law, Senator Jack Swift, from interfering. Looking for help, Lucy turns to Sebastian Redwing, an international security expert and an old friend of Colin's. Sebastian has been secretly in love with Lucy for years and wants to avoid temptation, but he had promised Colin that he would take care of Lucy. Jack's long-suffering personal assistant, Barbara Allen, has always resented Lucy, so when Jack rebuffs her declaration of love, Barbara teams

up with notorious criminal Darren Mowery to blackmail the senator to seek her revenge. Thrown into close proximity, Lucy and Sebastian find they can't resist their feelings for each other. Ultimately, Neggers's (On Fire) depiction of the chemistry between the two lovers is more engaging than her development of the novel's mystery elements.