Behind the Veil

by Joanna Wayne

STEALTHY SEDUCTIONRumor had it that the secretive owner of the castle on the cliffs, Dr. David Bryson, had been hideously scarred in the accident that killed his fianc?e. Now designer Becca Smith had... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373226624
• ISBN13: 9780373226627
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Harlequin Books
• Length: 249 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

MyShelf.com Book Reviewer

Dr. David Bryson was a scarred recluse who was involved in a horrific boating accident that killed his fiancée five years prior. He is rumored to be responsible for the twenty-year serial killing spree that has plagued the citizens of Moriahs Landing. He hides his hideous face from the residents, and makes nightly visits to the town to seek out justice by finding the real killer. On one of his nightly visits Becca Smith memorizes him. There is something familiar about her that commands her to learn more about her existence.Becca Smith makes her living as a seamstress sewing elaborate dresses for the citizens of Moriahs Landing. She is unprepared as one night a voice calls out to her and offers to hire her services. The dark voice is filled with so much sadness and loneliness that it immediately captures her attention. She learns the voice belongs to the owner of the castle on the cliffs, David Bryson. She finds herself immediately intrigued by the man of mystery. She is determined to find out his real motive for hiring her to redecorate his home. By doing so will she is placing herself in the hands of a serial killer?BEHIND THE VEIL is unlike most intrigues you will ever experience. When you think you have figured out how it will end, Ms. Wayne throws a curve ball that will knock your theory clear out the window. I was unprepared at the shocking conclusion, but was very please with the end result. Ms. Wayne gives the readers the best of both worlds - a twenty-year serial murder that demands to be solved, and a beautifully crafted romance that centers on one of my favorite themes (Beauty and the Beast). It takes a very talented and skilled writer to be able to combine two entirely different aspects and create a very memorable novel.

The conclusion to the Moriah's Landing series

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Becca Smith is fairly new to the small Massachusetts town of Moriah's Landing. From the moment she arrived, this place felt like home: she felt like she belonged. It was the perfect place for her to begin a new life. In a town where secrets and legends were a way of life, she fit right in... for she had a few secrets of her own - the biggest being that she has no memory of her life up to shortly before arriving in town. Dr. David Bryson is a recluse, hideously scarred in the explosion that took his fiance, Tasha Pierce, from him five years ago. Many of the townsfolk thought him to be responsible for Tasha's death, and almost all of them believed him to be crazy. He hid himself in his home, The Bluffs, and in the shadows, never allowing anyone to see his deformities in the light of day. He believed he would never again care for someone as deeply as he did for Tasha, until Becca came to town. Becca is drawn to David, for reasons she cannot fathom. So when he proposes she come to his home to work for him, she can't resist the opportunity to meet the man whose velvet voice haunts her dreams. Everyone tries to convince her to stay away from David, saying he's dangerous, but Becca goes anyway. Once she meets him, and finds he is all she expected and more, nothing can keep her away. He is obsessed with her, and against his better judgment, asks her to live in his home while she is working there. When dead bodies of young women start turning up, the town fears the serial killer from 20 years ago has struck again. It soon becomes apparent that Becca is the next intended victim, and David will do whatever is necessary to protect her. At the same time, Claire Cavendish, who escaped the killer five years ago with her mind shattered, starts to remember what happened to her, making her a target as well. Will they find the killer before it is too late for Becca and Claire? Ms. Wayne does a first-rate job of bringing the saga of Moriah's Landing to a close, all the while not allowing Becca and David's story to take a backseat to the big picture. One can't help but feel the electricity between the two of them as they both try to come to terms with their issues: Becca convinced David is too obsessed with Tasha, and David still feeling the pain of losing the love of his life, and the guilt that he couldn't save her. David is torn between his loyalty to Tasha and his undeniable attraction to Becca. The solution to these problems is shocking and unexpected. The suspense never lets up of the underlying mystery throughout all four books. The reader is sucked in, eager for the twists and turns the mystery takes, which lead right up to the dramatic conclusion. As Claire slowly remembers what happened to her on the fateful night that changed the lives of those four women, one will cheer for her and the strength she finds, to face her inner demons and brush aside the veil on her memory. Behind the Veil is an engrossing read which

Part of a series

This is book 4 of a 4 book continuity series entitle Moriah's Landing. Book one is "Secret Sanctuary" by Amanda Stevens (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 650). Book two is "Howling in the Darkness" by B.J. Daniels (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 654). Book three is "Scarlet Vows" by Dani Sinclair (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 658). This romance series is suppose to be classic gothic fantasy set in a modern day New England town. I enjoyed these books. I hate to say more, since I don't want to give anything away ;-)

Behind the Veil

Joanna Wayne, who wrote the weakest of the Texas Confidential books, delivers the best of the Moriah's Landing books in "Behind the Veil," the finale of Intrigue's modern gothic series. Newcomer Becca Smith has been fascinated by David Bryson since she first came to town. The reclusive doctor lives in an isolated castle on the edge of town. He was scarred in the accident that killed his fiancée and some of the townspeople say it wasn't an accident. Becca knows she shouldn't get involved with the mysterious man, especially when a serial killer begins to murder young women in town. Can she resist the powerful allure he has on her? Does she want to?Of the four Moriah's Landing authors, Wayne does the best job of mimicking the gothic tone her story calls for. The tone is dark and mysterious. It may be too melodramatic and over the top for some readers, but that's how gothics are. Becca is a good heroine. She is strong and courageous. Like most gothic heroes, David remains somewhat mysterious and we don't get to know him too well. Anyone looking for the moody hero who lurks in the shadows and the young, too-trusting heroine who is drawn to him will find what they are looking for here. At the same time, the story does move slowly and I felt the author could have cut some of it without losing much. It seems to go on and on without getting anywhere for too long. After a while I grew so weary of Claire's whining, David's moodiness, and the townspeople's over-the-top screeching about how evil David was, my patience ran out. If I was Becca, I would have left town and gotten away from all these nutcases. I also could have done without the constant Beauty and the Beast references that seemed to push the theme too hard. I think most readers would have gotten the point without the characters comparing themselves to Beauty and the Beast. It took me out of the story for those moments.Gothic fans should enjoy "Behind the Veil," though readers who've read enough of them may have read this particular story many times before. There's not much new here, just a revival of the old gothic clichés without anything fresh thrown in. However, the strength of the writing and the good atmosphere makes sure this is one nod toward the gothic romances of old that is very well done.