Eye of the Beholder

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

“The prolific Krentz…once again demonstrates her knack for page-turning plots that masterfully inveigle and misdirect readers up to a surprising denouement.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“In the eye of the romance reader, Jayne Ann Krentz remains one of the great authors of the decade…. This wonderful writer always provides an entertaining story. Readers will relish the exciting story line. The lead protagonists are a warm, intrepid duo.”

—
barnesandnoble.com

“Krentz weaves her magic in this exciting and passionate tale. She leads us into a maze of puzzles and adventures which we don't want to end. Read, absorb, and enjoy.”

—
Rendezvous

“[A] fun-filled and sensational tale by the incomparable Jayne Ann Krentz. Ms. Krentz is batting a thousand.”

—
Romantic Times

FLASH

“Once again, Jayne Ann Krentz brings wit and intelligence to her distinctive, sure-fire recipe for contemporary romantic suspense…. As always, Krentz pairs two equally strong people, endowing them with just enough quirks to make them real, and provides plenty of plot twists to keep her story humming.
Flash
is romantic suspense of the highest order.”

—
amazon.com

“
Flash
glitters and glows with all of Jayne Ann Krentz's patented humor and spice. Chalk up another winner for this perennial favorite.”

—
Romantic Times

“[A] dazzling tale…. With superb style and skill, Krentz creates a series of false trails that cloak the identity of the threat… until the final, dramatic unveiling. This new element of suspense, plus Krentz's trademark family squabbles and strong characters, will thrill her fans.”

—
Booklist

“
Flash
has everything a reader could want—mystery, romance, humor, murder, and blackmail…. The final pages bring a surprising twist.”

—
The Southern Pines Pilot
(NC)

SHARP EDGES

“A fast-paced mystery.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“Entertaining…. The dialogue cuts through with… sarcasm and snappy double entendres.”

—
People

“A fast-paced, sexy, romantic mystery… with dangerous and passionate results.”

—
Library Journal

“A little mystery, a little romance, a lot of fun.”

—
Minneapolis Star Tribune

“[A] brisk tale…. A risky time is had by all. And a good time is had by the reader.”

—Associated Press

DEEP WATERS

“Krentz, who sets the standard for mystery romance… has the perfect inscrutable hero, spunky heroine and dauntless pet.”

—
Detroit Free Press

ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY

“[A] cheerful escapist package combining sex and mystery.”

—
Cosmopolitan

TRUST ME

“The pace is brisk and the high-tech gloss fun.”

—
Publishers Weekly

A
ND
P
RAISE FOR THE
N
OVELS OF
J
AYNE
A
NN
K
RENTZ
W
RITING AS
J
AYNE
C
ASTLE

ORCHID

“[A] terrifically sexy romance…. With her typically offbeat humor and flair, Castle takes a pair of powerful, ‘unmatchable' protagonists, sets them down in her innovative, synergistic world of St. Helen's, and gives them a mystery to solve, villains to outwit, and a passion to explore.”

—
Library Journal

ZINNIA

“One of the best futuristic romance[s] to come along…. A touching love story that will enthrall readers until the very last page.”

—
Affaire de Coeur

AMARYLLIS

“Superb…. Charming…. The climax is a stunner. As always, this multitalented author has penned a work that is sure to please.”

—
The Gothic Journal

 

Books by Jayne Ann Krentz

The Golden Chance

Silver Linings

Sweet Fortune

Perfect Partners

Family Man

Wildest Hearts

Hidden Talents

Grand Passion

Trust Me

Absolutely, Positively

Deep Waters

Sharp Edges

Flash

Eye of the Beholder

By Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle

Amaryllis

Zinnia

Orchid

Published by POCKET BOOKS

 

The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright © 1999 by Jayne Ann Krentz

Originally published in hardcover in 1999 by Pocket Books

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

ISBN: 0-671-52307-4
ISBN: 978-0-6715-2307-7
eISBN: 978-1-4391-4139-7

First Pocket Books paperback printing December 1999

10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

Cover illustration by Tom Hallman
Cover lettering by Jim Lebbad

Book design by Irva Mandelbaum

Printed in the U.S.A.

QB/

 

This one is for Alberta Castle,
the best mother in the world.
And she just happens to be my mother.
Thanks for everything, Mom!

P
ROLOGUE
 

Avalon, Arizona
Twelve years earlier…

He swept into the house out of the hot desert night, an avenging warlock from the dark canyons carrying thunder and lighting in his fists.

Alexa froze at the top of the stairs when she heard his voice in the hall. Her sudden stillness was instinctive, the immediate, elemental reaction of any creature to the presence of a potential predator.

“I don't know whether it was you or Guthrie who killed my father, Kenyon,” he said. “Hell, for all I know, the two of you planned it together.”

The night was warm, but Alexa shivered in the shadows above the hall. John Laird Trask was young, somewhere in his early twenties, but the taut control he exerted over his icy rage would have done credit to a man twice his age.

“You listen to me, son, and you listen good.” Lloyd Kenyon spoke with a calm authority that reverberated with an underlying sympathy. “No one murdered your father. Once you've had a chance to cool down and think about it, you'll accept the facts. It was a tragic accident.”

“Bullshit.
Dad was a good driver, and he knew that road. He didn't go off Avalon Point by accident. One of you forced him over the edge.”

Alexa felt suddenly lightheaded. A strange, unfamiliar panic left her fighting for breath.
Trask was threatening Lloyd
. He was not only a much younger man, he was even bigger than Lloyd, who still had plenty of bulk and muscle left over from the days when he had run construction crews.

Her anxiety for Lloyd's safety took her by surprise. Until tonight she would have sworn that she had no strong personal attachment to him. She and her mother had moved in with him eighteen months ago following her parents' divorce. She had been careful to keep a cool distance between herself and this very large, unexciting, rock-steady businessman Vivien had married; careful to make sure Lloyd understood that he could never take the place of the charismatic hero who had been her real father.

It had been a year since Crawford Chambers had been killed by a sniper's bullet. He had been halfway around the world at the time, photographing the latest in the long list of small, brutal civil wars that had made him a legend in journalism circles.