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Product Description
Combining explosive suspense with sensual passion, the bestselling author of Carnal Innocence and The Reef turns up the heat in this classic tale, available for the first time in hardcover-the sizzling story of a man and woman on the trail of a demented killer... and on the verge of surrendering to a dangerous love.
In the last lazy days of summer, the merciless two-week heat wave is the biggest story in Washington, D.C. But the weather is finally knocked off the front pages when a young woman is found strangled to death-a priest's white silk amice pulled taut around her throat. Pinned near the scarf is a note that simply reads her sins are forgiven her. It is a chilling crime, made even more terrifying when it is followed by a second murder... and then a third. Suddenly every headline is devoted to the killer the press has dubbed "the Priest."
The slayings have piqued the interest of Dr. Tess Court, a top-notch psychiatrist dedicated to treating the problems of the human mind.
And when the police make little headway in solving the crimes, Tess is reluctantly thrust into the very heart of the investigation. Called in to create a detailed psychological profile of the murderer, she comes up with a disturbing and frightening portrait of a twisted soul who believes he is not murdering-but ministering.
Detective Ben Paris doesn't give a damn about the killer's soul or his psyche, and he makes it clear that he thinks calling in a psychiatrist is on a par with ringing up a psychic hot line.
What he can't dismiss so readily is his immediate and irresistible attraction to Tess. Tall, dark, and good-looking, Ben has a reputation with women that is legendary, and with good reason. But the coolly elegant Tess doesn't react to Ben like any other woman he's ever 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 else has his eyes on the beautiful blond doctor... someone who dreams of saving her and cleansing her soul with his special brand of absolution. And while Tess is confident she can help him, Ben can only pray that when the madman strikes, he'll be able to stop him before it's too late....
From the Hardcover edition.
Amazon.com Review
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
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