maninblack

Shortly before her scheduled wedding, heiress Melissa Hartford lost both father and fiancé in the same automobile accident. Emotionally exhausted, she travels to Arizona to spend a sorely needed "down" time with her girlfriend, Jo. Unfortunately, Jo’s interpretation of R & R involves a dizzying list of things to do and places to see.

One of those places is Graveyard Gulch, a restored mining town where "wild west" vignettes are reenacted. It is there Melissa meets Lawton Kane, a somber man dressed in black, portraying a gunman. Lawton is destined to turn Melissa’s future upside down, and he is also a mysterious figure from her distant, but forgotten past.

Their physical attraction is immediate, even though both of them refuse to admit it. Melissa thinks his manner is standoffish, even rude. Another barrier remains – guilt over the deaths of her domineering father, and the fiancé who wanted to marry her for her money. On his side, Lawton believes he is too old for her. Also, he knows what she doesn’t -- danger from the past still looms over them both.

When a group of handicapped children tour Graveyard Gulch, Melissa discovers what she wants to do with her life. Her resolve to stay away from Lawton is softened when she sees the compassion and care he displays with those children. Yet she maintains her distance until her life is threatened by an unknown enemy, and she is forced to accept Lawton’s offer of protection.

While staying on Lawton’s ranch, the two begin the gradual work of knowing each other. Melissa is comforted to find not only are their goals for the future similar, but their need for each other.

When a Graveyard Gulch wild west shoot out scene goes terribly wrong, disrupted by a stranger firing real bullets, Lawton is wounded. During a long and painful convalescence, he becomes convinced of Melissa’s love evidenced by her tender and constant care.

But, Melissa must discover the truth behind the mystery in her childhood. Submerged for years by hypnosis, the experience she endured comes to light when she is kidnapped. Both Lawton and Melissa must rely on inner strength and mental toughness as they face extreme danger –- she as a captive, and he as her rescuer. And, even if they do surmount impossible odds, can they finally put the past behind them in order to have a future together?

THE MAN IN BLACK offers readers fully fleshed out, believable characters. The well-researched details -- locale settings and colorful descriptions -- add to the reality of the story without drawing the reader off. The action in the exciting finale is truly written.

While there are portions of THE MAN IN BLACK that would benefit by tightening, on the whole it is a fast-paced, enjoyable read.

Reviewed by GERI
December 17, 2002

© Love Romances, 2001-2002. All Rights Reserved.

Buy it from Novel Books

THE MAN IN BLACK
Gwynn Morgan
ISBN: 1-59105-004-9 Electronic
ISBN: 1-59105-029-4 Paperback
Novel Books, Inc. 2002
Contemporary