Book Review: Untouchable | Jayne Ann Krentz

This heart-pounding thriller had a bit of everything–a fast-paced plot, lucid dreams of a fire maze, a decades old mystery, a stone cold villain, and a dash of romance! I know of Jayne Ann Krentz (who doesn’t? She’s published so much and under more than one name!), but this is the first book of hers I’ve read. It is such a fun read!!! I can see why she’s so popular, and I look forward to reading more from her. Untouchable felt like watching a movie–I totally flew through it!

About the Book

A man’s quest to find answers for those who are haunted by the past leads him deeper into the shadows in this electrifying novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Promise Not to Tell.

Quinton Zane is back.

Jack Lancaster, consultant to the FBI, has always been drawn to the coldest of cold cases, the kind that law enforcement either considers unsolvable or else has chalked up to accidents or suicides. As a survivor of a fire, he finds himself uniquely compelled by arson cases. His almost preternatural ability to get inside the killer’s head has garnered him a reputation in some circles–and complicated his personal life. The more cases Jack solves, the closer he slips into the darkness. His only solace is Winter Meadows, a meditation therapist. After particularly grisly cases, Winter can lead Jack back to peace. 

But as long as Quinton Zane is alive, Jack will not be at peace for long. Having solidified his position as the power behind the throne of his biological family’s hedge fund, Zane sets out to get rid of Anson Salinas’s foster sons, starting with Jack.

Reflection

I’m a bit bewildered when describing this book because on the one hand, I was a bit confused at the beginning and felt like I must have missed part of the story. Then I realized that is because this is the third in a series. But as I kept reading, I realized I hadn’t missed anything at all! This book completely works as a standalone and the storyline I thought I had picked up from another book is in fact contained in this story. So give it a chance to unfold, readers! I promise all will make sense!

I had a really fun time with this book. It almost felt a bit like action verging on fantasy, because of the lucid dreaming storyline (the dreams are fascinating!), the hypnotism, and because of the academic professor-turned-detective with gorgeous eyes and a deadly fist. I loved the few scenes narrated by the mysterious assassins (you’ll have to find out for yourself who they are)! They felt like characters from a movie–clad in designer duds and sneaking around cleaning up “messes” for their boss.

Winter is such a wonderful character. We got glimpses of her story, and that is the one I thought I missed. Trust me when I say you’ll learn more about the beautiful, haunted Winter! I loved her backstory, as well as her character in the novel. Her grounded approach to meditation and reflection might be just what Jack needs!

All together, this was a fun, heart-racing thriller with a great ending. I hope readers enjoy it!

Thank you to the team at Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Excerpt from Untouchable

She heard the key in the lock. The door opened. The creep was silhouetted against the light of the hallway fixture, a balding, big-bellied man dressed in an undershirt and trousers.

He did not see her sitting there in the shadows of the upper bunk. He moved into the room, heading toward the lower bunk.

He reached down and started to pull the covers off of Alice’s thin, huddled body.

“Go away, Mr. Tyler,” Winter said. She switched on the penlight and began to move it in an intricate pattern. “You’re not supposed to be here. You don’t want to be here.”

She kept her voice calm; soothing but firm.

Startled, Tyler halted and instinctively averted his gaze from the narrow beam of light.

“What the hell?” In the next breath he softened his voice to a drunken croon. “What’s the matter, honey? Couldn’t sleep? I know it’s hard adjusting to a new house and a new family. But you’re in a good home now. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of you and Alice.”

“Go away, Mr. Tyler,” Winter said again. She kept the penlight moving, faster now.

Tyler was distracted by the light. He stared at; looked away and then gazed at it again.

“I’m going to take poor little Alice to my bedroom,” he said. “She’s afraid to be alone.”

“Alice is not alone,” Winter said. “I’m here with her. Go away. You don’t want to be in this room. It’s hard to breathe when you come in here. You can’t catch your breath. Your heart is pounding harder and harder. You wonder if you’re having a heart attack.”

Tyler did not respond. He was transfixed by the motion of the light. He started to wheeze.

“When I say Winnie-the-Pooh you will realize that you can’t breathe at all when you’re in this room,” Winter said. “You will leave. That is the only way to ease the terrible pain in your chest. If you stay in this room you will have a heart attack. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Tyler’s voice was now that of a man in a trance; expressionless.

The rasping and wheezing got louder.

“Winnie-the-Pooh,” Winter said in a tone of soft command.

Tyler came out of the trance gasping for air.

“Can’t breathe,” he said, his voice hoarse with panic. He swung around and lurched out into the hallway. “My heart. Can’t breathe.”

He staggered down the hallway and stumbled toward the kitchen. Winter jumped down to the floor.

“Winter?” Alice whispered from the shadows of the lower bunk.

“It’s okay,” Winter said. “But you have to get up and get dressed. We’re going to leave now.”

A heavy thud sounded from the kitchen. It was followed by an unnatural silence.

“What happened?” Alice asked.

“Stay here,” Winter said. “I’ll go take a look.”

She went to the door. With the penlight in hand she moved cautiously down the hall. Alice climbed out of bed but she did not wait in the bedroom. She followed Winter.

Tyler was sprawled on the kitchen floor. He did not move. His phone was on the floor close to his hand. Panic arced through Winter. She wondered if she had killed the creep.

Alice came up beside her and took her hand, clinging very tightly. She looked at Tyler’s motionless body.

“Is he dead?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Winter said. “I’ll check.”

She squeezed Alice’s hand and then freed her fingers to cross the kitchen floor. She stopped a short distance away from Tyler and tried to think about what to do next. In the movies and on television people checked the throat of an unconscious person to find out if there was a pulse.

Gingerly she reached down and put two fingers on Tyler’s neck. She thought she detected a faint beat but she couldn’t be certain. He might not be dead yet but it was possible that he was dying. It was also possible that he was simply unconscious and would recover at any moment. Winter knew that neither outcome would be good for Alice or herself.

Posted by arrangement with Berkley, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Jayne Ann Krentz, 2019.