Skin Game-Ava Gray

Skin Game
Ava Gray
Berkley, Nov 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425231531

In Vegas, the big shot casino owner Gerard Serrano beat to death her father; two bit con artist Kyra Marie Beckwith vows to get even. She cleverly wormed her way into his vicious inner circle and pulls off a con that leaves a raging Serrano stripped of his monumental pride and a thirst for enacting vengeance to rival that of Kyra.

Kyra uses her skills to steal someone’s abilities by touching them as she just did in the pool hall. However, the deadliest hit man alive, Reyes is after her and unbeknownst to her he marked her at the pool hall. Hired by Serrano to kill her after he recovers the money he claims she stole from him, Rey knows he must get close to his target to retrieve the loot before killing her. He figures that will prove easy as all he has to do his forge a relationship and seduce her. However, Rey makes love with her in Lake Charles only to find he wants more and she is gone. Taken aback because for the first time in memory he cares about someone else; he is falling in love just as she is with him. However he also knows once she learns who he is, Kyra will end their relationship as she will never forgive betrayal even as his failure to do the job means the end of his vocation. Soon Reyes realizes Serrano hired some of his assassin competitors.

With a literally touch of para-tactile skills to enhance the tale, SKIN GAME is a fast-paced romantic suspense thriller starring two unlikely lead characters. He is a paid killer and she is a con artist while their “matchmaker” is a cruel individual used to ordering executions. Fans will enjoy this fun tale mindful of Grosse Pointe Blank only the female star is a felon too.

Harriet Klausner