Book Review: Killjoy

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Killjoy     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Julie Garwood
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Ballantine, Oct 2002, $24.95, 400pp

Jilly was born evil and her sister Carrie knew it even if her mother never acknowledged it until Avery was born. Jill dumped her on her mother and left to see the world and what it could do for her. When Avery was five, she blackmailed her mother into giving her money in order to kill Avery. When Avery was eleven her mother’s boyfriend tried to abduct her and Avery got shot and almost died.

Now Avery is all grown up and working for the FBI. She thinks Jilly is dead until her mother communicates with her, telling her if she doesn’t do what Jilly says, Carrie will die. Avery agrees to play KILLJOY and even accepts the help of ex-agent John Paul who is after Monk, Jilly’s partner in crime. Avery and John Paul become emotionally involved as they evade Jilly and Monk but they have much more to overcome if they want to stay alive and together.

KILLJOY has more than enough action to keep thriller fans happy and has just enough romance to placate romance fans. Julie Garwood has created a female Hannibal Lechter, a woman so evil that readers will root for her downfall. The hero is a knight in shining armor who demonstrates to the heroine that she should be cherished because of her scars, not in spite of them.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner