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Maggie and Mary Theresa are identical twins, but after one awful summer 20-something years ago, the two women have had a strained relationship. Their family life dissolved the summer before Maggie went to college when Mary seduced Maggie's boy friend, their adopted brother died, and their mother turned to alcohol for oblivion. Mary and Thane married but eventually divorced. Now Maggie McCrae is a single mother to Rebecca, a 13-year-old with whom she has also has a difficult relationship. Mary, who calls herself Marquise, is the star of local TV in Denver. Maggie's estranged husband was killed in an accident when their divorce was pending. She and Rebecca moved from Los Angeles to a ranch in Idaho. Now after many years, Thane has turned up on Maggie's doorstep. Maggie has never stopped loving him; her marriage to Becca's father was a mistake almost from the start. But Thane has bad news for her -- Marquise has vanished and no one knows her whereabouts. Always volatile in relationships and lifestyle, Marquise fought with her show's co-anchor, had an argument with Thane and then disappeared. Thane tells Maggie that Marquise had asked him to see her and then tried to borrow money and he refused. He told Maggie that her sister's finances were precarious and he had vowed to stop lending her money; and her TV ratings were dropping. The cops were suspicious of him and he wants Maggie to return to Denver with him to help find Marquise. Maggie agrees and sends Becca to her dad's brother in LA. Becca is more than anxious to go since, as she constantly reminds her mother, Idaho is in the middle of nowhere. Also her in-laws don't approve of Maggie moving so far with their niece and also blame Maggie for her husband's death in the car crash. Maggie is not a terribly happy person. After returning to Denver with Thane, Maggie and he try to do some investigating on their own. The cops are working hard on the case due to the high profile of Marquise, but the two are determined to conduct their own investigation. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book, as the reader is taken back to the time when Maggie's life changed forever. Although Mary has hurt her terribly, Maggie still loves her sister and needs to find her. This book was first published in 1998 and has been reissued. After writing historical novels, Lisa Jackson wanted to try her hand at contemporary romantic suspense novels and TWICE KISSED was the first result. The author was first encouraged to start writing in the 1980s by her sister, Nancy Bush, who is also a novelist. TWICE KISSED is equal parts suspense and romance and very fast paced. The reader is immediately drawn into Maggie's world. All of the characters are well fleshed out -- they are entirely believable and although not all are likeable I could relate to them and to Maggie and the tough hand that life had dealt her. The engaging Maggie is a tough and resolute woman, yet has a very tender heart. Her love and devotion in the face of betrayal is admirable.
Reviewed by Lorraine Gelly, July 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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