2007-06-05 Good, but not quite as good as her previous ones

Zan (Alexander) Duncan is an edgy, sexy, volitile, thirty six year old loner with a lot of past baggage and a short fuse. Notably, the baggage consists of the violent death of his father at a relatively early age, and being left holding the blame when his best friend steals a car and then kills a pedestrian. The friend's father covers for his son and Zan is the one left to take the punishment for him. As a consequence he loses his place at university.
However, he later makes a life and money for himself as a locksmith and then as a computer consultant. The short fuse temper and going in with his fists is mainly aimed to help others i.e. rescuing damsels in distress etc.

Abbey Maitland works for a local museam which is about to have a hord of pirate's treasure on display. Unbeknowing to Abbey and the museam, the display is being targetted by a ruthless character who thinks nothing of murder if that gets him what he wants.

Zan and Abbey meet one night when she calls out a locksmith having misplaced her keys. The instant attraction is mutual; although Zan epitimises the type of boyfriend that Abbey has always been attracted to and is now trying to steer clear of. Long-haired, tattooed, edgy bad-boys. She is now going for the monied executive type - Zan has the money, but that is as far as the stereotype goes.

Zan and Abbey are being targetted as the fall guys in the pirate's gold hoist and Abbey is frantically trying to find out the identity of the mysterious boyfriend of her murdered best friend, who also worked at the museam. As Abbey believes that it is he who killed her friend.

I enjoyed this book, but I don't know, there was just something about the character of Zan which didn't sit quite right with me. He was perhaps a little too petulant. Perhaps if he'd been a bit younger than 36, say about 30, the moods would have worked a bit better for me.