What a good book! Seriously, it was one of those where you genuinely want to keep reading and when it ended I went online to see if it was part of a series - I wanted more. It sounds complicated - a gallery owner and private detective, both survivors of a cult where there mothers were killed by fire, reunite as adults to find the truth about another survivors's recent death. But it works - there is intrigue, romance, and by the end you just know there has got to be a sequel. So great to read a book you simply don't want to put down!

Echoes of the Arcane novels...or perhaps a preview of a new direction...regardless, it was lots of fun. :)

When she was eight years old, Virginia Troy was almost killed in a huge fire, set by the cult leader her mother followed. She was rescued by Anson Salinas, along with the rest of the children. All of the mothers died in the fire. Now, years later, Virginia owns an art gallery and she represents Hannah Brewer, another member of the cult who escaped the fire, but who is murdered. Virginia hires Anson's investigation firm to look into Hannah's death, which Virginia believes is related to the cult. So does Cabot Sutter, one of Anson's foster children, who also survived the fire. The deeper Virginia and Cabot look the. Ore clear it becomes that Quentin Zane did not perish all those years ago and is still running dome type of cult. Jayne Ann Krentz writes entertaining characters who the reader will cheer on, always fun to read.

The fiery end to a cult casts a long shadow in this gripping follow-up to When All the Girls Have Gone. Virginia Todd, the youngest of the children trapped in a barn fire the night Quentin Zane burned down the compound walks int the newly opened detective agency of Cutler, Sutter, and Salinas looking for help in proving that a reclusive artist she represented did not take her own life. Before she died, Hannah produced one last painting possibly showing that Zane is still alive. Caleb Sutter and his brothers have been looking for proof of Zane's continued existence, so he is immediately drawn into the case. His attraction to Virginia takes a little longer.

Well-drawn characters, a suspenseful plot, and a slow-simmering romance add up to a satisfying read.

I have been reading Jayne Ann Krentz since the early 1990s and still enjoy every novel she writes, no matter which pseudonym she uses. Promise Not to Tell is set in the Pacific Northwest and deals with the lives of children who were trapped in a fire when they lived in the compound of a cult. The mystery of what happened to the wealth the cult leader accumulated, who is behind the death of one of the remaining adults from the cult, and why is someone targeting the surviving children had me on edge. Another hit for Ms. Krentz.

I am really glad I decided to take a chance on this series. I went back and read "When All the Girls Have Gone" in preparation for this ARC. I will say I was blown away by the first book. While this one was just as good, I didn't quite resonant the same with the characters of Virginia & Cabot like I did Charlotte & Max. I am really happy with the story line progression and some of the budding romance that was introduced here. There were plenty of twists and thrills that kept me reading through the night. I shouldn't have been surprised - I really like Krentz's writing style. I can't wait for the third brother's story!

I really enjoyed Virginia and Cabot. I have been a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz for at least 20 years and this newest novel is a delightful adventure. I over the alternating viewpoints, and it was very fun to get to hear the inner thoughts of not just the main character but everyone, including the "bad guy". The mystery was interesting and the romance fun and I cannot wait read Ms. Krentz's next book. They are an auto buy for me.

I really enjoyed this book, it was better than the first book in this series. I liked the story and the characters

This story follows "When All the Girls Have Gone," when the story of a cult leader who locked eight children in a barn and then set it on fire, leaving them to die. Virginia Troy and Cabot Sutter were both in that barn and neither believes that Quinton Zane is dead. The last painting of one of Virginia's clients certainly seems to point that way. When she receives a picture of that painting, Virginia goes to the only man who might believe her, Anson Salinas, the man who rescued her that night. He refers her to his adoptive son, Cabot Sutter. They recognize each other almost immediately.
But someone wants the illusion that Zane is dead to stay intact. They don't want Cabot looking into it. Virginia seems to be immune, maybe because someone believes she has the key to the fortune Zane lost right before he disappeared.
There was a lot going at the end of this book. There was just one twist too many. Honestly, the story could have ended about two twists sooner and earned another rating star. Also, there is a very nice part where Virginia panics and Cabot treats her very kindly. Very forward thinking in terms of sex interactions. So why no condoms? A guy who's that sensitive to his partner would be sensitive in other ways. I was also disappointed that we didn't get to see more of the story of the two falling in love.

Three stars
This book comes out January 2

Full Review to be published online in early January.

PROMISE NOT TO TELL is a breezy, fast read about Virginia and her past demons which have come back to haunt her. Not overly suspenseful, but entertaining nonetheless. Lots of danger, murder, and intrigue. If you read the author’s other works, you pretty much know what kind of a read you are getting going in. The ending came together a little too fast for my tastes. There was almost an infodump of information and why the bad guys did what they did, and what is going to happen in our lead couples lives next.

There were some things in Cabot’s past that were glossed over or left open ended. Given that he had two foster brothers mentioned a number of times and a couple of plot threads left open; I felt like there could have easily been a series about all of these things and the other brothers without cramming so much into the end of this book. Who knows, there may be more planned, anyway.

PROMISE NOT TO TELL is the second book in the intriguing “Cutler, Sutter, and Salinas” series/trilogy by Jayne Anne Krentz. Can be read standalone with little difficulty; but best to read ‘Where All The Girls Have Gone’ first.

Though I miss that this is not an Arcane story - I thoroughly enjoyed it! Great read with engaging characters and plot.

Jayne Ann Krentz - in any of her incarnations - has engaging characters and plots that grab your interest. Cults are an all too real nightmare for the families involved and the brutality of death by fire is horrid. The children of the cult are so well portrayed and you really become vested in their future. Do yourself a favor and read the first book in this series, and then enjoy this installment.

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