Over the years, I have accumulated many books. I read a lot and I do tend to reread the books that I really enjoy. I’ve read some books several times. Sharp Edges, by Jayne Ann Krentz, is a book I’ve had for several years and read many times. I just finished reading it again. I still enjoy this book every time I read it.

Sharp Edges is available in hardback, paperback, and as an audio book on cassette or CD. I own the hardback version of the book.

PLOT

The book began with a short prologue set three years in the past. Cyrus Chandler Colfax ran a security firm, March & Colfax Security, with Damien March. Cyrus and Damien had been partners for six months. Cyrus was having doubts about continuing to work with Damien. Cyrus decided to end the partnership after they were finished with their current job, transporting the Hades Cup to its new owner. The cup was actually a bowl made of glass. It was made in the fourth century and showed Persephone ruining from Hades. Later that night Damien shot Cyrus and vanished. The Hades Cup also disappeared.

Eugenia Swift was the director of the Leabrook Glass Museum. Eugenia was planning to go on a working vacation to take an inventory of the glass art collection of Adam Daventry. Adam had a large collection of glass art, and he even built his house mainly out of glass. People called his home Glass House. He recently died and left his collection of glass art to the Leabrook museum. Tabitha Leabrook, the owner of the museum, was worried about Eugenia going off alone to Glass House and wanted Cyrus to go and stay there too. Cyrus had been hired by the executors of Adam’s estate to look into Adam’s death. They had some concerns that his death may not have been an accident.

Cyrus has spent the three years since he was shot trying to find Damien and the Hades Cup. He discovered a link between Adam and the Hades Cup, but Adam died before Cyrus could check it out. Cyrus was going to investigate Adam’s death, but he also planned to search for the Hades Cup while he was at Glass House. Cyrus kept his plans related to the Hades Cup to himself.

Eugenia had another reason for going to Glass House too. Her friend, Nellie Grant, had been having an affair with Adam and staying at Glass House. The day after Adam died, Nellie was in a small boating accident and presumed drowned. Eugenia didn’t believe that Nellie’s death had been an accident because she knew that Nellie was very experienced with boats. Eugenia wanted to find out what really happened to Nellie. Eugenia kept that reason for going to Glass House a secret. Cyrus and Eugenia eventually share their true motivations for going to Glass House with each other. They worked out a truce and ended up helping each other.

The first night they were in Glass House they discovered a dead body. Eugenia started to inventory the glass collection and Cyrus started to go through Adam’s paperwork, looking for any references to the Hades Cup. Eugenia discovered that a local artist had some of Nellie’s paintings and was passing them off as their own. Eugenia was asking questions about Nellie, and someone didn’t like that. Cyrus and Eugenia spend more time working together and they become involved.

**End plot discussion**

Sharp Edges is another good book by Jayne Ann Krentz. The book is descriptive, but not so descriptive that it gets boring. Sharp Edges is well written, like all the books by Krentz that I have read. The book is fairly fast paced, so a lot happens, but the book doesn’t feel rushed. Once I started to read the book, I couldn’t put it down. This book kept my interest.

Sharp Edges is a mystery with some romance in it. I think that the mystery parts are the main focus of the book. Eugenia and Cyrus both have a mystery that they plan to investigate while staying at Glass House. Cyrus is working for someone that wants the death of Adam investigated more. Cyrus is also hoping to find the missing Hades Cup in Glass House. Eugenia goes to Glass House to inventory the collection of glass art, but she is also planning to try to find out what happened to her friend Nellie. Cyrus and Eugenia end up working together on the mysteries they are trying to solve. A dead body is found in the house. Someone else is pushed off of a pier. Someone doesn’t want Eugenia and Cyrus asking questions around town. There are a few suspenseful moments in the book, but this isn’t the most suspenseful book I’ve read.

Eugenia and Cyrus spend a lot of time together during the course of the book and become involved. They involvement provides the romance in Sharp Edges. There are some sexual situations and acts described in the book. The scenes are descriptive, but not excessively so. The scenes could still offend some readers though. People who don’t like romances or are offended by reading descriptions of sexual acts should not read this book.

Jayne Ann Krentz has written several books, and I have many of them. Her books are romantic suspense books. The mystery and suspense aspects of her books have improved over the years. The mysteries are more complex in her newer books. She also writes historical romantic suspense books as Amanda Quick. I have all of her Amanda Quick books. There are some things that are similar between the Krentz and Quick books, but the books are not exactly the same. Sharp Edges was written in 1998. The newest Quick book, Don’t Look Back, ties into Sharp Edges. The Hades Cup makes a brief appearance in Don’t Look Back. This is the first time the author has connected a Krentz book to a Quick book. She has connected a few of her Krentz books to each other and a few Quick books to each other before. Krentz also writes futuristic romance books as Jayne Castle. I have not read any of those books, so I don’t know how they compare to her other books.

Eugenia and Cyrus are the main characters in Sharp Edges and they are the most developed characters in the book. Eugenia has a bit of an attitude at times, especially near the beginning of the book. She is bossy at times too. I do think she is a little annoying at times, but not so annoying that it interfered with my enjoyment of the book. There are several supporting characters in the book, but none of them are in much of the book. Those characters aren’t as well developed at all. There are a few characters who only show up once or twice and those characters aren’t really developed at all. There is one person who is important to the book, but he isn’t actually in any of the book. Adam dies before the book begins, but he is very important to the plot of the book. He is more developed than some of the supporting characters who don’t show up in much of the book.

Much of the book takes place in or near a house that is made up of mainly glass. The house is called Glass House because of all the glass everywhere in the house. This book came out several years before the movie The Glass House, so Krentz didn’t get the idea for the glass house from that movie. The book is completely different from the movie. The only thing that is similar is the Glass House in each.

CHARACTERS

Eugenia Swift - She is the director of the Leabrook Glass Museum. Eugenia is considered to be an expert on glass art, including ancient glass art. She has done a lot of the Leabrook since she has been the director. She is loyal to her friends. She is use to being in charge at work, so she is bossy at times. She doesn’t take orders from others well. She can be stubborn at times. She is independent and use to taking care of herself.

Cyrus Chandler Colfax - He owns his own business. He is a private detective and provides security for some businesses. Three years before, his partner shot him and disappeared. A very valuable piece of glass art, the Hades Cup, disappeared at the same time. Cyrus is still trying to find his former partner and the Hades Cup. He is loyal to his friends and family. He is use to taking care of others and being in charge. He also has trouble with doing what others tell him to do. Once he decides to do something he sticks to it. He is determined to find the cup. He seems to be very laid back, but he is always alert to what is going on around him. He has never known his father, but he did figure out who his father is several years before. Cyrus wears bright Hawaiian shirts all the time.

Tabitha Leabrook - She is the owner of the Leabrook Glass Museum. She normally lets Eugenia do what she wants regarding the museum, but Tabitha has put her foot down about Cyrus going along to Glass House. Tabitha can also be stubborn. She is concerned for Eugenia’s safety.

Nellie Grant - She is a painter and friend of Eugenia’s. Nellie recently painted some tiles that Eugenia put around her fireplace when she remolded her home. Nellie was having an affair with Adam before he died. Nellie has a boating accident right after Adam’s death and it is assumed that she drowned. Nellie has experience with small boats.

Adam Daventry - A rich, eccentric man who has a large collection of glass art. He recently started to acquire ancient pieces of glass. His house is built mainly of glass. Everyone calls it Glass House. He died before the book begins. His death is ruled an accident, though some people have some questions. He left his collection of glass art to the Leabrook Glass Museum.


Sharp Edges is a good, enjoyable, entertaining book by Jayne Ann Krentz. People who like romantic suspense books may also like this one. Fans of her books should like this one. People who like Amanda Quick books should also like Sharp Edges since she and Amanda Quick are the same author.

Sharp Edges
Amanda Quick
Hardback
1998



Recommended: Yes