Promise Not to Tell

FINAL DECISION: A solid suspense story but I enjoyed most the relationship between these two damaged and vulnerable people.THE STORY: Virginia Troy has struggled with the after effects of her childhood in a cult where the members deaths were orchestrated by the cult leader (who is presumed dead, but might not be). When a former cult member ends up dead under mysterious circumstances, Virginia turns to a private investigator to help learn the truth. Cabot Sutter also was a child in the cult and he also is still haunted by the events. When the investigation draws them closer together, Virginia and Cabot need to figure out who is murdering people and also whether they can overcome their pasts to build a relationship together.OPINION: I liked this book because there was a renewed focus on the characters over the suspense plot. Not that there isn't an interesting plot, but I read these books for the relationship and so I enjoyed seeing these characters maneuver around one another.Cabot and Virginia are both haunted by their past and in one another they find acceptance and understanding. I liked that their relationship is based upon their mutual problems that have separated them from other lovers in the past. However, that is really the only tension between them. Besides the suspense story, there is little drama in the relationship.I liked the focus on the created family and how these survivors have dealt with a past that could have destroyed them all.The suspense story has many twists and turns and just when it seems that the story is resolved, things go off in a different direction. Things fit together but there are many layers which was enjoyable.I was especially excited by the ending of the book which previews the drama that is going to be present in the next book.WORTH MENTIONING: This book also sets up the scenario for the next book in the series.CONNECTED BOOKS: PROMISE NOT TO TELL is the second book in an apparent trilogy about three brothers. I say apparent because the publisher has chosen to not promote the fact that these books are connected (probably to not turn off casual readers who don't want to start with book 2). Goodreads has indicated these books as being the Cutler, Sutter and Salinas series so I will go with that. This book can be read as a standalone, but there are definite continuing storylines and overlapping characters.STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two thirds of this story. The character development was very well done with interest & depth. The mystery carried along well although the business aspect bogged the plot down a bit. I like the basic premise of the series-three foster sons/brothers struggling to find the fiend who destroyed their childhoods and families. But the story was laced with a heavy dose of introspection and psychology/philosophy which became just too much. The last third of the book was wordy, boring, lacked excitement, and should have been cut out. The wrap up of the "mystery" depended entirely upon the criminal holding a gun on the heroes while explaining the motivation, actions, etc. That's when the book died. But it didn't stop. The rest of the book was designed to set up the readers' interest for book three. Sadly, it had the opposite effect on me. I just don't care enough to hang on for the predictable villain's demise (which obviously will happen while we watch brother Three fall in love.This is very contrived. I don't want to read infomercials. Could have been great. What happened, Jayne?

PROMISE NOT TO TELL is my favorite book by Jayne Ann Krentz — and not because it’s her most recent. For me, the relationship between Virginia Troy and Cabot Sutter was even more interesting than the mystery.Krentz is a master at suspense, whether writing as Amanda Quick (historicals), Jayne Castle (futuristic) or herself. PROMISE NOT TO TELL is no exception as the mystery had me flipping page after page on my Kindle.But Virginia and Cabot are special. In a pre-publication interview, Krentz described them as “intimate strangers,” which is perfect. Virginia and Cabot were children together in a cult until the night the cult leader set the compound on fire while the children were locked in a barn. Their shared trauma gives them an immediate common ground. Even as the mystery kept me engrossed, Krentz’s spot-on depiction of their growing relationship.Fans of Krentz’s work won’t want to miss this book. And if you’ve never read any of her titles, PROMISE NOT TO TELL is a wonderful choice to dive in.

I’ve been a Krentz fan for decades. I enjoy her stories which alwYs have several quirky characters, some which cross over from other series. Her main characters, the heroes and heroines are not the tall dark alpha males you find in most romantic suspense mysteries, they are though, men who hold themselves to a high sense of right and purpose. The heroines are women who also have an inner strength, and stand by the heroes as partners.Promise Not to Tell is the second book in the Quintin Zane crazy cult trilogy. In this book, Virginia Troy, who owns an art gallery, receives a set of very large paintings depicting the fire blazing ending of the cult Virginia had once been held hostage to. After the artist of these disturbing fire paintings meets with a mysterious ending, Virginia hires Cabot Sutter to investigate the artists death. Cabot was also one of the children, who like Virginia, had once been held hostage in Zane’s cult. Together, the two check out leads concerning the artists death.I enjoyed reading how these two search and seek out the truth of how the artist really met her death, deciphering the mystery message painted in the paintings , all the while helping each other to deal with the nightmares of their past in the cult.

Another competent easy to read romance/suspense novel. Don't read this for surprises or psychological twists and turns but it is nonetheless a very readable tale of love, loss and trauma. The genesis of this tale is in the cult that the protagonists parents were in, whereby the cult leader killed all the adults 22 years ago. Two of the surviving children meet again under the cloud of a suspicious death. Ms Krentz dishes up a fairly run of mill thriller, with a few red herrings but nothing too taxing, and provides a readable and fun read. Nothing demanding, but none the worse for that. One of those lightweight stories that is a bit of a guilty pleasure, not that it's rubbish or anything just not very literary or worthy.

I can still remember reading my first Jayne Ann Krentz book 'Wildest Hearts'.I went on to buy every book I could lay my hands on including the ones written under different names,some second hand when I couldn't buy them new .I still get excited when a new book is released,and am never disappointed.Keep up the good work Jayne Ann Krentz and every other name you write under.

Maybe Ann Krentz has been writing for quite a few years and knows how to please her readers. Her female characters are never wimps and her make ones are strong and clever.I don't do spoilers, this book is not straight forward the twists are inventive and lead you On to want to read the next book.

Following on from the first book in this series, we get to meet and learn about others affected by Zane and his cult. Those who enjoy fast paced adventure will find they have the perfect vehicle for their needs—- with the final book of this trilogy still to read and enjoy.

an excellent read I thoroughly enjoyed it, Jayne Ann Krentz is always a fantastic author