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Beauty vs the Beast (Justice Inc, Book 1) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #335)
by M. J. Rodgers
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Harlequin (1995-08-01)
ISBN: 0373223358
EAN: 9780373223350
Dewey Decimal #: 813
Mass Market Paperback: 251 pages
SKU: 1119
Condition: Very Good
Comments: Binding: Softcover. Condition: Very Good.
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Customer Reviews
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Fascinating plot
Rating  (4)
Date: 2006-09-18
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Well, this was certainly interesting. The plot did completely overwhelm the romance, but it was interesting enough that the book was still a success for me. A B-.
Kay Kellogg is a lawyer at Justice Inc. One day, her boss, Adam Justice, asks her to meet a friend of his who has a very unusual case she might want to take. That friend is psychologist Damian Steele, who's being sued for killing one of the personalities of a Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) patient.
It's a case that's just fascinating. The patient, Lee Nye, had come to Damian complaining about black-outs. He'd wake up and be in strange places (in an alley behind a bar, for instance, reeking of alcohol, a couple of ribs broken and a rat nibbling on his fingers), hours or days after the last thing he remembered. Trying to find out exactly what happens during those blackouts, Damian hypnotizes Lee and they discover there's another personality inside him, a very self-destructive, aggressive one called Roy. So Damien treats Lee, and the upshot is that he "kills" the Roy personality. Thing is, Roy was married, and once Lee gains complete control of his consciousness, he divorces the woman. And so the woman decides to sue Damian in civil court for killing her husband.
Most of the book is a wonderfully done courtroom drama, and that's what worked for me best. The case is obviously weird and entertaining, and so are most of the characters. Plus, Kay is a very competent lawyer, and I loved seeing her tear down the opposing counsel's witnesses and manouver around his tricks (which were many and very unethical).
Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, Damien and Kay are very attracted to each other, and as they prepare themselves for the case, they also give in to that attraction. This thread was definitely not the high point of the book, but it was basically ok. The protagonists were likeable enough, if lightly drawn (though that Beauty and the Beast comparison just felt a little labored), and some of the scenes were fun. But, to be honest, whenever they were together, what I was wishing for was more about the court case.
The book's main weak point was the climax, which was just not up to the development of the rest of the mystery. The best scenes -as I've mentioned ad nauseam- had been those of the courtroom drama, and I think it would have been miles better to have the climax of the action there, inside the courtroom, mind against mind. It certainly looked like it was heading in an interesting direction there, with them planning on interrogating a certain person (don't want to give any spoilers!), but then it ended in a much more clichéd fashion, and one that wasn't really all that plausible. I just didn't buy the motivation of the culprits.
Still, this is a good introduction to the series. I'll try to read the rest of the series as soon as possible, and see how they compare.
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Gripping thriller but reader gets short-shrifted on the roma
Rating  (3)
Date: 2000-04-20
3 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
When psychologist Damian Steele "kills" off one of his client's personalities he never expects to be sued by the deceased "man's" wife. His attorney, Kay Kellogg, is excited by the chance to try such an interesting case and is determined to win but is fighting obstacles every step of the way. It seems her sexy client is keeping too many secrets - secrets that may cost her not only the trial but her life! This was a very interesting story about multiple personalities. Normally I'm bored by courtroom dramas, the basis of this story, and I almost put the book aside when I realized what it was about but the author hooked me with the multiple personality bit and kept me hooked with the interesting twists and turns. These same plot twists and the short length of the book left very little room for romance development or character development though. I never got into their heads didn't feel them connect or fall in love. The romance was almost secondary (and unnecessary, IMO) to the plot. There was little to no humor and the chilling domestic abuse made this a very intense and dark read. I admit it I'm a sucker and was taken in by the title and thought this was a beauty and the beast tale. Don't be fooled it isn't or not in the traditional sense anyway. However, despite my complaints I still recommend this book because it fascinated me and I couldn't put it down. Expect an intense plot just but don't count on an intense romance.
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It's hypnotizing!
Rating (4)
Date: 1999-10-04
0 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
I believe it really caught my attention. As soon as I started reading I was taken into another world, I couldn't put the book down, I ACTUALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER !!!
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