Double Jeopardy

by Linda Randall Wisdom, Linda Wisdom

A thrilling romance from Entangled’s Suspense imprint…

He’s exactly what she needs…and everything the other woman wants.

Assistant District Attorney Josh Brandon has made a life of helping women escape violence and abuse in his small desert town outside Los Angeles. But in doing so, he’s gained himself a new admirer who refuses to be ignored. She sends flowers. Leaves phone messages. Everywhere Josh goes, she goes, too. And when he meets Lauren, the gorgeous new Medical Examiner, his stalker takes notice.

Lauren Hunter swore off men after an attack led to her scandalous divorce from an LA detective. But she hadn’t counted on Josh, the sexy cowboy assistant DA she meets when she escapes to the dusty old town. He’s exactly what her damaged soul needs…until the threats begin.

Falling in love was never the plan, but as Josh and Lauren butt heads over a case, their arguments turn from heated to hot. But someone is determined to come between them. Someone whose rage is growing. And she won’t stop her attacks until Josh and Lauren are separated forever.

Genres: Romance, Suspense

266 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

See also Linda Wisdom

When I sold to Silhouette books on my wedding anniversary in 1979 I didn't expect to get this far. I love what I do and can't imagine doing anything else. I'm married living with Katie, a white mini Schnauzer who considers herself the center of our world, Hunter, a Yorkie mix who's a real mama's boy, Olivia my darling diva chihuahua, Dutch, our easy going happy go lucky terrier mix, Syd, our Panama Nape parrot, and Florence, our demented tortoise. We live in Southern California near San Diego in a town that's provided fodder for some of my stories. Once upon a time, I could say that when we moved here there were three romance writers. Now there is only me and to date I have not been considered a suspect. More romance authors have moved in and are safe and sound...so far.

A lot of my backlist books are now available for your Kindle and in print along with new novellas featuring the first witches in the Hex series along with my second love, romantic suspense books. And more books coming!

My Hex series are the books of my heart. The ones I've wanted to write for a long time and so glad to see out there. Many readers are confused by the two Demon titles and different cover looks. They're a part of the Hex series, still the disgraced witches from the Witches Academy, just with a different look. And yes, more Hex books will be coming!

There are times I think I enjoy writing the creatures more than the characters. And probably why my Fluff and Puff bunny slippers tend to never be where I left them! That's more than easy to do since they're tattooed on one ankle and Horace is tattooed on the other.

I'm very thankful for my readers for sticking to me.

I can also be found at www.lindawisdom.com, www.facebook.com/lindawisdom with a Facebook street team called Hexy Haven and http://linda-wisdom.blogspot.com

Reviews

[Anna Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, this book is not a "romance" book, it´s a thriller. I picked it up at a thrift shop in Iceland (published here in 1995), and the cover for the Icelandic version has a deranged looking woman´s face with a broken mirror/glass on top of it. So much more sinister than the six-pack male torso that makes it look like a typical romance fantasy. Even the name they used for the Icelandic version is better than "double jeopardy", I don´t see how that connects to anything in the story (icelandic name is more stalkerish).

The main character is a D.A who´s very popular with women, and he has a crazy, psycho stalker who´s been obsessing about him for months and has ruined all his recent dating relationships. I enjoyed the book but it was rather silly and pretty obvious who the stalker was. The most ridiculous thing though, regarding the plot, is how difficult it was for them to find out who this obsessed woman was. Josh had been working with the police for months trying to find something out, and since he was a d.a and not just some guy off the street everyone was taking this way more seriously than they probably would have if he had been a nobody. It´s not likely that the police would be so nonchalant about things if a d.a´s life was on the line and some sicko was always breaking into his apartment and rearranging things and threatening his girlfriends. So basically, Josh has this super good access to the police and all kinds of equipment they could have used to catch the woman. Why wouldn´t there have been stake-outs or surveillance cameras somewhere hidden where they would get a glimpse of her constantly prowling outside his house, and the houses of his friends? They could have solved it basically the day after it started if they had wanted to. And the plan to smoke her out by Josh and Lauren going away for the weekend was meant to... allow the crazy woman to break in for the hundreth time while NO-ONE was looking? (I think they even gifted a weekend getaway to Kevin the cop during that same weekend instead of having him watching the house while they were away, and while miss crazy was going nuts bringing lots and lots of animal blood into Lauren´s apartment lol). She must have spent a lot of time getting around all the new locks and security systems, for weeks and weeks, so why wasn´t there ever an unmarked cop car outside looking at the people who were dropping by while Josh & Lauren were at work?

[Aarati · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I got a copy of this book from Entangled Publishing in exchange of an honest review

Linda Wisdom is a new author to me and I'm really happy to say that I had a great time reading Double Jeopardy. It was intriguing, not very predictable and the characters were great too. They had the ability to laugh in the face of troubles, which not many people are capable of.

Assistant District Attorney Josh Brandon is a champion for women's rights. He has helped numerous women get out of abusive relationships and violence. He is also a very good lawyer who knows his job and the best way to do it. He also has a stalker. For months now Josh is being stalked by a woman whose only tell-tale mark is her perfume, Obsession. Pretty fitting isn't it? A woman obsessed with Josh wearing a perfume called Obsession. This stalker woman could moonlight as a cleaning lady every now and then, since she washes his dishes, does his laundry and even cleans his house. She even cooks for him. That's only if she is in a good mood. Now you piss her off and she'll shred your clothes, break your things and destroy your house. She also makes sure to run away every woman Josh dates. It's been months and the stalker has been escalating each day, and there are no clues as to her identity.

Lauren Hunter is new in town. She is the new Medical Examiner. After a very scandalous divorce from her detective ex-husband, Lauren has sworn off men. But when she meets Josh, sparks fly. Josh takes notice of Lauren and so does his stalker. After a painful past, Lauren doesn't need the baggage Josh brings into their relationship, but he is like a balm to her soul. Josh is just what the doctor ordered and what Lauren needs. But then the attacks begin. These attacks were supposed to deter Lauren from pursuing Josh, but she won't give in. Lauren knows what it's like to live in constant fear. And she also learned how to overcome that fear. She won't let a an insane woman stop her from going after something meaningful. Lauren was also a really intelligent and self-confident woman. She let nothing stop her from doing her job. Be it cranky assistants, mouthy receptionists or arrogant cops who thought they knew everything.

I loved the chemistry between Lauren and Josh. Initially they were tip-toeing around each other, but soon all bets were off. Their banter was fun and flirty, their chemistry was hot and they even managed to be really good friends in addition to lovers. Another character I loved was Lauren's best friend Dana. She was competent, spoke her mind and unafraid, not to mention highly intelligent. The one thing I noticed in this book was that all the characters were very competent and really good at their job, be it Josh, Lauren, Dana, Kevin or the stalker.

Initially I did suspect one woman of being the stalker because I thought she was being too clingy, but the author did a good job of throwing your suspicions off. There were other characters you end up suspecting because of their actions, even though reason and logic say otherwise. The author does mange to keep you on your toes and keep you guessing. Though I was happy to find out that my first guess was right. A great romantic suspense novel. I'll be looking forward to more of Linda Wisdom's works.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

DOUBLE JEOPARDY is a mild thriller that may have you questioning how you'd handle things if your new lover had a deadly stalker.

Assistant DA Josh Brandon loves women. In fact, he's made it his mission to go after the scum who would abuse them. He's also no stranger to taking them to bed, leaving an ex-wife and a long line of former lovers in his wake. Somewhere along the line, Josh has become the target of an obsessed woman and he can't for the life of him figure out who would be the kind of person to break into his house to bake him a cake or destroy his bedroom...or who would send dead roses to his current lovers.

When he meets the new county medical examiner Lauren Hunter, the sparks fly immediately. But Lauren's not the only one to notice the interest in his eyes...the woman who wants Josh for herself is totally pissed that he's clearly interested in this new addition to the town. Josh and Lauren carefully explore their attraction to each other, all the while aware that a deeply ugly and disturbing force is out to make their lives a living hell.

I was torn about my feelings on this book. I couldn't understand why NOBODY was capable of figuring out who this woman is. Why didn't they set up a hidden camera or five, or maybe look a bit deeper into Josh's clearly significant sexual conquests. How about a wiretap, or 24-hour surveillance, especially since the threats escalated extremely quickly. I just felt that as obvious as the stalker was with her actions, there were many, many things that could've been done to get a handle on who this crazy chick was. Then I read at the end that this story was originally written in 1993 and recently updated, which explained a lot of the odd references that seemed very out of date, as well as the lack of current technology or techniques they could've used. I could also have done without the POV whiplash, especially since it wasn't just Josh and Lauren, but random officers, the stalker, friends, etc. all ended up with their own paragraph here and there.

Truthfully, Josh wasn't an MC that I really admired or related to. His list of conquests was so long that he couldn't recognize a voice, a perfume, certain hints...I mean his work for women in the ADA's office was absolutely admirable, but in his personal life he objectified them by sleeping around like a total manwhore. His whole persona was just "ick" to me.

I did like Lauren's no-nonsense attitude though. While she wasn't a really sympathetic MC, I still respected her matter-of-fact attitude and point blank persona. She was poised under fire as well as a brilliant woman. However, I didn't feel like the two of them together had any chemistry whatsoever, and the lack of sex in the book was pretty disappointing. The stalker was the most intriguing character quite honestly...her actions went beyond crazy and right into the whackadoodle department. It was obvious from the get-go who the stalker was, which was a bummer since I kind of hoped for a twist or maybe a few things to throw us off the scent a bit.

Overall, DOUBLE JEOPARDY was a disappointing read for me, but not absolutely horrendous.

[Monica Cardoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fatal attraction is very unsettling; there were times that I had goose bumps all over my body from the sick things that this woman did. So of course this story grabbed my attention I wanted to know who this woman was and what her story was.

This is my first read by Ms. Wisdom and I have to say that this will not be my last. I love her writing style and how at no time did I feel bored, the suspense was there from the beginning to the very end. She is an author that took me into the story and I could almost feel the emotions not only from Josh but also from Lauren.

When I met Josh Brandon, Assistant District Attorney, I truly liked him because of the amount of women that he helped. He was there for those women that needed help with their abusive husband’s. When his story was revealed I could not believe what he went through with his own father but then he rebelled but it’s common. But what changed him was seeing his mother crying it was those tears that made him change and make something of himself.

Then there is Dr. Lauren Hunter, what can I say about her but I love her spunk. I love seeing her being able to joke around with the men that give her a hard time about what type of job she has. She is a beautiful woman that is a corner that works with dead people but guess what dead people don’t talk back. When she revealed her story to Josh and what she went through when she was raped I was saddened. I could not believe that it was her ex-husband that ended up starting the rumors about her and having countless amounts of men after she was raped.

This woman that was stalking Josh was a person that needed lots of help and the more time that passed she was getting more aggressive and hurting women in Josh’s life. It became more violent with Lauren because they had an attraction that anyone could see. I could not believe that the detective on the case could find out how she was getting into not only his home but also hers. They both had their locks changed and also a security system installed and still she would go into their domain. I could not believe that when she would go into his home she would actually wash his cloth, clean for him and even baked him a cake for his birthday but then there is poor Lauren. I could not believe how fair she went by putting something in her cream that ended up hurting her skin. Lauren had small cuts but her skin was so sensitive to the touch.

Double Jeopardy is a great read that captivated my attention. The storyline was well written as were the characters. The chemistry between these two characters was hot but they couldn’t act on it because of this insane woman. They should have been able to date, kiss in public like any normal couple but first they needed to find who was destroying their lives.

I totally recommend this read to everyone that loves suspense with a hint of passion.

Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review

[Gigi staub · Rating 4 out of 5]

He’s exactly what she needs…and everything the other woman wants.

Assistant District Attorney Josh Brandon has made a life of helping women escape violence and abuse in his small desert town outside Los Angeles. But in doing so, he’s gained himself a new admirer who refuses to be ignored. She sends flowers. Leaves phone messages. Everywhere Josh goes, she goes, too. And when he meets Lauren, the gorgeous new Medical Examiner, his stalker takes notice.

Lauren Hunter swore off men after an attack led to her scandalous divorce from an LA detective. But she hadn’t counted on Josh, the sexy cowboy assistant DA she meets when she escapes to the dusty old town. He’s exactly what her damaged soul needs…until the threats begin.

Falling in love was never the plan, but as Josh and Lauren butt heads over a case, their arguments turn from heated to hot. But someone is determined to come between them. Someone whose rage is growing. And she won’t stop her attacks until Josh and Lauren are separated forever.

Review:

I have to say I enjoyed this story, but I guessed who it was early in the book. I thought the Author did a good job of trying to throw off suspicion onto other characters and doubted my first instinct once.

The Author is very good at getting you into the story and held my interest with an engaging story and the hero and heroine. The stalker story line is very timely, very well done and realistic. The only thing I thought of was why did they not set up hidden cameras in their houses? but that is me watching too many Criminal Minds episodes.

Josh and Lauren are perfectly suited for one another, both are smart, funny, caring and driven. Their romance starts out slow and builds on the chemistry that is tangible between the two of them. Now, I would consider this a sweet romance, the intimate scenes are very tame if you are looking for more spice. I thought both of their back stories really added to get an overall picture of where they were coming from.

Enjoyed this story and would definitely pick up by this Author again.

3.5Stars

[Amaranthine · Rating 2 out of 5]

After scribbling “dated” several times in my notes as I read, I finally did some research. This book is a reissue, having been originally released in 1994. To be honest, had I known that fact when the ARC became available I would not have requested it. I have very little interest in reading a book themed in ‘90s era male vs female psychology, and I must say it seems to me that this would have been a bit dated even then.

Amongst other glaring obvious cultural issues there is constantly a big deal made over the idea/novelty of women in law enforcement and forensics. There is a note at the back of the book stating that the author did update it to include e-readers, cell phones, etc. I found this almost amusing as those sprinklings of changes helped to make the book even more glaringly behind the times.

As far as the actual storyline goes, I cannot say that it succeeded as either a romance or mystery. The initial interactions between the H/h read more as sexual harassment in the workplace than titillating flirtation. And I must admit I was seriously judging the intelligence of all of the characters when they failed at every angle to discover who the mystery stalker was. Suspense isn’t so suspenseful when you have to wait more than half a book for the characters to figure out what you already know.

The plot is further confused by multiple mentions that both the hero and heroine can feel that the stalker is watching them or has been in their houses, offices, etc. This goes beyond mere human intuition, and was hammered into the reader to such an extent that it took me a while to realize that this was not going to end up being a paranormal romance. I’m not exactly sure what the point of that was supposed to be, but the result was a line blurred too far between contemporary romance and paranormal.

For the sake of full disclosure it must be stated that I received this book, free of charge, from Entangled Publishing.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was in the mood for a really good mystery romance that would burn the sheets. Opened this little gem up and got started right away. I meet handsome Assistant District Attorney Josh who has attracted the wrong kind of attention. Someone believes he is hers in the worst way and has no qualms in showing displeasure on his things and his home. He also is noted for being the one in court who gets away from wearing a tie oh the handsome guy he is. He meets the new coroner-Lauren in a informal setting which the joke will kinda be on him the way they meet. But right away his no 1 fan gets the wrong idea and thinks the doc has her scalpel set on him. He already has lost several to the interference will this good looking lady be next even if he was attracted to her? This author lays a good foundation to a drama that will keep you guessing on who exactly this crazy lady could be. Also love the way these two-Josh and Lauren gravitate towards each other and a relationship forms regardless of the fast mounting craziness and obstacles. Both have the character it takes to face down what is coming their way with. Readers will find the action quite thrilling with the romance quite what the best of relationships have lacking sometimes but not this one. Dead bodies of course will be popping in for examination by our gutsy doc. The author will drive you to a climax that will have you hanging on when you see who and will anyone survive the confrontation? So this certainly was one that fit the bill and satisfied what I wanted in a read. Received a arc for a honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Assistant District Attorney Josh meets the new medical examiner Lauren through the course of their work. They are instantly attracted to each other. Lauren has been avoiding relationships since her messy divorce. Josh has a female stalker who has been escalating by invading both his home and chasing off previous girlfriends. Once Josh and Lauren start seeing each other, the stalker turns her scare tactics on Lauren.
This story was originally published in 1994 and has been updated. I was glad to know that prior to reading because, while the use of technology such as cell phones was up-to-date, there were a few moments that reminded me that it was a twenty year old story. Twice there were mentions about more women in the workforce and not at home (to see suspicious vehicles during the day) and Lauren had a friend who had helped with one of the first to write about patterns of behavior in serial killers. Easy to forgive, though.
I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book. The action slowed way down after they created a plan to reveal the stalker. The stalker decides to leave them alone instead of falling for the plan, an obvious suspect is revealed to not be the stalker, there is time for romance. I couldn't believe that Lauren runs out of her house without telling the police where she is going (the police are at her house!! She runs past them, lying!!) -in order to save Josh from the stalker. Ridiculous.

[Amanda Menninga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh is a district attorney who has a secret admirer, or stalker. Depends on your definition or the word stalker. At first she sends him flowers ever week and occasionally breaks into his house and cleans it. There hasn't been a house alarm system she can't break. (I wish someone would break into my house and clean it...but moving on.) Josh never seems to have a girlfriend more than a few months then something happens and she breaks up with him telling him he has done strange things he didn't do. He is puzzled by what is going on, but despite using a detective and keeping everything they can't figure out who his friendly stalker is.

Then Josh meets Lauren who is the sexy new medical examiner. Josh starts to see himself having more than a fling with Lauren but his stalker just doesn't seem to see it that way. The incidents start to escalate including putting glass in Laurens face wash.

Lauren has secrets of her own, such as her ex husband the detective in LA. The stalker threatens to expose Laurens secrets and all of a sudden the incidents escalate and Josh fears for Laurens life.

Great book, loved that the author had you thinking about who the stalker is. Just when you think you have it figured out you are thrown for another loop.

I was provided a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy provided by publishers via NetGalley for an honest review

Lauren Hunter has sworn off men after her not so happy marriage ended, but when she meets the Assistant District Attorney in her new town that plan may change. After growing up watching his mother be abused by his father, Josh Brandon, has dedicated much of his time to helping women escape violent and abusive relationships. But in doing so he’s found himself with a secret admirer who will stop at nothing until he is hers.

A refreshing and ensnaring read that keeps you on edge throughout the novel; Double Jeopardy is a suspense packed romance by Linda Wisdom.

The plot and characters intrigued me from the beginning, however I found the end to be slightly simple and anti-climatic, which is probably due to the fact that the novel seemed to be drawn out then have, what seemed to be, a rushed ending.

I did find that the identity of the antagonist, Josh’s stalker, was easy to guess. Despite the lack of hints and little to no evidence I was able to correctly predict the stalkers identity almost instantly. While this was disappointing, the novel had enough anticipation to make it an enjoyable read.

[Tory Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. I did guess who the ultimate villain was, but her reasoning wasn't what I'd thought it was, so that was awesome.

First - I really REALLY enjoyed the fact that it was the hero that had a stalker, rather than it being the heroine as so often happens. He's frustrated, getting a little uneasy as the stalker ramps up their obsession, and determined not to just ignore it/hope it goes away.

Ahh, Lauren. Moved to the middle of nowhere to get away from a bad reputation (completely undeserved, thanks to her jerk of an ex) and because she notices Josh, abruptly she's in the cross-hairs of Josh's stalker. Still, she doesn't let that stop her and in fact she throws herself into helping him find the stalker (of course that's because she doesn't really want to die and wants Josh).

The romance between these two grows nicely and we have some angst over whether they SHOULD get involved because of the looming stalker issue.

The resolution was completely satisfactory for me and I was rooting for them all the way. The secondary cast of characters was nice and hopefully we'll see more of them in future books from Ms. Wisdom.

Glad I read it. Four out of five gargoyles for me!

Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacy Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it. This story was well written and told in an engaging manner. Though the author tried to bury the villain we pretty much know her identity from she was introduced, but that did not matter, as I was still intrigued every time I dipped inside this villain's head. Lauren our leading lady was also a pretty cool character. Very straightforward, strong and did not take BS from anyone. I really liked that. I think the only thing she did to peeve me off was rushing to the rescue in the end. Errrm no...I did not find that realistic. She had a cop on hand that could have taken care of the issue. Josh was a sweet guy and I really liked him. Now I did not feel much in terms of the romance. Even when it was there I felt a little baffled. There was no intensity, no need, and that was a bit of a let down for me. I also couldn't figure out why they didn't simple install hidden cameras in both Josh and Lauren house to catch this stalker who kept breaking in over and over playing nasty tricks. Overall, it was a nice read and I will look for more from this author.

[Rosemary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

ADA Josh Brandon is a fierce advocate for laws that protect women from violence and abuse. He goes the extra mile. Is that why he is now being stalked? This woman wants him all to herself. She is dangerous and her crimes are escalating. Any woman that he shows an interest in is in danger. When he and Medical Examiner Lauren Hunter meet, the sparks fly. He's attracted and everyone knows it. Now she's a target. Can they find who is doing this before someone dies? Josh is a free-spirit who is passionate in his beliefs. His childhood trauma makes him who he is. He won't back down. Lauren is such a feisty, smart woman. The brutality she experienced is behind her. It won't define her as a person. Linda Wisdom has written a well told suspense novel that kept me guessing until the very end. With so many suspects the tension kept increasing. I couldn't put the book down until I knew who the stalker was. The characters were well written and the plot was gripping. Double Jeopardy is a powerful story.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay as I was reading the other reviews I'm baffled by the average reviews. This book was mystery with suspense and a great romance. The author enjoyed throwing a cast of suspects out there and I have to admit at times I was just too confused to pick just one.
The characters of Josh and Lauren were both strong with wicked sense of humor. The idea of the woman being a stalker instead of a male was a great change for me. The things Josh went through were truly terrifying at times.
This book moved at a perfect pace with great detail. The stalker came up with some pretty bizarre
and scary stunts. The scariest thing of all is that these type of circumstances happen and sometimes with disastrous results.
Overall there was nothing about this book I didn't like. You have a great cast of characters, a complete story with great details and a hot DA who is the knight in shining armor.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by Linda Randall Wisdom and I wasn't disappointed. Josh is used to helping protect women and Lauren is hiding and off all men thanks to what happened to her. I couldn't figure out who the stalker was. I kept guessing and didn't expect it. The sex scenes were so so, nothing in depth or intense but it was a good read to pass the crappy weather outside.

[Bette Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't one of my favorite books. The overall story was good, a fatal attraction stalker scenario, but it didn't flow very well. The banter between the H/h was a bit silly at times. I also felt the ending was a bit anticlimactic, we were never really told Josh was fixated on by the stalker.

[Catherine Wright (Cat's Guilty Pleasure) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was confused with most of the story. The story really didn't flow all that well. I didn't feel the sexual tension between the two or the romance. It did have a a great mystery, but this book just wasn't for me.

I was given a copy by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[T'Odes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I sat down and pinished myself...thats what i did with this book! Absolute rubbish. In a small town where people hear eachothers farts, a brilliant ADA, a brilliant pathologist and the entire police force couldnt catch a stalker?

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an ARC for review

Great stalker mystery (I didn't figure out who it was) with a touch of romance, but the sex scenes were just a vague walk-thru. Just okay, nothing extra.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great read. Lauren and Josh story is that sometimes love hits you when you least expected.