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New Man in Town #1

Secretive Stranger

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"Shouldn't you be dead?"

It's not enough that Sophie Campbell discovers her neighbor's body. His dead ringer has to show up at her doorstep. But this man's no ghost…the instant attraction that sparks between them is all too real.

College professor Cord Pruitt wants answers about his brother's murder. The woman downstairs must have seen something. But when Cord lays eyes on Sophie, all he wants to do is take her in his arms and protect her. With a killer on the loose, and all signs pointing toward Sophie as the next target, that's just what he will have to do….

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

6 people are currently reading
55 people want to read

About the author

Jennifer Greene

277 books165 followers
Winner of over 15 national awards, including the RWA Hall of Fame and the RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, Jennifer Greene weaves real issues, warm characters common-life humor, and page-turning romance and suspense into her stories.

Jennifer sold her first book in 1980, and since then has sold over 85 books in the contemporary romance genre. She won her first professional writing award from RWA, a “Silver Medallion” in 1984, followed by over 20 nominations and awards —including achieving RWA’s HALL OF FAME status, and the most coveted Nora Roberts LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

Jennifer has regularly been on a variety of bestseller lists, and has written for Harlequin, Avon, Berkley and Dell. Her books have sold all over the world in over 20 languages. She also accumulated a number of pseudonyms—most recognizably JENNIFER GREENE, but also JEANNE GRANT and JESSICA MASSEY.

She was born in Michigan, started writing stories in 7th grade, and graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in English and Psychology. The University honored her with their “Lantern Night Award”, a tradition developed to honor fifty outstanding women graduates each year. Exploring issues and concerns for women today is what first motivated her to write, and she has long been an enthusiastic and active supporter of women’s fiction, which she believes is an unbeatable way to reach out and support other women.

Jennifer lives in Michigan, just a short distance from Lake Michigan, with her husband Lar.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance

aka Jeanne Grant

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Harlequin Books.
18.4k reviews2,805 followers
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December 23, 2014
*Review written by an eHarlequin.com member

Secretive Stranger {New Man in Town}by Jennifer Greene
5.I love a good mystery and this is one....I love a good suspense that I can't figure out in the first half of the book and this is one. Needless to say I loved this book and will recommend it to those who like me love a good mystery and a good suspense in one book.

Sophie Campbell gets the shock of her life when she arrives home from work and find her neighbor naked and dead on the stairs leading to their apartments. The police give her a hard time and although they let her believe she is not a suspect they really do. Then just as she is settling down from the horror the dead man knocks on her door....or at least he looks identical to the dead man. This is more horror than she can stand in one day. She suffered from having her whole life destroyed at a young age when her parents died and she still has a hard time caring for or trusting anyone.

Cord Pruitt who is the dead man's twin brother arrives to go through his brother's apartment and to help the police find out if Sophie is guilty of the murder. The police want him to get close to Sophie to find out if she is the guilty person but he ends up really liking her and can't believe she did it. But then he finds himself falling for her and becomes convinced she's innocent....now all he has to do is find out what his brother was up to that got him killed and find out who really killed him.

Blurb ~~ "SHOULDN'T YOU BE DEAD?
It's not enough that Sophie Campbell discovers her neighbor's body. His dead ringer has to show up at her doorstep. But this man's no ghost...the instant attraction that sparks between them is all too real.
College professor Cord Pruitt wants answers about his brother's murder. The woman downstairs must have seen something. But when Cord lays eyes on Sophie, all he wants to do is take her in his arms and protect her. With a killer on the loose, and all signs pointing toward Sophie as the next target, that's just what he will have to do...."

December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!

Reviewed by ELLEN TOO on May 3rd, 2010, 10:07am
Profile Image for Paige.
1,908 reviews13 followers
April 11, 2011
Even in death Cord Pruitt is still cleaning up his brother, Jon's, messes. Known as a player who slept with everyone, well everyone but Sophie Cambell. Keeping a low profile every since her parent's horrible deaths at age 5 and being put into foster care, Sophie had no fear in Jon making a play for her. When she finds him dead the police automaticly think she knows more than she is letting on. They ask Cord to poke around and try to figure out what she knows. But from the moment he meets her and spends time with her, he is positive she is innocent. What isn't innocent is the heat buzzing between them like bumblebees. But as they descover more about Jon's secret life he was living, video taping his time with women, someone starts looking for the evidence tapes, which puts Sophie in deep danger. One thing I loved about this book was that the attraction/love between the two characters were very real, deep, and caring.
Profile Image for Mojca.
2,132 reviews169 followers
March 24, 2010
Someone murdered her next-door neighbor, a resident womanizer, and now Sophie finds herself as prime suspect, someone breaks into her apartment, and the victim’s younger brother gives her the shivers. Of a good kind.

This was a rather good story with nicely-drawn characters, good, intriguing suspense and good pacing. Sadly the story almost came to a stand-still when I figured who the villain was and the author concentrated more on the hots Cord and Sophie had for each other than the actual plot.

2 ½ stars
Profile Image for Shannon.
168 reviews
October 4, 2021
Lies with some DC surprise

Quick read that gets your attention from page one. It actually read it years ago when it first came out and enjoyed it then as well
Profile Image for Karagan.
129 reviews19 followers
April 12, 2010
Secretive Stranger is the beautifully written story of Sophie Campbell and Cord Pruitt. Two characters, both cut off from the world around them. Both suffering from a painful time in their pasts. Both instantly caught in a gravitational pull to one another.

While searching for the answers to who killed Cord’s brother, and why, Sophie and Cord also have the chance to rediscover love, trust, and being able to depend on someone else.

Endearing, and very often amusing, Secretive Stranger left me anxiously awaiting the continuation of the series due out later this year.
Profile Image for Nancy.
2,595 reviews65 followers
November 30, 2014
Washington DC. Engaging up to page 125
Lost steam after that. Heroine has a cool job.
Translator/historian. Part of 3 part series revolving around three sisters. Sophie & Cord.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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