Always Time to Die

ALWAYS TIME TO DIE was an excellent romantic suspense title. Carly May is a family historian who was hired to write the story of the family of the Governor of New Mexico. His eccentric aunt hired her. She wants her to concentrate on the Castillo family - the female line. The Governor, who is soon to be running for President, is not at all encouraging. He apparently has secrets to keep about his twisted family tree.

Daniel Duran is home to recover from an injury to his leg gained on a job for St. Kilda Consulting. He is also quietly looking into drug trafficking in the area for his employer. He knows what a twisted situation Carly is going to find and develops an unexpected desire to keep her safe.

From dead rats on pillows, to vandalized show more cars, and bricks heaved through windows, Dan and Carly have to deal with someone who really wants to scare Carly away from her task of writing that family history.

I really enjoyed all the interesting details about genealogy that were woven into this story. I liked that both Carly and Dan were competent adults with lots of things in common. The story was fast-paced and filled with action. I also thought the romance was realistic. show less

Powerful family secrets are the center of this story. It's filled with characters that are part of the family or are in some way connected to the family and they all have secrets. Details about those secrets are slowly revealed throughout the book; some of which leads to further investigation and danger for Carly and Dan. There is an extremely large number of characters that makes it a bit difficult to sort out exactly who is who, but there is a family tree at the beginning of the book does help. The unexpected twist toward the end of the book makes wading through the huge number of details in the early part of the story worth the effort. The romance between Carly and Dan plays second fiddle to the mystery surrounding the Quintrell & show more Castillo family. Overall, it's a well written story that just has way too many characters. show less

Carolina May has been hired by Winifred Castillo to trace her family's history, but some people in Winifred's family don't want their long-held secrets revealed, especially Winifred's nephew, Governor Josh Quintrell of New Mexico. When Josh's father, US Senator and womanizer, AJ Quintrell dies, Josh decides to use his death to propel him into a run for the presidency. At the same time, threats against Carly begin with a bloody dead rat on her pillow. Dan Duran of St. Kilda Consulting is home due to an injury that he sustained while on the job that he continues to tell people occurred in a climbing accident. He recognizes that Carly has an uphill battle trying to trace the family's history, so he decides to help and hopes that he will be show more there if threats against Carly become more violent.
Powerful family secrets are the center of Always Time to Die. The story is filled with characters that are part of the family or are in some way connected to the family that have secrets of their own. Details about those secrets are slowly revealed throughout the book; some of which leads to further investigation and danger for Carly and Dan. The large number of characters in the story make it a little difficult to follow, but the family tree at the beginning of the book does help. There is an unexpected twist toward the end of the book, making the struggle through the multitude of details earlier in the story worth the effort. The romance between Carly and Dan plays second fiddle to the mystery surrounding the Quintrell/Castillo family. Overall, a well written and researched story that suffers a little from so many characters. show less

Always Time to Die
4 Stars

Synopsis
Carly May is a genealogist hired by Winifred Castillo to trace the history of her family. But someone in the Quintrell-Castillo line would rather keep old and dark secrets buried with the dead. Soon Carly finds herself the target of a sinister foe who will stop at nothing to prevent her from discovering the truth. The only person Carly can turn to is Dan Duran, a dangerous enigma with ties to the Quintrells and secrets of his own.

Review
Well-paced action and suspense.

The history of New Mexico is interesting and the genealogical aspects well-researched and explained in a way that even this science-phobe could understand (the table at the front of the book is especially useful for keeping track of who's show more who). Some readers may find the details excessive and tiresome but it is relevant and necessary to the plot.

The mystery is intriguing and there are just enough clues to figure it all out in time. Nevertheless, the story lacks a sense of urgency and the big confrontation scene never comes. Moreover, the transition to the epilogue is so sudden that I thought my copy might be missing a few pages.

There are also several loose ends such as the origins and nature of St. Kilda's consulting, what really happened to Sylvia Quintrell, why does Alma have it in for Carly, what are Carly's roots and what happened to Lucia and Armondo?

The romance is secondary and while the sexual tension between Dan and Carly is excellent, their chemistry never really materializes. Carly's spunk and sass, however, are a definite highlight and her banter with Dan is simply brilliant.

Overall, an intriguing read that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. I will be continuing with the series. show less

Carly May is hired by aging and ailing Winifred Castillo y Simmons to research the Castillo family history. Winifred is aware that the secrets revealed about the Castillos, and her sister's husband's family, the Quintrells (one of whom was a Senator, another the Governor) are secrets worth killing to keep. Dan Duran is a "vacationing" spy/FBI-type who has a very personal stake in the Quintrell/Castillo history and a very hard time keeping his hands off Carly.
An excellent book. Engaging characters, steamy romance, a (mostly) believable suspense plot and very well-written. Enough clues are dropped along the way that the reader feels like he/she has solved the mystery. The reader does not turn out to be completely wrong, but just wrong show more enough to be surprised, and pleased. show less

Synopsis:Carly May has been invited to the Quintrell compound to write a genealogy of the women of the Quintrell family. In doing this she uncovers some information that has cost the lives of several women and endangers hers. Dan Duran doesn't want to be involved, but is drawn into the drama and into the danger.
Review: Interesting book with lots of action, adventure, sinister mini-plots, and, of course, romance.

This is a story about dark family secrets. There is a lot of information in this book and it is hard to keep all the families straight. I like Elizabeth Lowell's books but at times this book seemed to me to be bogged down with dates, times, events and people from years and years ago. While it all finally came together, it took awhile for me to get into it.

The powerful Quintrell family of New Mexico has spent decades in the public eye. Now the recent death of the clan's patriarch, a former U.S. senator, has placed his son, Governor Josh Quintrell, squarely in the spotlight as he prepares his run for the highest political office in the land. It is not a good time to be rattling skeletons in the family's closets.