Date Reviewed: January 15, 2006
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by Darline Dorce-Coupet
Firefly Publishing and Entertainment, March 2006
577 Pages, Paperback, $19.95
ISBN: 0977412601
Genre: Erotic Horror/Romantic Fiction

RAW Rating: 3.5
The Saga Continues

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea opens with a bang as rap sensation Cedric Courage is being questioned by police about the murder of his wife, Arielle, the love of his life. It is immediately apparent that this is more than a run-of the-mill murder investigation, as Arielle and her lover Danyel (who happens to be her cousin) are killed during an act of passion. This of course makes Cedric a prime suspect. As Cedric is trying to make sense of what has taken place and mourn the loss of his wife, there is something more sinister looming in the background -- he has been receiving death threats. The death threats bring the FBI and more specifically, Special Agent Kendra Jade, into the picture.

Kendra and Cedric spend a lot of time together in the months that follow, as she and the other agents attempt to protect Cedric and figure out the source of the threats. Over time, their mutual attraction becomes harder and harder to ignore. However, Arielle's ghost continues to linger in Cedric's life, to the point that he is losing control of everything around him. Strange things begin happening to him that make him begin to think that maybe death isn't even enough to keep him and Arielle apart. Consumed by the love he had for his wife and the hurt and betrayal he feels about her relationship with her cousin, he goes to great lengths, even trying to overcome death, to have his second shot at love. Both Cedric and Kendra play second fiddle; Kendra can't compete with Arielle's memory, and Cedric can't accept that Arielle, a woman he loved whole-heartedly, loved Danyel more. The story that develops is one of intrigue and suspense, filled with ghosts and mystery gunmen. It is supernatural, romantic, and at times downright kinky.