It's been ages since I read a Christine Feehan book. I read all of, and absolutely loved her Dark Carpathian series...so was interested to see how this one was going to fare out. Different... but I believe will just as good, eventually. Few characters can match those sexy vampire-like beings from that series, but I did love Zale Vizzini in this one. I said..."will eventually be just as good", so I need to clarify that. About 60% of the book focused on the women bonding. There was so much detail on their group conversations and too much, mostly non-essential to the story detail, about their activities...hiking, kayaking, and climbing. Some of these details about the women were repeated multiple times. It was almost as if the story needed to be stretched out or the author had to account for a certain number of words. I'm used to there being plenty of "spooky activity" in her books and I kept waiting for something, anything other than hiking, climbing and kayaking...to happen. So many of the scenes seemed to have no real purpose. Please don't think that this book didn't have promise and some really good parts, or that it was in any way badly written. Based on her previous work I was just expecting a bit more. Because Christine Feehan has always produced top-of-the-line stories...I will happily read the next book in this series...and I may have to pay the Carpathians a revisit. ( )

When she isn't hiking, climbing, nursing, rafting, or working search and rescue, Vienna Mortenson is playing poker, using a special ability she has which tells her what cards everyone has. Normally Vienna would play online, but she has been invited by a prestigious casino owner to play in his nationally televised tournament and has waved her entry fee. Vienna is intrigued, and the tournament corresponds with the bachelorette party that she has planned for her friend, Stella, but trouble comes when undercover agent, Zale Vizzini, the man who walked away from her months ago without a backward glance, shows up at the tournament as bodyguard for one of the wealthy players.

Red on the River is extremely problematic. One issue is that there are way too many characters, leaving them all underdeveloped. Another issue is that this plot seems to have no focus, making the objectives unclear. The most frustrating issue is the amount of action and story that takes place off page so the reader is overwhelmed with dialogue that goes nowhere, events that seem unimportant and plot points that seem ridiculous. All of these issues could have been acceptable in a humorous, campy story with fun characters who are deeply in love, but the romance is barely included. Overall, Red on the River is a disappointing narrative that offers very little for the reader to enjoy. ( )

While not listed as part of a series, RED ON THE RIVER stars many of the same characters as the author's recent MURDER AT SUNRISE LAKE. This time the band of fast friends are getting ready to celebrate Stella's wedding by taking part in lots of outdoor adventures that are on her wishlist. But first, Vienna Mortenson is scheduled to play in a big poker tournament in Las Vegas.

Vienna Mortenson is a surgical nurse, head of her county's search and rescue, beautiful and brilliant and has a psychic gift that lets her see what cards her opponents have which makes it easy for her to win big bucks at poker. She usually plays online using the money to support her hospital and the local search and rescue efforts along with building her own retirement nest egg.

Zale Vizzini met Vienna during the first case and then they had a six-week romance while spending time camping. Then he disappeared back to his secret life as an undercover operative breaking Vienna's heart. Now he's back investigating in the same hotel where Vienna is and wants to get back together. But he's keeping secrets which doesn't incline Vienna to want to take a second chance on him.

However, as Vienna becomes the target of someone who wants her dead, she needs to depend on Zale and her girl pack to survive.

It isn't often that one reads a romantic suspense title with a glossary, but this story had two. First of all, there were rather complete depictions of the Texas Hold Em tournament games with its required vocabulary. Second, the specific vocabulary of rock climbing was used when the girls began their outdoor adventures for stella's pre-wedding adventures.

Fans of Feehan's work with likely enjoy this story despite the fact that the girl pack is all filled with larger-than-life characters - beautiful, brilliant, talented in many ways but with secrets that give them a hint of vulnerability. I also had a little problem with Vienna's psychic gift. While I could accept her gift in face-to-face poker games, I had more trouble believing that her talent as described would work in an online environment. Suspend disbelief and read this one for the adventure and for the romance. ( )