D is a contract killer, and he is the best in the business. When somebody wants a person disposed of, they contact his handler, and for the right price, D takes care of the hit quickly and efficiently. He's a killer with a conscience, however, and only takes contracts for those deaths he feels are deserved. When he is offered a contract to kill a witness to a mob hit, D initially refuses- until his employer resorts to blackmail.

After Dr. Jack Francisco witnesses a murder carried out by a local crime syndicate, he is placed in protective custody by the US Marshalls until the trial. When he finds a man with a gun waiting in his living room one day, he figures his life is over.

D can't pull the trigger, but he knows that if he doesn't fulfill the contract, somebody else will. Now he and Jack are on the run, both with contracts on their heads, and while D has sworn to keep Jack safe until he can testify in court, he doesn't realize that he will end up needing the protection of his charge as well. Although they are from completely different worlds, Jack and D form a connection - part based on necessity and part based on budding friendship - that develops unexpectedly into something physical and emotional. As they work to stay alive, Jack will help D rediscover the humanity he thought he had lost, and D will show Jack that he's willing to go to any limit to keep the one he loves safe.

I'm finding it hard to believe that Zero at the Bone is Jane Seville's first published work, because...wow. It is an excellent read - well-plotted, fantastically characterized, fast-paced, and exciting. This novel held me captivated from the very first page, to the point where I could hardly put it down to take a break. It is both a thriller and a surprising love story that will appeal to readers on many different levels: adrenaline, suspense, and emotion just to name a few.

In Jack and D, Ms. Seville gives us two completely appealing characters. D is a man with a broken and painful past who has buried his emotions and discarded his name, but he hasn't been able to extinguish his conscience or his sense of justice. He's definitely a killer, but he redeems himself completely during the course of the novel, and readers will love him for it. Jack may be playing the role of "the damsel in distress," but he's no pushover. He's clever and caring and definitely a "people person," which makes him a very surprising match for D.

In all, this is a novel worth reading. For its mixture of fast-paced action, compelling characterization, and unexpected romance, I heartily endorse Zero at the Bone as a Recommended Read.

Reviewed by: Whitney