Playing Dead    by Allison Brennan Order:  USA  Can Ballantine, 2008 (2008) Paperback, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Claire knew her father,Tom O'Brien, killed her mother and her mother's lover. She saw him with a gun and bloody hands, didn't she? She saw her mother and her lover sprawled out on the bed, dead eyes looking at nothing. Claire was fourteen years old, for God's sake, and her life just fell apart. She sat through her father's trial and mourned her mother and the life she should have had, hating her father. Now fifteen years later, he stands in front of her and tells her he is innocent! Innocent? How could that be? Tom has escaped from jail and wants to prove his innocence before the state executes him. At this point, the FBI enters the story in the form of agent Mitch Bianchi, whose job is to gain Claire's confidence and discover if she knows where her father is hiding out. One small twist. Mitch falls in love with Claire. In the meantime, other people are dying and the reader is treated to the thoughts of the assassin. Playing Dead has a convoluted plot which works well. The characters also work well, especially since they're involved in greed, corruption and politics. The action is slow moving but well done, especially the gripping finale. This suspenseful tale will satisfy mystery lovers as well as those who fancy a good romance. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews