Title: Perilous Circles
Author: Diane Gilmore
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published in September 2004 by Aventine Press
IBSN: 1-59330-209-6
Craig Phillips is a twenty-seven-year-old struggling musician in London. His rock band, Fury, consists of three other members. Craig’s kid bother Shaun Phillips is the bass player, Andrew Townsend is the drummer, and co-founder Steve Mitchell is the keyboard player. Craig is the lead guitarist. Music has always drawn Craig. It has been his refuge and a way to express his true feelings. He writes most of the songs for the group. The band members have taken on other jobs in order to have enough money to survive. Craig and Steve have been supplementing their income by transporting drugs for Bongiorno, one of the top drug dealers in England. When they first started making the drops for him, they only had to do it a couple of times of the month. Now that they have learned the finer points of the drug trade, the jobs have been coming every few days. The jobs for Bongiorno have been escalating in not only frequency, but in danger recently. When Craig and Steve go to one ill-fated delivery, the other man with them is gunned down. They come to the realization that the money just is not worth losing their lives over. They decide that they must cut their ties and forget about the extra money. The same night they make this decision, the band meets a woman from America, and their lives are forever changed.
Craig watches the beautiful, vibrant woman from the stage as the band plays and pegs her as one of the silly young girls that hang around the bar. When he meets her, he is amazed that she is intelligent, with an inner strength that fascinates him. He is used to dealing with groupies and the change in pace is a welcome diversion. He convinces her to go out with him and he is stunned when he finds out that her claim of being an American music publicist is true. Craig takes Taylor sightseeing around the English countryside, which gives them the opportunity to discuss the band making a demo to send to her father in the States. Before meeting Taylor, Craig has never had any trouble getting anything he wants from a woman. He says or does anything, including lie, to get his way. His feelings for Taylor confuse him when he realizes that he is falling in love with her.
Taylor Fairchild is in London on a forced vacation. After her divorce from a country and western singer, her father gave her the choice of being fired, or taking a three-week vacation in London. Taylor protested the vacation, but finally gave in to her father’s demands. She goes on the vacation with her best friend and fellow co-worker Susan Holmes. Taylor lets Susan drag her to the Sword and Stone Pub in one of the most untamed parts of London soon after their arrival. The creative look and electro-pop sound of the band featured at the pub captivates Taylor when she first sees them come on stage. As they play, she realizes that they have that natural hidden quality that sets them apart from any other group she has heard recently. Her sixth sense is screaming that they could make a huge name for themselves in America with help from her father’s company. She feels a tingle in her veins when she locks eyes with the lead guitarist while he is playing onstage. Taylor is determined to talk to the band and get a copy of their demo to send to her father.
The greeting Taylor receives from the band members when she first approaches them about her father’s company representing them shocks her. Taylor was not impressed with how they talked to her, refusing to believe her just because she was an American. After storming off, Taylor realizes that since the band has such potential, she will have to go back the next night and try to talk to them again about the demo. When the lead guitarist waves a white flag in front of her face, she realizes that maybe he was not as juvenile as the other band members were and they agree to call a truce. Taylor is confused by the secrets that Craig seems to be keeping from her. The unplanned meeting between Craig and another man and the explanation that just does not make sense. Steve showing up at Craig’s house beat up and Craig refusing to take him to the hospital or to call the police. All the secrets and Craig’s attitude hurt Taylor, and even though her feeling for Craig are being stronger everyday, she does not know if she can trust him with her love.
Perilous Circles is a very interesting tale that looks at the wild side of rock and roll. Diane Gilmore has given the reader a glimpse of what struggling musicians sometimes do to survive and the high price they have to pay just to survive. After Taylor’s father hears Fury’s demo, they are on their way to America to become the next big name sensation. The band is both overwhelmed and overjoyed at playing at classy joints in America since they are used to only playing in rough and rowdy pubs in London. As their career takes off, Craig must find a way to overcome the past and get out from under Bongiorno’s thumb and try to save the ones that he loves above all else. Taylor must deal with both her feelings regarding Craig’s past and Craig’s disappearance on a mysterious trip to Mexico.
Perilous Circles by Diane Gilmore encompasses romance, but also has murder, corruption, intrigue, and suspense thrown in to create a tale that you cannot put down because you just have to know what happens next. I enjoyed the interaction between the characters and the glimpse at the seedier side of being a musician. I have to say some of the words that the band members used stick out in my mind after I put down the book. I do not usually read modern day novels set in foreign countries, but I enjoyed their use of such colorful words as frog, mate, and yank. Pick up a copy today to find out what happens in Mexico, and to see if the love Craig and Taylor share will be able to survive his past when it comes back to haunt him.
Yours Sincerely,
Annmarie
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