"Jude's Law" not up to Lori Foster's usual standard

Former bad-boy actor Jude Jamison finds himself disenchanted with Hollywood and making a home for himself in way in Stillbrook, Ohio, in "Jude's Law" by Lori Foster ($6.99, Zebra Books).

However, he still has his money and fame and offers pouring in from Hollywood, but for the moment Jude's only got one interest and that's gallery owner May Price.

Jude's crazy about May, but she just doesn't seem to get the message. Even when Jude spells it out for her, May thinks he's kidding around. Besides, she has other things on her mind.

Like her family from hell: a supercritical mother who likes to self-medicate, a father who's so busy chasing other women that he could care less what goes on at home and her drunken sot of a brother who's just involved May in a murderous plot.

Well, it's not murder yet. Tim Price has been "persuaded" by a couple of goons that if he wants their boss to forget the huge gambling debt he owes, he'll do the boss a favor and kill Jude Jamison. Of course, Tim goes running to May and because Tim is insistent that she not go to the police, May goes to Jude to warn him that someone wants him dead.

The plot of "Jude's Law" is kind of shaky and seems forced. Of course, even a "bad" Lori Foster novel is better than most, but it was definitely lacking her usual sparkle. The subplot involving May's best friend Ashley is more interesting than the main story.

If you haven't read a Foster book, I'd suggest starting with "Say No to Joe?," an excellent example of her storytelling skills.