[Montgomery/Taggert (Publication order) 14] • High Tide

In all of her wonderful *New York Times* bestsellers, Jude Deveraux crafts more than just a magnificent story: she creates positively unforgettable characters who live on long after the last page is turned. In this sizzling new novel, she features a hero from one of her best-loved families -- the dashing Montgomerys -- and entwines thrilling sensuality, warmhearted wit, and hotblooded suspense.

A rising star at a Manhattan corporation, Fiona Burkenhalter is a New Yorker through and through, with a New Yorker's disdain for anywhere but the city's bustling streets. When her boss inexplicably sends her to handle a new account in the Florida Everglades, it may as well be another planet to city slicker Fiona. But this is no ordinary business meeting: Fiona is to join her client on a rustic fishing expedition, accompanied by a guide with the larger-than-life name of Ace Montgomery.

More than a little steamed at this detour from the executive fast track, Fiona never imagined that she'd embarked on the wildest adventure of her life -- or that the rough-hewn, undeniably handsome Ace Montgomery from the Southern backwoods would become her closest ally. But hair-raising circumstances pull her deep into trouble from the moment she steps off the plane. Only in Florida could Fiona get arrested for smashing to smithereens a frighteningly lifelike mechanical alligator.

And only in the heart of the swamplands could she get lost in a maze of intrigue and become the prime suspect for a shocking murder -- with Ace as her presumed accomplice. Suddenly, they discover that they have inherited the murder victim's vast fortune -- and they are now Florida's most wanted couple!

Joining forces is a matter of survival for Ace and Fiona. Following a string of jumbled clues tied to childhood memories -- a fabulous yarn that Fiona's father once told her, a long-lost treasure map -- they desperately attempt to decipher their connection to the deadly inheritance. As they wade into the murky waters of past secrets, an irresistible chemistry flares -- and Fiona surrenders to the legendary Montgomery charm. Now, with their lives *and* hearts on the line, they turn up the heat in their desperate search for a killer.

Take off on a wild ride with *High Tide,* and discover once more why Jude Deveraux -- and her marvelous Montgomerys -- have won the hearts of millions.