Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Publication Date: April, 2012
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Description: Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.
Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems--and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something--and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.
With a quirky, unforgettable heroine and a pulse-pounding plotline, Nora Roberts presents a riveting new read that cements her place as today's most reliably entertaining thriller--and will leave people hungering for more.
My Thoughts: I knew this book was going to be special to me as soon as the heroine, Elizabeth Fitch is introduced. I quickly and easily connected with and could relate to her. On the outside, she comes across as a very lonely teenager who lives in her mother’s shadow doing what she’s told. On the inside is a young girl who aches to break free and find herself. A young girl on the brink of becoming a woman, she wants to live her life on her terms. After an argument with her mother, Elizabeth does what a lot of teens do. She rebels in a big way. She cuts and colors her hair, buys clothes and makeup that she knows her mother will disapprove of and makes plans with a girl she knows from high school to go to a trendy nightclub.
Liz is extremely intelligent. At sixteen, she is already attending Harvard and it is her mother’s wish that Liz become a doctor like she is. Liz’s wish is to join the FBI. She’s what a lot of people refer to as a geek, nerd or hacker. She has extraordinary computer skills and she uses her intelligence and computer skills to create fake identification for herself and Julie to get them into the nightclub. Initially, everything appears to be going well. Liz meets and dances and later kisses a man and makes plans to meet up with him later at the nightclub manager’s home. Unfortunately for Liz, she sees things she shouldn’t and finds herself on the run with some very bad people after her. The people after Liz are very powerful and will stop at nothing to silence her. Protective custody doesn’t keep her safe and she has to go on the run.
Twelve years later, Liz resurfaces, living in a small town in the Ozarks. She is using a different name, is loaded to the teeth with several types of firearms, installed high tech security and surveillance surrounding her property and has a very large dog. She is reclusive and tries to avoid most interactions with anyone. She is even reluctant to meet any of her security systems clients face to face.
Brooks Gleason has returned home to become the new police chief. I really liked Brooks. He goes on calls with his deputies and appears to have a good rapport with most of the folks in the area. A chance meeting with a woman named Abigail intrigues him to no end and he’s determined to get to know her whether she wants to or not. I really enjoyed how real the tension between Abigail and Brooks was in the beginning. Abigail’s life depends on her keeping herself out of the spotlight and for the last twelve years, she has done very well and isn’t willing to trust anyone. Brooks senses there’s more to Abigail than meets the eye and he is determined to gain her trust and hopefully a lot more. I loved that even though Brooks is a man’s man, he isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. I also loved that he doesn’t badger Abigail or dig around in her past looking for information. He wears down her defenses with honesty, compassion and love.
The criminals after Liz are still out there, still looking for her. She knows she will have to take a proactive step to bring this to an end so she can start living her life without looking over her shoulder every minute. I loved the whole book but when the story shifts to Liz/Abigail confiding in Brooks and as a team, they come up with a plan to resolve it, I couldn’t put the book down but I was worried that the whole plan would blow up in their face.
My Final Verdict: Overall this was a fantastic book! Excellent pacing of the story, super intense plot and intriguing characters makes this book worthy of any keeper shelf. But I’m not stopping there. This book deserves the highest rating because it pulled me out of a slump and continues to stay with me. I was feeling a lot of anticipation with how Ms. Roberts would wrap up the story and though I am extremely pleased at the outcome, I felt a sense of loss that it’s over. I heartily recommend this book to readers who enjoy romance that isn’t mushy or sappy, suspense and action that keeps you guessing at what is coming next and characters who are written so realistically they seem to come alive on the pages.
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