Book Thingo » Romantic suspense

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Kat — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:00:00 +0000

A satisfying romantic suspense with a capable heroine. The romance lacks intensity, but a decent mystery plot keeps the pages turning.

The thing about Nora Roberts is that I almost always enjoy her books—just never enough to want to buy her next one and let’s not even contemplate her backlist. Chasing Fire is no exception.

Rowan Tripp is an experienced firefighter with the US equivalent of the rural fire service, but it’s a little different this time. She lost a jump partner in a freak accident the previous season, and it seems someone has put the blame squarely at her feet.

There are a pool potential suspects, even though Rowan isn’t comfortable thinking that any of them could be capable of sabotage and murder. Aside from staff at the base station, there’s her fellow fire fighters, who rely on each other’s trust for survival. There’s also the newest batch of smoke-jumping recruits—firefighters who get flown into a middle of a bush fire.

One of these recruits is Gull Curry—perhaps one of the least romantic names I’ve seen in the genre—who is immediately attracted to Tripp’s ‘package’ and ‘attitude’. Curry’s a nice guy…and remains so throughout the entire book. The romance develops gradually, but it’s not quite central to the story. It’s nice to have, but not essential.

More interesting are the secondary characters, even though there are so many of them it’s sometimes tricky to get them straight. Roberts likes to play around with stereotypes, and this is refreshing to read—the hot blonde who loves shoes but can complete an obstacle course, the sexist redneck who concedes he’s wrong about women smoke-jumpers. There’s a lot of camaraderie in the team, which Roberts captures very well.

After several attempts at reading Roberts’s contemporary novels—including her Chesapeake Bay saga, which seems to be universally recommended by everyone who recommends her work—I think we’ll have to chalk it down to a matter of style and personal taste. She writes gutsy, empowered heroines and heroes who support rather than dominate. I love this; I do. But for some reason, Roberts still fails to move me.

In Chasing Fire I can understand why. Much of the book focuses on Rowan’s development and in solving the murder mystery. These are interesting parts of the plot and Roberts doesn’t make it easy to guess the culprit—she throws enough seeds of doubt that you’re kind of almost sure you know who it is, but you kind of maybe think you’re wrong.

So perhaps it’s the romantic suspense subgenre I struggle with. The more I consider this idea, the more it makes sense. But that would require a post of its own.

Yay or nay?

Chasing Fire is a satisfying romantic suspense with a capable heroine. The romance lacks intensity, but a decent mystery plot keeps the pages turning.

Who might enjoy it: Romantic suspense fans who enjoy a strong heroine and a non-domineering hero

Who might not enjoy it: Romance readers who are all about the angst

A review copy of this book was generously provided by Hachette Australia.

Title: Chasing Fire (excerpt — PDF)
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Hachette Australia
C format: 9780749952181 (4/2011)
Hardback: 9780749952976 (4/2011)

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New York to Dallas by J. D. Robb

Kat — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:30:00 +0000

New York to Dallas by J. D. Robb (In Death, Book 33)

The plot brings nothing new to crime fiction. Nevertheless, this is a reasonably good thriller that should allow In Death series fans to finally get some closure on Eve Dallas’s traumatic past.

I almost didn’t finish this book. In fact, it was almost DNF before it even really began. I’ve read the first few J. D. Robb novels, and I read Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series until the plot and characters went a bit WTF. So I’m not a stranger to crime fiction and the serial criminals that authors like to foist on readers.

But, for some reason, the beginning of New York to Dallas had my tummy churning. Serial child rapist Isaac McQueen was Eve Dallas’s first major arrest, and now he’s escaped prison. He’s determined to make Eve pay for putting him in prison, and forces her to return to Dallas.

Readers of the series will know that Dallas is where, as a child, Eve finally escaped from her abusive father by stabbing him as he tried to rape her. Eve thinks she’s dealt with her past, but we—and husband Roarke—know this isn’t entirely true.

McQueen’s actions are calculated to discompose Eve. Because series fans know so much about Eve’s past by now, it’s not too difficult to anticipate some of the twists in the plot. Still, Robb uses these to provide Eve—and Roarke—with enough emotional conflict to keep them off-kilter.

This isn’t so much a mystery as a police chase. We know who the criminal is, and to some extent Eve tells us what his next move will be. The thrill is in how Eve will eventually bring him to justice. The way Robb arranges their final confrontation is almost a disappointment—I could see it coming from about the time Eve arrives in Dallas.

The investigation involves a task force that includes Eve, her team in New York, the Dallas police, the FBI and Roarke’s one-man IT forensic expertise. I love Roarke as a romance hero, but his ability to buy everything and hack into everything in, like, two minutes was off-putting. I know it has to be this way so Eve won’t constantly be vulnerable outside of her job, but it’s still kind of annoying.

Robb also spends some time dealing with Eve’s fragile emotional state. Series fans will probably find that this provides some closure on Eve’s past, but I admit to skipping most of the session with Mira, her therapist and surrogate mum.

Yay or nay?

The plot brings nothing new to crime fiction. Nevertheless, this is a reasonably good thriller that should allow In Death series fans to finally get some closure on Eve Dallas’s traumatic past.

Who might enjoy it: Crime fiction readers who prefer that innocent victims survive

Who might not enjoy it: The squeamish and the paranoid

A review copy of this book was generously provided by Hachette Australia.

Title: New York to Dallas (excerpt — PDF)
Series: In Death (Book 33)
Author: J. D. Robb
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Hardback: 9780749955762 (9/2011)
C format: 9780749955816 (9/2011)

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Salvation in Death by J. D. Robb

Viper’s Kiss by Shannon Curtis

Kat — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Viper's Kiss by Shannon Curtis

A fun romp, but lacks the depth I want in a romance and the plausibility I want in suspense.

I’ll be honest. This book is a bit all over the place. The title smacks of the paranormal—snake shifters, anyone?—but the story is romantic suspense and ‘Viper’ is the codename for a notorious spy.

The cover is beefy, but the more sympathetic character is librarian heroine Maggie Kincaid, who is mistaken for Viper and is trying to avoid arrest, capture and/or torture, depending on who’s doing the chasing.

Luke Fletcher is a private security operative—ex-Special Forces, of course—hired to track down Viper and the top-secret technology she’s stolen from a research facility.

Debut Australian author Shannon Curtis tries to do too much in a story that, by virtue of the plot, needs to be fast-paced. Maggie’s decisions don’t always make sense, and Luke may well be the most incompetent security operative working for the good side. You have to question how valuable the lost technology really is, or how much harm it could cause in the wrong hands when the recovery job is given to the company’s newest recruit, who manages to lose the suspect when she goes to the bathroom and escapes through a window. It’s a wonder he wasn’t sacked halfway through the book.

The addition of Maggie’s dying mother and her family backstory are extra complications that the plot doesn’t really need. I would’ve been content to have a solid suspense plot with credible characters.

Yay or nay?

There’s enough for Viper’s Kiss to be a fun romp for readers looking for a quick romantic suspense fix, but it lacks the depth I want in a romance and the plausibility I want in suspense.

Title: Viper’s Kiss (excerpt)
Author: Shannon Curtis
Publisher: Carina Press
Ebook: 9781426891922 (25/7/2011)

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Night’s Cold Kiss by Tracey O’Hara

Wings of Fear by Helene Young (formerly called Border Watch)

Wandergurl — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:17 +0000

Border Watch by Helene Young (formerly called Border Watch)

In which we discover that an Aussie book by a real Aussie does not include the words ‘fair dinkum’.

You can probably tell that I haven’t read many Aussie authored novels. Or, if I have, I didn’t really know they were. Or they weren’t set here (or in this era!). Most of my Australian based romances came in category form, where characters lived in the outback, were written by Americans, said ‘ass’ instead of ‘arse’ (Kat’s mega pet peeve) and said ‘fair dinkum’ a hell of a lot. Now, there’s nothing wrong with ‘fair dinkum,’ but honestly I think I have heard it fewer times than the number of years I have been in this country.

Wings of Fear was nothing like the stereotypical category romance I read growing up, proving that if you want to write about Australia, you really do need an Aussie to get it right.

Morgan Pentland is the captain of a border patrol plane that flies over Northern Queensland, keeping watch for smugglers, illegal fishermen and the like. Rafe Daniels is a Customs agent assigned to join her crew for the time being. He’s there to investigate a potential breach in security and, without her knowing, she is his prime suspect. In the course of his investigation shit happens, their plane crashes, but of course they fall in love—except they have to save the world first.

As you can probably already tell, I really liked the language and the realism in the characterisation. The people in this book could have been my neighbours (except nicer and less snotty in the city-sider kind of way!), they spoke like someone I could meet while walking down the street. There was something about that familiarity that was comforting, and made me appreciate the characters more.

Morgan is strong and fragile at the same time. While her strength and emergence from a difficult past was shown in her actions I felt that her back story came in a bit of a small info dump. There was also no need for Rafe to repeat how much she must have gone through and how strong she was through it all in his head every time he thought about her. I’m really glad she got her happy ending because a lot happened to her, both emotionally and physically. I winced with every blister she got and really felt for her, even if we had such different backgrounds.

Rafe is a decent bloke. (Or, in American: a good man.) He seems like the kind of guy that you’d want around to back you up. I for one wouldn’t mind having him around. :) I do feel, though, that this is more Morgan’s story, and so he isn’t as well fleshed out, but he doesn’t come out looking like a prop either, so in the end his character is pretty well-balanced.

I loved the secondary characters. I could totally see the banter between Gavin and Lauren and the fussiness of Morgan’s kindhearted neighbours. I did, however, have slight issues with the bad guy, whose name was Nadal. I had to consciously focus a bit so I wouldn’t keep seeing the world’s number one tennis player and his really nice butt!

This book made me want to travel to Northern Queensland, which says a lot, considering my first words were something like, ‘Where the hell is Weipa?’ I wanted to sit in a hammock on the beach having a beer. It was also exciting and action packed—I was late twice back from break because I was so caught up. The author’s experience as a pilot clearly shows in the way the scenes are played out. I didn’t find the descriptions too technical, and overall I understood most terms clearly, though OMG, so many acronyms! (This, I believe, is because all governments are bureaucracies that need them!)

*** Slight spoilers ***

If there was one thing I didn’t like it’s that in the end Rafe proposes to Morgan. I know this is typical of romance novels but to me that doesn’t have to happen at the end of a contemporary romance anymore. While I believe that fell in love, that they were going to make the effort and go the distance, it didn’t seem realistic to me that suddenly he would propose. I felt it was more believable that the story was left open-ended. Given Morgan’s many issues and the way Australians these days are more likely to do long-term relationships that may even just continue on without marriage thanks to the de facto option, they did not have to get married.

*** End spoilers ***

Yay or Nay?

I liked this book. It was a strong, action-packed debut. For me it was less of a suspense and more of an adventure—with guns. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a romantic suspense novel with a strong heroine in a not-so-typical setting. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.

Title: Border Watch/Wings of Fear (excerpt)
Author: Helene Young
Publisher: Hachette Australia
C format: 9780733624902 (Border Watch — 1/5/2010)
A format: 780733627125 (Wings of Fear — 1/2/2011)

Where you can buy this book

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Border Watch by Helene Young (re-released as Wings of Fear)

Decadence — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:16 +0000

Border Watch by Helene Young (retitled as Wings of Fear)

Intelligently written and down to earth without being boring, this is a book to refresh your romantic palate without completely departing from the genre.

This review was previously posted on the Australian Romance Readers Association blog.

The first in a trilogy based on Australia’s aviation industry, Border Watch by Helene Young is the story of Captain Morgan Pentland, who has overcome a childhood of violence to become a border patrol pilot, and Commander Rafe Daniels, a former SAS officer who suspects Morgan of leaking information to terrorists.

Sparks flew between Morgan and Rafe from the moment they met and when Rafe joins Morgan’s team, they share a combative banter, unwilling to admit to their attraction. A terrorist attack brings them closer and they develop a mutual admiration and respect for the other’s strength, but remain unwilling to get involved.

The inquiry that brought Rafe and Morgan into proximity again also keeps them apart as Rafe is forced to maintain the integrity of his investigation by keeping secrets from Morgan. She holds him at arm’s length because she’s been burned before and thinks that being strong means not letting anyone in.

More a suspense with romantic elements, Border Watch isn’t a traditional romance novel; with national security at stake, the romance has to become a more subtle aspect of the story. However Young makes sure to give Morgan and Rafe a happy ending that does her characters justice. The title refers not only to guarding the Australian coastline, but also the walls that Rafe and Morgan have built around themselves and, after the resolution of Rafe’s investigation, Young finally allows Rafe the space to deal with his survivor’s guilt and Morgan with her trust issues and her need to be strong before they can become a couple.

Morgan is a very likable heroine as the victim who refuses to give in. Her care and compassion make her a good match for Rafe, whose need to serve and ability to rise above himself is mirrored in Morgan. Both characters have a few flaws but they only make them more interesting and realistic.

Border Watch is a very Australian book. The language is Australian, the issues and politics are Australian and the landscape is almost a character in its own right. Young did an amazing job of bringing the tropical north to life from the beautiful views and wildlife to the unrelenting heat. I was pulled into her world and would like to see Border Watch be made available to the international market so they can see there’s more to us than kangaroos and koalas.

Yay or nay?

The writing was both intelligent and down to earth without being boring. The terrorist threat and security protocol were expertly handled, all the way down to the interagency stuff-ups. If you’re looking for a book to refresh your romantic palate without completely departing from the genre, give Border Watch a read.

A review copy of this book was provided by the author. It has since been reissued under the title Wings of Fear.

Where you can buy this book

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Red Dust by Fleur McDonald

Kat — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:00:24 +0000

Red Dust by Fleur McDonald

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Read on for a chance to win a signed copy of Red Dust. The contest ends midnight on Wednesday, December 23 AEST.

Fleur McDonald’s debut novel evokes the rugged beauty of the Australian outback through the eyes of a strong protagonist, but this might not be enough for genre readers.

If there’s one type of contemporary romance I’d like to see more of, it’s the good old outback romance. I don’t mean generic romances set in the outback where the hero is a land baron with money to spare. I mean romances set in the harsh landscape of rural Australia, where people struggle against the vagaries of nature, and where I can feel the hot dust on my tongue as I read the story.

If there’s one thing Red Dust does well, it’s capturing the beauty and roughness of outback Australia.

When Gemma Sinclair’s husband dies in a plane crash, she takes on the task of managing Billbinya, their 100,000-hectare sheep station. Although she’s managing to stay afloat, a series of suspicious events lead Gemma to the realisation that something may be amiss at Billbinya. It seems her late husband may have been involved in something dodgy which also implicates Gemma. As an investigation into Billbinya comes to a head, Gemma must uncover the truth behind her husband’s dying words and figure out who may be setting her up to take the fall.

Fleur McDonald has spent most of her life on a farm, and she captures the spirit of the outback vividly, providing an intimate account of life on an outback station. I was fascinated by the sheep shearing process and how station owners keep track of their stock over vast distances.

Lisa, the young blonde rousie who the shearers had been teasing, swooped down on the fleece that had been left on the floor. She jiggled the wool around on the board until she found the legs, scooped it up in her arms and ran to the wool table. She flicked her wrists and the fleece flew up into the air, landing perfectly flat on the wool table, where Jackie skirted it quickly and decided which line it belonged in. The little pieces of wool that didn’t stay attached to the fleece floated onto the floor like soft snowflakes. Paula scraped her paddle across the floor, sweeping up all the excess wool.

I liked the rough camaraderie between workers, and the pragmatism displayed by the main characters. When Gemma needs extra help, she can’t afford to wait for someone she’s totally comfortable with—the reality is, she has to hire the best qualified person available. Likewise, when sheep shearing begins, Gemma thinks that some of the individuals look ‘unsavoury’, but it can’t be helped because it’s difficult to find people willing to do the work. This setting creates the ideal backdrop for the suspense plot.

And yet the suspense elements didn’t always work for me. The premise is interesting, it’s set up well in the beginning, and the procedural aspects seemed plausible. I love to read about how crime is investigated in the outback, and it’s particularly interesting in Red Dust because Billbinya is so huge—no CSI-esque toenails-in-the-bathroom-rugclues here! Despite this, McDonald struggles to sustain the mystery throughout the book. There are too many hints along the way that a reader with some familiarity with crime fiction can easily decipher.

The romance, on the other hand, is underdeveloped. Although I felt the sparks between Gemma and her love interest, McDonald doesn’t really show how their feelings progress, and how they come to be significant in each other’s lives. To be fair, the book is marketed as popular fiction, so perhaps my expectations around the love story was higher than it should’ve been.

Still, I think the weaknesses in the crime and romance plots stem from the same issues. They suffer from a lack of subtlety, and I felt that the author could’ve omitted some of the shorter scenes to better sustain the tension in both the mystery and the romance. The points of view also could’ve been managed better, especially when so much of the story is told from Gemma’s perspective. The transitions between scenes and characters were jarring at times.

Yay or nay?

Although there may not be enough romance or mystery to sustain genre readers, I’d recommend Red Dust for its faithfulness to the outback setting, seen through the eyes of a strong, pragmatic protagonist. I’m a city girl through and through, but I felt the heat and the grit and the roughness and, yes, the romance of the land as I read this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing how McDonald’s style develops in future books.

A review copy of Red Dust was generously provided by the author. The book was first published in May 2009 by Allen & Unwin. It will be republished in B format in March 2010. It’s also available as an ebook.

Fleur McDonald’s second book, Blue Skies, is due for release in April 2010.

RED DUST GIVEAWAY

For a chance to win a SIGNED copy of Red Dust, in 25 words or less tell us what you love about about celebrating an Aussie Christmas OR what you find romantic about the Aussie outback.

Some rules: You must post your answer as a comment to this post. Multiple entries are fine. By entering, you give us permission to quote your entry in future blog posts and articles. Overseas readers are welcome to join in. The giveaway ends midnight on Wednesday, December 23 AEDT. Wandergurl, Decadence and I will pick our favourite answer. We’ll announce the winner the following week, and they’ll have a week to send me their delivery address before the prize is forfeit.

Title: Red Dust (excerpt)
Author: Fleur McDonald
ISBN: 9781741756296
Release date: May 2009
Publisher: Arena (Allen & Unwin)
Format: C format

Where you can buy this book

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Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry

Kat — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:00:13 +0000

Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Read on for a chance to win a free copy of Dark Country. The contest ends midnight on Friday, December 11 AEST.

Bronwyn Parry’s second novel is a much more intricate thriller that balances romance and suspense in a way that should appeal to the broadest possible audience.

Dark Country opens with Morgan ‘Gil’ Gillespie’s return to Dungirri, hinting at his troubled past and discomfort at returning to a place that holds nothing but bad memories. He’d been involved in a fatal car accident that landed him in prison, so he’s not expecting a warm welcome from the town. Along the way, he meets police sergeant Kris Matthews. Gil is wary of cops, but an incident sparked by old grievances puts him under Kris’s care for the next 24 hours.

The next day, a dead woman is found in the boot of Gil’s car, and as violence escalates, Gil realises he’s endangering the people he cares about and that it may be impossible to walk away from the town this time around.

Dark Country’s suspense plot is an intricate mystery that pulls together Gil’s unresolved childhood issues and current tensions within the Dungirri community. I know nothing about small community policing, but Parry’s writing reflects how I imagine the system would work in a town like Dungirri. This isn’t a CSI-esque novel—police investigations are under-resourced for the events that unfold, and everyone just has to work around these types of constraints.

The romance in the story takes more of backseat in Dark Country than is typical in romantic suspense—the story is mercifully free of untimely groping while on the run from murderous villains. At ARRC, Parry mentioned that she wrote her first book, As Darkness Falls, originally with an American market in mind. I’m assuming Dark Country was written to suit the Australian market from the beginning, and I think it shows. This isn’t a criticism, but for me it explains the shift in focus. In her previous book, Parry focused on the heroine’s point of view; Dark Country feels very much like Gil’s story. This works because the suspense revolves around him, but also because Kris has fewer demons than he does. Parry keeps the interactions between Gil and Kris simple, honest and realistic—a good foil for the fast-paced suspense plot.

‘If I wanted to play safe, Gil, I’d never have joined the police force. Or…’ She smiled, an honest, wistful smile that wrapped around his heart and made it hard to breathe, ‘or kissed you. But since I’ve chosen to do both, don’t think for a moment that I’m going to let you go alone when there’s probably a contract out on your life now. Nor…’ A shadow crossed her face. ‘Nor am I going to just stand by and not take whatever action I think is necessary to protect this town. I failed them once. I’m not going to do it again.’

…

But while the protective male part of him raged to keep her safe and defended, the part of him that respected her—her courage, skills, strengths, choices—knew that to deny her would be to deny who she was. And the truth was, he wanted her by his side.

In between, Parry layers the story with that of a small town trying to recover its sense of community. Dungirri has become dysfunctional, and In Dark Country we see some of the underlying causes of the problem, as well as attempts to rebuild the spirit of the town. I love, love, love the way Parry renders this outback community. The characters are diverse in a way that feels natural.

The ending of the suspense plot was a bit of disappointment after the subtlety of most of the book. The climax involves much mayhem, much racing around the clock and miraculous survivals. It all felt a little rushed, and Parry could’ve afforded to simplify the plot a little. I found it difficult to get my head around the back stories, alliances and ensuing twists.

Yay or nay?

Dark Country was listed in this year’s Books Alive guide of 50 Books You Can’t Put Down. I can’t argue with its inclusion. The plot is complicated enough to sustain the suspense, and the love story is believable, although hardcore romantic suspense readers might find it a little sparse—more so than in Parry’s first book—and probably reflects its Australian target market. I may not have missed any meals reading this book, but it was definitely a page-turner.

An uncorrected proof of Dark Country was generously provided by Hachette Australia. The Australian edition was published in September 2009. The UK edition will be released in March 2010. There’s no ebook version at the moment, but I noticed that The Book Depository has an ebook listed for release in March 2010.

DARK COUNTRY GIVEAWAY

For a chance to win a SIGNED copy of Dark Country, in 25 words or less tell us who you consider the most romantic Aussie couple and why. It can be a book, film, real-life story, or you can make up your ultimate Aussie romance.

Some rules: You must post your answer as a comment to this post. Multiple entries are fine. By entering, you give us permission to quote your entry in future blog posts and articles. Overseas readers are welcome to join in. The giveaway ends midnight on Friday, December 11 AEDT. Wandergurl, Decadence and I will pick our favourite answer. We’ll announce the winner the following week, and they’ll have a week to send me their delivery address before the prize is forfeit.

Title: Dark Country (excerpt)
Author: Bronwyn Parry
ISBN: 9780733623233
Release date: September 2009
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Format: C format

Where you can buy this book

Books in the series (Australia)

Books in the series (UK)

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As Darkness Falls by Bronwyn Parry

Kat — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:00:44 +0000

As Darkness Falls by Bronwyn Parry

The first I heard of As Darkness Falls by Australian author Bronwyn Parry was a small blurb in the Dymocks Booklovers catalogue. I was intrigued because it sounded like a romance (just because the catalogue says it’s romance doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be genre Romance), it’s set in Australia, and it looked meaty. When I finally got my hands on the book, the cover promises: “If you enjoy reading Nora Roberts you will love…” That is a big call, I thought, especially since it’s the author’s first novel. But after reading As Darkness Falls, I think it really is a book that Nora Roberts fans might like. It’s a shame, then, that so few Australian romance bookstores have it in their catalogues.

As Darkness Falls centres on Detective Isabelle O’Connell, who has isolated herself from society to recover from some serious personal trauma resulting from an investigation into a child killer. Not only had she been unable to find the killer in time, she had been unable to protect a local suspect from falling victim to an angry mob. But when she receives a visit from Detective Chief Inspector Alec Goddard informing her that another girl has gone missing in her hometown of Dungirri, Isabelle is compelled to go back home and help solve the case.

Alec feels guilty about using Isabelle in the investigation, but he’s determined to find the missing girl. Unexpectedly, Alec finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Isabelle despite the fact that he has his own reasons for not wanting to let anyone into his life. For Alec, the case becomes increasingly personal as Isabelle herself becomes part of the killer’s game. Isabelle’s fragile emotional state is further challenged as evidence mounts that the person they’re looking for is a local member of the community–a killer who gets more daring by the day, and whose every move seems calculated to test the very terrors that Alec and Isabelle are struggling to overcome.

Romance with an Aussie sensibility

The romance between Isabelle and Alec develops slowly and believably. Although the crime investigation takes centre stage in the earlier part of the book, we get a glimpse of the growing attraction between the main characters. This is wonderfully understated most of the time, which I think echoes a practical sort of Australian sensibility that’s in keeping with the setting. It was refreshing to read about these characters who felt real to me, and whose manner of expressing affection and desire bear some resemblance to how I think most people fall in love.

Alec is portrayed as a man who won’t take crap from people, but who is capable of great compassion and empathy. Parry explores his character by his actions and reactions as a boss, an investigator, a friend and a lover. He never descends into a stereotype, and even when he feels jealousy against men from Isabelle’s past, he doesn’t resort to playing boorish games. The one thing that didn’t quite work for me was Alec’s main internal conflict about being in a relationship with Isabelle. I felt that this wasn’t well integrated into the story and came across as something tacked on to prevent the romantic plot resolving earlier than the suspense does. And yet it could have been a real obstacle to the romantic plot, so I wish Parry had woven it into Alec’s story better.

Isabelle is a complex mix of toughness and vulnerability. Again, Parry imbues the character with an Aussie sort of disposition in which the practical concerns of everyday life, of the tasks at hand, take precedence over whatever internal struggles she’s going through. This makes Isabelle’s emotional turmoil that much more powerful when Parry lets us into the character’s head. At the same time, it removes any doubt that Isabelle is capable of being part of the investigation even when she’s at her most vulnerable.

What I love most about the relationship between Alec and Isabelle is that it’s underscored by mutual respect and a gentleness that contrasts with the violence they deal with as part of their jobs. I love that Alec gives Isabelle space to be herself, providing support while Isabelle tries to repair her emotional wounds, without asserting himself as any kind of saviour. At the same time, Isabelle rebuilds relationships outside of Alec, so I never feel as though he’s just a crutch for her.

The suspense plot

I admit that I was never sure of who the killer was until Isabelle and Alec work it out. Parry couples Isabelle’s past and the kind of intrigues you’d expect from a small town to keep readers second-guessing their own suspicions. While I admired the way Parry conceals the true killer, I was disappointed by how the main characters come to realise who it is. To me, it seemed too sudden, too capricious. Likewise, the way Alec discards some of the suspects by pure intuition didn’t come across as realistic to me. This was my biggest gripe about the story, because even though I can believe that investigators rely heavily on instinct, I find it dodgy that someone in Alec’s position would discard possible suspects without even a cursory background and alibi check. (And if this is how investigations are conducted in real life, then I don’t feel the author explains this well enough to me as a reader.)

The Australian backdrop

One of the main problems I’ve had with outback romances has been other authors’ inability to portray the backdrop without going over the top. Parry manages it very well, weaving the landscape and the feel of country Australia into the story, that at times I felt I could visualise it, even though I’ve never actually been to the outback (just seen it on TV–what? I hate to sweat!), but never so much that I had to skip parts of the narrative. As Darkness Falls has a very strong sense of place, and Parry paints a picture of the outback in vivid detail without being indulgent. Parry uses Aussie terms and expressions with the understanding that, while the reader might need some things explained, the characters certainly don’t. Aussie culture and knowledge are woven into the story without affecting the pace, and often in a way that gives insight into the characters themselves:

‘Get it down to ballistics in Sydney,’ Alec replied. ‘Call in a crime scene team to go over the creek area straightaway.’ He stopped as Kris shook her head.

‘Sorry, regional specialists aren’t available — I already asked for them. There was a double murder up near the Queensland border last night and we can’t have them until tomorrow at the earliest.’

He stared at her in disbelief. How could they be expected to conduct an investigation without the resources they should be able to count on — resources he took for granted in Sydney?

‘Welcome to bush policing,’ Isabelle commented dryly.

‘Don’t worry.’ Kris gave him a grin. ‘We’re used to do-it-yourself out here. Adam is as good as any forensic team at finding evidence, even without all the high-tech gear.’

Fraser snorted. ‘Oh, sure, having Koori blood gives him magical powers that are better than years of scientific training.’

‘Murri,’ Isabelle corrected him, her eyes cold. ‘The Aboriginal people in this region call themselves Murris, not Kooris. And learning to read the environment is a survival skill that takes years of observation and practice, irrespective of one’s genetic inheritance.

Yay or nay?

As Darkness Falls is an excellent debut novel, and it makes me so glad to finally read an Aussie romance that never once had me rolling my eyes. You can read the first chapter here. If you’re still not convinced, I’d encourage you to check your local library. If, like me, you’ve basically been reading decades worth of US-centric romances, you may find something refreshing and real and genuinely touching in this novel.

A shorter version of this review was submitted to the ARRC09 Reader Challenge. To enter the contest, this review was modified to fit the word count and contest rules. If you’re signed up to the ARRC Lounge, please vote for your favourite review (no, it doesn’t have to be this one).

Where you can buy this book

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Shadow Hawk by Jill Shalvis

Kat — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:53:34 +0000

Shadow Hawk by Jill Shalvis

Shadow Hawk has been doing the blog rounds. Jill Shalvis is an engaging writer–you only have to visit her blog to know that–but I’m sure the yummy cover also has something to do with the popularity of this book. (Hey, notice the different cover on the Aussie Blaze? We don’t cut off the sexy model’s head!) I’m not really into beefcake, but even I was mesmerised. (The comments I got when I added this book on Facebook!) The suspense in this story is a bit thin, but the wooing and the cavorting are fun to read.

The heroine

Abby Wells used to be a great ATF field agent until she was captured and tortured by the bad guys. Now, she’s not quite sure of herself, and even though she’s back on the job, she still carries some heavy emotional baggage. She’s also sworn off personal relationships, even if the sight of Hawk makes her … sweat.

The hero

Conner Hawk is an ATF field agent who’s determined to nail the mastermind of a scheme to blackmail corporations using kiddie bombers. Hawk suspects someone high up within the ATF but has no proof.

The setup

When Hawk goes down during a mission gone bad, Abby abandons the safety of the communications van to back him up. Unfortunately, he’s been set up, and he has to kidnap Abby to prevent her from giving him away … and to save her life.

And other stuff

Hawk’s partner and a hot nurse, Playboy bunnies, handcuffs ;-)

Things that made me go, Mmm…

I love the way Shalvis writes heroes. Admittedly, sometimes Hawk and Logan go about an inch beyond my sap threshold, but still. I love the way they focus on their partners and have a one-track mind when it comes to checking them out. What woman doesn’t want to drive her man to distraction? Also, they’re just such decent men.

The men in this book aren’t invincible. Yes, the main characters survive (that can’t be a spoiler since this is a romance) but they do so with a lot of injuries and very, very close calls. Hawk also has a fear of heights, which I found really endearing since he’s supposed to be a real toughie.

Abby thinks. She’s not a victim. Even when Hawk kidnaps her, even though she’s attracted to him, she’s still looking for ways to escape. She doesn’t immediately believe Hawk’s explanation of his innocence, but Shalvis gives us enough to understand why she would also hesitate to give him away when she gets the chance.

Shalvis’s voice. Her brand of humour. If you read her blog, you’ll know what I mean.

“I need your cell phone.”

“No. Don’t–” She choked as his fingers slid across her abdomen, trying to get to her pocket. “Don’t touch me.”

“Relax.” His hand brushed the warm skin of her belly just above her low waistband. “I only want the–”

Her elbow clocked him in the nose, and he saw stars. “Jesus!” He fell back against the opened door. “Jesus Christ, woman!”

Breathing like a lunatic, she glared at him, eyes hot and furious beneath the hair that had fallen in her face. “I told you not to touch.”

“Okay, yeah, getting that loud and clear. The phone, Abby.”

Her jaw tightened. “It’s almost out of battery.”

The battery didn’t matter, and they both knew it. She threw her cellphone at him, and thank you, God, the little keychain he’d seen with her mini credit card was attached to it.

“I can’t believe you expect your victim to pay for your gas.”

Things that made me go, Huh?

Logan, Hawk’s partner, gets his own secondary romance. But although the first scene in Logan’s POV made me laugh, I couldn’t get into his romance much. I think Shalvis was being ambitious in squeezing two romances into a Blaze. I would have preferred that she spent those pages with Hawk and Abby.

While Shalvis does a decent job with the suspense plot, there really aren’t enough pages to do it justice. So, from the beginning, we have a fairly good idea of the bad guy’s identity. She does a good job of incorporating Abby’s backstory, however, and she reveals Abby’s fears with subtlety.

Things that made me go, Argh!

The back blurb mentions “JT Hawk”, but the book has him as Conner Hawk and his partner as J. T. Logan. Eek!

My main gripe with the story is the fact that Hawk and Abby’s minds are so clearly not on the job, since they always seem to be lusting after each other. In the past, this wouldn’t have bothered me too much. But after reading Holly’s post at The Book Binge, it just kept bugging me. (I’m totally blaming Holly if I never fully enjoy another romantic suspense novel again.)

The Verdict

Shadow Hawk is a fun frolic if you don’t expect too much from the suspense plot. The real strength of this book is Shalvis’s ability to create warm, funny characters and very sexy love scenes. I wish this had been a longer book so the suspense plot could have been developed more gradually, but it’s not bad for a first attempt at the subgenre and within the parameters of the Blaze imprint. Click here for an excerpt.

Note: This post was originally published on October 15, 2007.

Where you can buy this book

High Noon by Nora Roberts

Kat — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:11:02 +0000

High Noon by Nora Roberts

It’s clear why Nora Roberts is beloved by so many romance readers. Her voice is gentle but not wussy, and her characters are interesting but real. While I have some stylistic issues with this novel, they weren’t enough to distract me from a well-crafted storyline and believable, lovable characters.

I bought this book on the strength of Rosie’s post here. What struck me most about the story is that even though the characters’ circumstances are sometimes unusual—Phoebe’s mother has agoraphobia, Duncan won a bazillion dollars in a lottery—they still felt very real to me. Roberts does an excellent job of keeping the characters consistent, and I never felt that any one of them, including the secondary characters, acted out of character throughout the novel. The suspense plot isn’t shoddy, either, although it sags a little in the middle. Roberts gives enough information for me to understand what’s happening and to create the right atmosphere. It *felt* right, which is all that matters to me since I know nothing about law enforcement.

I do have an issue with some of Roberts’s POV choice because not all of the transitions in the narrative are smooth. Readers who hate head hopping will probably find this a problem.

Nevertheless, the romance is charming, with enough humour to keep it from being sappy but not too much that it becomes absurd. It helps that I loved Duncan, the hero, particularly the way he courts Phoebe’s entire family and the way he supports Phoebe without being overbearing. Boring as it may sound, I find that stuff so very sexy!

High Noon is a lovely, comfortable read, and it’s a book I can easily recommend to family and friends. As a reader, I find Roberts’s voice engaging and, more importantly, trustworthy. Which may be an odd thing to say about an author’s voice, but it means I can read the story without fear that either the characters or the plot will run amok just as I’ve invested my time and emotions into the story. Read an excerpt here (PDF).

This post was originally published on September 1, 2007.

More at Book Thingo:

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts