You Can't Put This One Down!
Written: Jul 10 '02 (Updated Jul 10 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exciting action, believeable characters, fast moving.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: If you enjoy thrillers, this one is a winner.
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| blimbach's Full Review: Julie Garwood - Heartbreaker Books |
From the very first page to the very last, I could do nothing else. This thriller will have me searching out other books by the author, Julie Garwood. She must have made a name for herself, for her name is larger than the title on the cover. Usually that means that the book is not as good as the previous ones and that the publisher is using name recognition to sell books. Not so with this book.
Characters:
Father Thomas Madden, brother of Laurent Madden.
Laurent Madden, recently reunited with her brother after being raised in Europe.
Nick Buchanan, a burned out FBI agent, best friend of Father Tom.
Donald Stark, a psychopath with many disguises.
Plot:
Laurant and Fr. Tom lived in a small town, Holy Oaks. Fr. Tom heard a shocking confession of a killer who described the horrible details of his killings. The killer knew Tom was the best friend of Nick, the FBI agent. He asked for absolution of guilt for a murder he was about to commit. He tells Fr. Tom that his next victim will be Fr. Tom's sister.
The reader does not know the identity of this person. Fr. Tom was not able to see who ran out of the confessional, but he is really shaken up by his threat.
The story get very exciting as the killer stalks Laurant. Her apartment burns down, destroying all she owns, including a bridesmaid dress she is to wear in her friend's wedding the next week.
As the wedding is being performed, a bomb is discovered under the altar of the church. In the confusion of vacating the building, Laurant is snatched by Donald Stark in disguise as a mild farmer from town.
He shot her and another FBI agent disguised as another priest.
Nick had killed Donald Stark's wife when she was about to kill a young child. She and her husband made porno films using children she snatched from the schoolyard.
Donald hated Nick for killing his wife and being called a hero and wanted to pay him back. He included Fr. Tom and Laurant in his plans to kill, wanting them to watch the acts.
The climax comes in a cabin. Stark threatens to kill Laurant with both a knife and gun in his hands when Nick comes to rescue her. The moments are so tense that I wanted to race ahead to see how it turned out.
Luckily Laurant had found a safety pin to use against Stark by plunging it into his eye the minute she had the chance. This allowed Nick to shoot Stark to death.
Entwined in all the action a romance between Laurant and Nick blossomed although Nick was extremely afraid of commitment. Laurant flew to Paris to claim an inheritance feeling that Nick did not want to be involved with her any more. I could feel her desperation as she prepared to return home.
Nick overcame his fear not only of commitment but his fear of flying to go to Paris to ask Laurant to marry him. It was the usual happy ending, but could end no other way.
This book reminds me of a cross between Danielle Steel books and those by Mary Higgins Clark. It combined the romance and the suspense that I enjoy so much. The author wrote descriptive pages which really helped me feel the way the characters felt, physically and mentally. From the stifflingly hot confessional in the beginning of the book to the cabin at the end, she described each setting with great skill. I will read more of Julie Garwood's books if they grab me as this one has.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
blimbach
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Illinois, near the Wisconsin border
Reviews written: 367
Trusted by: 146 members
About Me:
Grandmother of 4 (so far), married to the same great guy since 1961, retired teacher.
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