Saturday, October 27, 2007

High Noon

Author: Nora Roberts
Published: July 10, 2007 (Putnam)
Category: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 9/10

Why has this book been sitting in my TBR for so long?? (Answer: Because my TBR is so huge that I don't bother listing it in the sidebar, just the immediate future's reads.)

There's a consequence to reading an excellent NR novel though. I go into some kind of slump where I search for another book that will make me feel the same way, but don't want to break my "don't read from the same author twice in a row" rule. I think I broke that rule when I started reading her J.D. Robb books though. That's okay because those books are like crack. Anyways, it's rather hard to start reading another book after having such a spectacularly good time reading a book like High Noon.

Police Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara found her calling at an early age when an unstable man broke into her family's home, trapping and terrorizing them for hours. Now she's Savannah's top hostage negotiator, defusing powderkeg situations with a talent for knowing when to give in-and when to jump in and take action. It's satisfying work-and sometimes those skills come in handy at home dealing with her agoraphobic mother, still traumatized by the break-in after all these years, and her precocious seven-year-old, Carly.

It's exactly that heady combination of steely courage and sensitivity that first attracts Duncan Swift to Phoebe. After observing her coax one of his employees down from a roof ledge, he is committed to keeping this intriguing, take-charge woman in his life. She's used to working solo, but Phoebe's discovering that no amount of negotiation can keep Duncan at arm's length.

And when she's grabbed by a man who throws a hood over her head and brutally assaults her-in her own precinct house-Phoebe can't help but be deeply shaken. Then threatening messages show up on her doorstep, and she's not just alarmed but frustrated. How do you go face-to-face with an opponent who refuses to look you in the eye?

Now, with Duncan backing her up every step of the way, she must establish contact with the faceless tormentor who is determined to make her a hostage to fear . . . before she becomes the final showdown.

Duncan, like many of Roberts' heroes, is a protective man, but he's not an in-your-face alpha hero. Even though he wants Phoebe to stay safe, he doesn't do anything outrageous. He says that he'll take care of the man who's harassing her if she doesn't catch him in a week, giving her time to do things her way.

The romance didn't matter as much as the mystery did, as Phoebe's work as a negotiator was so interesting. Roberts really outdid herself with the identity of the villain in this one, as it was easy to blame the woman-hating cop who attacked Phoebe in her station, but it would've been too easy. The real villain was much scarier, and just a little insane.

I couldn't put this book down and had to force myself to slow down. This is a great strong female character book, done so well, without being "I am ultra woman, hear me roar!" Phoebe has weaknesses too, and watching her deal with hiding it from her family reminds me a lot of Eve Dallas. How does Roberts do it?

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