Nora Roberts
Angels Fall (2006)
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre: Romance (Suspense)
Plot Summary:
Reece Gilmore stops in the small town of Angels Fist, Wyoming to get her car repaired. Reece is living as a nomad, staying in one place for a short time and then moving on. She was the only survivor of a brutal shooting spree at the Boston restaurant where she worked as a chef which killed her 12 coworkers. Reece is trying to rebuild her life but continues to be haunted by the past. She sees a “Cook Wanted” sign at the local diner and decides to accept the job. Reece is still traumatized by the murders and is suffering panic attacks. While hiking one day, Reece witnesses a murder but no one but Brody, a loner mystery writer believes her at first. There is no evidence and the locals believe she is still mentally fragile and may have imagined the incident. As she gets to know her new boss, coworkers, and the other residents of the town, especially Brody, Reece thinks that that she may have found a place where she can settle in and make a life. SPOILER: But the killer has other plans and is determined to drive her crazy. The killer wants her out of the way and Reece must learn to trust herself and Brody, if she hopes to survive. Brody is fascinated by Reece and can’t stay away especially when the killer begins to play cruel pranks on her that make Reece question her very sanity. Brody and Reece begin a hot affair and try to figure out who the killer is and who the victim was. They discover that Deena Black was the victim and that Sherriff Rick Mardson killed her to stop her from telling his wife about their affair. Rick takes Brody and Reece hostage and tries to kill them. Fortunately, Reece escapes and runs for help and saves Brody and herself. The book concludes with Reece and Brody declaring their love for each other and deciding to make a life together in Angels Fist.
Geographical Setting: Angels Fist, Wyoming
Time Period: Present Day (2006)
Appeal Characteristics:
Angels Fall takes place in the present day in the small town of Angels Fist, Wyoming. The pace of the novel is measured yet compelling in the beginning, but becomes very suspenseful in the final chapters. Angels Fist is filled with eccentric and lifelike residents. Characters are realistic and flawed, not idealistic. Reece is damaged by her past but is very relatable, and the reader sympathizes with her. Characterization is the key focal point of the novel along with romance. The secondary characters are well-developed especially Joanie, the owner of the diner, Linda-Gail, the waitress at the diner, Mac, the owner of the local store, and Lo, the cowboy son of Joanie. Also the secondary romance between Linda-Gail and Lo adds to the main romance between Reece and Brody. Nora Roberts vividly describes Angels Fist and the beautiful scenery of the Grand Tetons that rise above the town. Her writing style is laced with funny and fresh dialogue and detailed narrative which she expertly blends together. The tone of the novel is humorous and romantic but also contains darker aspects as Reece faces the trauma of her past and the murder that she witnesses in Wyoming. Interesting characters, a satisfying romance, and a suspenseful plot will attract fans of the author as well as other romance genre readers.
Read-alikes: Fans of Angels Fall will definitely enjoy Montana Sky by Nora Roberts. This book is set on a ranch in Montana. Jack Mercy, the owner of a multi-million dollar ranch has just died and his will reveals that he has left the ranch to his three daughters, all by different mothers, who have never met. The will also stipulates that the daughters must all live together on the ranch for a year in order to inherit the ranch. The women must also contend with a killer who is killing people on the ranch. Readers who enjoyed the well-written characters, the rural setting and scenery, and multiple romances of Angels Fall will enjoy this book. Readers that appreciated the complex combination of suspense, sex, and romance in Angels Fall will enjoy The Witness by Sandra Brown. Kendall is a public defender in a small town. She soon discovers that her husband and his father are involved in “The Brotherhood” which hands out vigilante justice by killing people. Kendall runs for her life but the FBI wants her to return to testify against “The Brotherhood” and she finally agrees. The Witness features adventure, suspense, and romance with a breathtaking pace. Fans of the multiple storylines in Angels Fall, who also enjoyed the building suspense and the realistic romance, might also enjoy The Cove by Catherine Coulter. Sally Brainerd escapes the asylum that she has been committed by her family, after her father was murdered. She flees to the small town of The Cove. She is trailed to the town by an FBI Agent, James Quinlan, who believes that she know more than she is telling about the murder of her father. Only James can help her to unravel the mystery surrounding her father’s murder. Fans of Angels Fall will also appreciate Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood. Nick Buchanan, an FBI agent is called in to stop a serial killer whose next intended target is Nick’s best friend’s sister Laurant. Nick agrees to protect Laurant and soon they fall in love as they both try to fight outmaneuver the serial killer. Readers who enjoyed the well-written characters, a realistic romance, funny dialogue, and a suspenseful plot will enjoy this book. For readers who enjoyed the small town setting of Angels Fist and multiple romances, a build-up of suspense, and a heroine and hero who save the day, should try Cover of Night by Linda Howard. Cate Nightingale, a single mom, moves with her children to a small town in Idaho a bed and breakfast. A boarder, who is fleeing Salazar Bandini, a mobster, leaves his suitcase, and Bandini’s men put the town under siege to retrieve files that he copied. Cate is protected by Calvin, a local handyman who is more than what he seems.
Red Flags: Language, murder, extramarital sex, and violencenbsp;
Birthright (2003)
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre (and subgenre): Romance/Suspense
Plot Summary:
Callie Dunbrook is an archaeologist who thinks the worst she'll have to deal with on this western Maryland dig is an uncooperative landlord, a supposedly cursed site and her irresistable, rakish ex-husband. Until a local small-town celebrity informs says Callie's her long-lost daughter, her parents inform her she was adopted after all, Jake the Rake is acting nice and her lawyer is dating a guy who just might be her older brother. And then the bodies start piling up.
Geographical Setting: Woodsboro, Maryland
Time Period: Present Day (2003)
Appeal Characteristics:
This is a fast-paced, plot driven story with strong characters and a large cast of secondary characters. Woodsboro is a small, but growing, town, with a definite small town feel and atmosphere. The point of view switches between the characters, but is mostly from Callie's POV. With the main character a career-oriented archaeologist, the is a lot of technical details about archaeology and excavating. As well, Ms. Roberts makes several correlations between the process of excavating a dig site and how Callie is trying to investigate what happened when she was a baby. Callie, with the help of the three people she finds herself trusting most, conducts and amaetur investigation of several murders and a baby kidnapping ring through which she was kidnapped and adopted years ago, overcoming a few family secrets in the process. This also isn't your typical romance with two characters meeting and falling in love, there are two divorced couples coming together and reuniting over the cour
se of the book as well.
Read-alikes: If you enjoyed Birthright, also try some of Nora Roberts other stories, such as Sanctuary (1997) which is another story about small towns, family secrets and murder. The Face of Deception (2001) by Iris Johansen is a fast paced romance featuring strong characters and a unique plot twist that centers around child kidnapping. Bloodlines (2005) by Dinah McCall is another fast-paced story with a romantic plot that involves child kidnapping and murder. While not a romance Gone for Good (2002) by Harlan Coben is a fast paced story about family secrets, missing relatives and lies, with several murders on the side. Empire Falls (2001) by Richard Russo is also more literary fiction than romance, but it has a small town setting with strong characters, plentiful secondary characters and revolves around family. Bloodlines (2005) by Jan Burke is a mystery instead of a romance, however it is an amateur detective story revolving around child kidnapping and murder that solves an old mystery.
Red Flags: extramarital sex, some violence, character death
High Noon (2007)
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre: Romantic Suspense (Contemporary)
Plot Summary:
Duncan Swift first meets Phoebe McNamara when she is called in to talk one of Duncan's former employees down from the ledge of a building. He is immediately impressed by Phoebe's presence of mind and her skill as a negotiator. Phoebe discovered her talent for hostage negotiation in her childhood, when her mother's former boyfriend broke into their home and took Phoebe, her mother and her brother hostage. Phoebe kept her wits about her and managed to get her family out of the situation safely. Unfortunately, the trauma of this event triggered panic attacks and agorophobia in Phoebe's mother, Essie, and Essie is unable to leave home. Phoebe feels she needs to be strong and independent, not only for herself, but also for her mother and daughter. She's not sure if she is willing to let Duncan into her life at first, but he eventually wins her over with a combination of care, genuine respect and charm. When Phoebe is attacked in her own precinct office, Duncan is the person to whom she goes for help. Phoebe is sure that her attacker is a fellow police officer, one who doesn't believe women should be allowed on the police force. Duncan's support enable's Phoebe to deal with the emotional aftermath of the attack and soothe her worried mother. The attack is investigated internally, and Phoebe hopes that life will begin to get back to normal. However, soon after the attack, someone begins leaving nasty "surprises" on Phoebe's doorstep, such as a dead snake. At first, she brushes the incidents off as a prank by one of the neighbor children, but she soon begins to realize there is something more sinister behind the acts. SPOILER: The mystery stalker next interferes in one of Phoebe's cases, causing the death of the hostage taker, a gang member. Without evidence to the contrary, the police assume it was gang related. However, Phoebe is not sure. Her feelings prove accurate when her ex husband, Roy, is kidnapped by the killer. Roy is fitted out with a bomb that goes off as Phoebe attempts to negotiate with the killer through a radio connection. Phoebe begins to suspect that the killer is related to one of her former cases, and it becomes a race to see if she can catch him. She discovers his name is Jerry Walken, and he blames Phoebe for the death of his lover, Angela, who was injured and later died during a hostage situation where Phoebe was negotiator. Jerry manages to take some shoppers hostage, including two of Duncan's close friends. Phoebe uses all her skill as a negotiator to try to talk Jerry out of the building, but eventually she realizes that she will not be able to do so. So, instead, she uses the hostage taker's emotions against him to maneuver him into positon for a sniper to take him out. Phoebe is left with mixed feelings because she essentially gave the order for the hostage taker to be killed, but Duncan's support helps her bear it. She realizes that he makes her stronger and brings peace into her life when she most needs it.
Geographical Setting: Savannah, GA
Time Period: Present (2007)
Series: none
Appeal Characteristics:
The book has a fast, compelling pace because there is a lot of dialogue and there are multiple little side stories that all get tied into the main plot. The characterization is well developed, with a personable, realistic main character and vivid secondary characters that play important parts in the story. The storyline is character centered, focusing on Phoebe's relationships with those around her. It is moderately sexually explicit, with a warm rating from the All About Romance website. The novel has a contemporary frame and a contrast between a brisk professional feel and one that is homey and warm, due to the alternating settings of police-precinct/crime scene and rambling southern home. The violence gives the story a slightly edgy feel without erasing the warm feel brought in by Phoebe's relationships with her family and Duncan. The style of writing is modern and conversational because the characters speak in a natural way. The prose is moderately descriptive without being flowery.
Read-alikes: Readers who liked the compelling, suspenseful pace and realistic characterization of High Noon would likely enjoy Roberts' Naked in Death, written under the pseudonym J.D. Robb. This story is the first in a series, and features a police detective named Eve Dallas who falls in love with a murder suspect. JoAnn Ross' River Road, the second in the Callahan Brothers series, will appeal to readers who liked the suspenseful pace and well-developed character relationships in High Noon. However, it does have a higher sensuality rating than High Noon. This is the story of a suspended FBI agent named Finn Callahan who falls in love with the actress he is protecting from a stalker. Hot Target, by Suzanne Brockmann, is the eighth in a series titled Navy Seals Team Sixteen. It's the story of a film producer named Jane Chadwick whose controversial new film requires her to hire a bodyguard. This book features a more complex plotline than High Noon, but shares the characteristics of a compelling pace and vivid secondary characters. In fact, at least one review indicates that the secondary characters' story actually carries the book. It also has about the same level of sexuality as High Noon. To Die For, by Linda Howard, is a fast-paced romantic suspense with a similar level of sexuality. It is lighter on the suspense than High Noon, but the storyline is just as character centered. It's the story of divorcee Blair Mallory, who runs her own fitness center. One night, someone shoots at Blair, forcing her to seek police protection from Wyatt Bloodsworth, a man she used to date. Gift of Gold, by Jayne Ann Krentz, places a similar emphasis on the relationships between characters as High Noon. It also provides a similar level of suspense and pacing. However, reviews indicate that this book has a higher level of sensuality than High Noon. This book is the story of Jonas Quarrel, a man who has the mysterious ability to sense the history of objects associated with violence. However, he cannot control the visions and almost kills someone as a result. He discovers Verity Ames, the owner of a restaurant, can enter his visions and help him control them. The two find that someone is plotting to use Jonas's gift for some evil purpose. Chill Factor, by Sandra Brown, is the story of a woman named Lilly Martin who, due to an accident in a snowstorm, has been trapped in a cabin with Ben Tierny, suspect in the disappearances of five local women. Her ex-husband and police chief, Dutch Burton, is determined to rescue her. But is Tierny really the kidnapper? This story has a similar compelling pace, although the storyline is more complex than that of High Noon. The snow and isolated frame give the story an edgy feel similar to High Noon.
Red Flags: language, violence
Three Fates (2002)
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre: Romance (Romantic Suspense)
Plot Summary:
The novel begins with the wealthy Henry Wyley and his wife onboard the doomed Lusitania. Wyley is an antiques merchant in search of the 2nd of the 3 Fates (he already has the 1st) -- small silver statue representations of the famed Greek goddesses. While worth a decent chunk of change individually, the Fates are worth an exorbitant sum if all 3 are held together. Unfortunately, the ship sinks and the Wyleys perish, but not before the 1st Fate is swiped from their cabin by Felix Greenfield -- a soon-to-be-reformed thief who survives the disaster and rescues a woman and her son in the process. The book then flashes forward to 2002, where Malachi and Gideon Sullivan, the great-grandsons of Greenfield, are in pursuit of the 1st Fate -- their now-family-heirloom has been stolen by the evil antiques dealer Anita Gaye. Their investigations lead them to Tia Marsh, the neurotic but brilliant great-granddaughter of Wyley, and Cleo Toliver, a smart-mouthed stripper whose family is connected to the 2nd Fate. Gideon and Cleo team up, as do Malachi and Tia, and the 4 are being watched and sometimes pursued by Gaye in her desire to acquire all 3 Fates. Anita Gaye attempts to enlist the help of Jack Burdett, a securities expert, but he has other plans and his travels take him to Ireland, where he meets the Sullivans' sister, Rebecca. SPOILER: Tia and Malachi begin to fall for each other, but when she figures out that he only initially pursued her to find the Fates, she is furious. Cleo wants revenge when her best friend Mikey is killed by one of Anita's thugs. She and Gideon also fall for each other, but there are some rocky times when he finds out she has secretly had the 2nd Fate in her bag the whole time they've been together. Jack Burdett turns out to be the great-grandson of the boy Greenfield saved on the Lusitania, and his family has the 3rd Fate. Jack and Rebecca also fall in love. Cleo, Gideon, Tia, Malachi, Rebecca, and Jack eventually wind up working together in NYC to steal back the 1st Fate from Anita Gaye so that the Three Fates can be reunited. When they trick Gaye into thinking that one of the Fates is in Athens, they steal the 1st fate back, frame her for insurance fraud, and tip off the police about her involvement in 2 murders. Just when they think their work is done, Gaye holds Tia's mother hostage -- but Tia manages to rescue her mother and save the day. Eventually, all 3 couples end up engaged, Anita Gaye goes to jail, and the Three Fates are reunited on display in a museum in Ireland.
Geographical Setting: Primarily New York City; also Ireland, Helsinki, Prague, Greece, and onboard the Lusitania
Time Period: Contemporary (2002); begins on May 7, 1915, then flashes forward to present-day
Appeal Characteristics:
This title, the 2003 RITA Award Winner for Best Romantic-Suspense and a nominee for the 2002 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense, is considered by some to be the prolific Roberts's best book. From the first line describing the doomed ship and its passengers, the novel is gripping. Roberts fills the pages with vivid, sparkling descriptions and her smooth, literary writing style makes this a very fluid read. Told by a third-person omniscient narrator, the story is action-packed from the sinking of the Lusitania to the final standoff with Anita Gaye. Three Fates has it all: charming, manly Irishmen (with a strong Irish family dynamic, including the matriarchal Eileen), Greek mythology, a gold-digging evil temptress villain in Anita Gaye, high-tech burglaries, the theme of revenge, raw sexual tension, quick dialogue, and more. There are lots of wealthy, cosmopolitan people and the story is peppered with information about the antiques trade and securities gadgets. For anyone who likes mythology or the idea of fate and destiny, these themes are prominent here. The characters jet-set between the U.S. and various European locales and the reader follows them through the twists and turns of this page-turner. Character development is key as 3 romantic relationships simultaneously evolve, and all of the characters' lives and histories are heavily intertwined. As the romances develop, so do the friendships, and female bonding is a strong element. The heroines are 3 very different women who grow and change together: the hard Cleo softens, neurotic germaphobe Tia chills out and finds inner strength, and the headstrong Rebecca allows herself to fall in love. These smart, modern women can all take care of themselves, but the men still want to protect them. The love scenes are sexy and explicit, but not pornographic (the sensuality level was rated as "Warm" by the website All About Romance), and the relationships are monogamous and loving. There is definitely a happy ending when the 3 couples marry, Anita Gaye gets her just desserts, and the Three Fates are on display for the world to see. Overall, this novel is fast-paced, sleek, sweet and sometimes funny -- a very rewarding read for fans of Romantic Suspense.
Read-alikes:
Most of Roberts's other hardcover titles would appeal to fans of this book, including her Futuristic Romantic Suspense series written under the pseudonym J.D. Robb, which follows NYC police detective Eve Dallas. The first of the Eve Dallas series is Naked in Death, where Dallas falls for a murder suspect named Roarke. Readers who enjoyed the jet-setting treasure hunt of Three Fates will probably like Elizabeth Lowell's Jade Island, a story filled with sexual tension about a man and woman on an international hunt for a gem thief. For those who liked the unlikely heroine in the insecure Tia Marsh, as well as the element of uncovering family history, Emilie Richards's Prospect Street might be a good choice. This novel features a woman recovering from a failed marriage by renovating an old Georgetown home, and in the process she uncovers a lot of answers to her family's mysteries. Another good Romantic Suspense title is Sandra Brown's Mirror Image, which tells the story of a woman who, due to plastic surgery, is mistaken for the greedy wife of a senatorial candidate. After she falls for the candidate, she must continue the lie to save his life. Those who are looking for more generational-intertwined family history Romances might like Jayne Ann Krentz's Eclipse Bay Series, starting with Eclipse Bay. The 1st of 3 in this series, the novel depicts the long-time family feud of the Hartes and the Madisons, and the surprising romance that ensues between Hannah Harte and Rafe Madison.
Red Flags: some very bad language/cursing, violence (including murder), strip-dancing, homosexuality, some misogynistic behavior
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