I’m over at AudioGals today with a review of Nora Roberts’ latest romantic suspense: The Collector, narrated by Julia Whelan. I enjoyed the narration but unfortunately the story didn’t reach the heights of The Witness or The Search.
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I find myself comparing every single other Nora Roberts I read these days to The Witness–and most of them don’t fare too well. Which sucks.
And yet, most every Nora Roberts title is a cut above two thirds of everything else, so…
@azteclady: The Witness was stellar. This one was…. not. I had a big problem with the suspense subplot – there was something that Ash does (or rather, doesn’t do) that just didn’t make sense to me and the whole rest of the plot hinges on it. And it’s very long. The Witness was long but I didn’t think any of the stuff in it was filler. I was riveted the entire book. In The Collector, I felt like there were swathes of words which could have just been removed altogether because they didn’t add to the story (unless you like lots and lots of description which doesn’t go anywhere). It also bothered me that the only Asian character in the book was a “dragon lady” stereotype.
So, for me, I think the book is average – even when compared to other books that aren’t La Nora.
Still, they’re just my thoughts. You might really enjoy it! 🙂
@Kaetrin: Oh, I’ve already read it–I autobuy all her single releases because they tend to be more good-tending-to-really-good than most anything else. Whiskey Beach was…meh, and The Collector really doesn’t stand out (though I confess I didn’t stop to consider why, except the over the top villain–seriously? did we need Howard Hugues?–and the dragon lady–where’s the diversity? this time we didn’t even get a gay character anywhere in sight–and the fact that we had to have a powerful, rich family to propel the whole story)
The good thing with Ms Roberts is that there is plenty of excellent writing in her backlist, and those of her books a reader likes? They tend to hold up pretty damn well on re-reads.
@azteclady: Did Ash’s actions in not taking the *item* to the police at once make any sense to you?
@Kaetrin: No, but then the whole character didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I found a lot of his background to be too over the top–almost a parody. !4 full/half/step siblings? Multiple marriages for both parents–and I think it’s implied that also some of the step parents went on to more of the same. Every one connected to the family–save Oliver–is successful and wealthy.
And then there’s Lila’s profession–seriously? she’s been doing this for years and is pretty much booked back to back, all over the world…a little too easy to take seriously. Hell, here even day cleaning services have to be bonded and insured–for theft, damage, accidents–yet all she needs is word of mouth and a blog, and millionaires are going to give her the run of their houses for weeks at a time just because an acquaintance raved about her.
I read the book without in a few sittings, but I was not absorbed by it by any means–it was mostly mindless candy, and not one I’m likely to re read.
I agree with you! LOL.
I would have skimmed a lot of it in print but unfortunately I can’t do that with audio. The narrator was good though!