RICOCHET by Sandra Brown
Sandra Brown is a consistently enjoyable writer. She writes one good novel after another, and with her latest, RICOCHET, she is at her best. This book is a mystery, love story combination that holds the readers' attention from start to finish. It is suspenseful and sexy, a deadly combination.
The story takes place in Savannah, Georgia where a police detective named Duncan Hatcher is having trouble nailing a crime lord named Robert Savich. Every time he thinks he has him in an airtight case some little thing allows him to get off scott free. The latest case is thrown out of court by Judge Cato Laird on a technicality.
Duncan is so angry he shoots his mouth off and lands in jail for contempt of court. When he is released he is goaded by his partner DeeDee Bowen into attending an awards ceremony where DeeDee is being recognized for her achievements. At this awards dinner Duncan bumps into a startlingly beautiful blonde, and falls immediately into lust. DeeDee heads off his amorous advances by informing him the blonde is Mrs. Cato Laird.
Duncan backs off, but later Mrs. Laird is involved in a shooting in her home. Duncan finds himself thrown into her company once more. Even though he is still attracted to her, this time he realizes she may be a murderer. And so begins a tale of love, deceit, passion, revenge and betrayal.
Brown is as inventive in her plot lines as she is in describing the love matches. The trail to discover who and what Elise Laird is, is a crooked one. She is pitiable and believable one minute and the next she appears to be a cold-blooded calculating killer. Duncan doesn't know whether to kiss her or arrest her, and if he doesn't do the right thing he could be out of a job and a killer could go free.
The inner workings of RICOCHET demonstrate just how good a writer Sandra Brown is. At no time is she illogical and at no time is she not compelling in her storytelling. Her characters are well defined and knowable. This establishes a reason for you to be caught up in the story and you are.
Readers will have a good time with RICOCHET. It is a fun book to read and an exciting one too. You will enjoy all the twists and turns and when the end comes you will be satisfied with how it played out. You can't ask for more than that in a book.
Sandra Brown is one of the best writers of popular fiction around these days. RICOCHET is a fine example of her talent.
RICOCHET is published by Simon and Schuster. It contains 385 pages and sells for $25.95.