Product Description
Secret, betrayal, and a mysterious family history plague the heroine in the latest novel from New York Times-bestselling author Karen Robards.
The past is never over. It just gets dusty.
Lisa Shewmaker was a rising star in a prestigious law firm in Lexington, Kentucky; that is, until the firm went bankrupt and she lost her job. With an ailing mother to care for, Lisa takes the first position she can find: research assistant to District Attorney Scott Buchanan. Scott is as disagreeable as he is sexy, and Lisa suspects the only reason she got the job is because of her privileged upbringing as the daughter of a wealthy federal judge.
While reviewing cold cases in the Fayette County courthouse, a particularly thick manila envelope draws Lisa's attention. The details of the case are engrossing: An entire family-father, mother, and two children-disappeared more than twenty-eight years ago. Except that's not all: The mother in the photo could have been Lisa's twin, and the toddler in the picture bears an uncanny resemblance to Lisa herself. Before Lisa can learn more about her past, a series of catastrophes strike close to home. Lisa confides in Scott, and their relationship develops into something completely different. Together Lisa and Scott unravel a terrifying web of criminal connections that could destroy the very fabric of Lisa's life-if she lives long enough, that is.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #484 in Books
Published on: 2010-03-23
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Binding: Hardcover
400 pages
Features
ISBN13: 9780399156274
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
After Lisa Grant loses her job at a Lexington, Ky., law firm in this seductive romantic thriller from bestseller Robards (Pursuit), she heads home to Grayson Springs, a once thriving Kentucky horse farm, owned by her mother, who's dying from ALS. Lisa becomes a research assistant for former crush Scott Buchanan, the Lexington-Fayette County DA. While she initially finds Scott's grumpy personality unappealing, she begins to feel differently after looking into a cold case: the inexplicable disappearance of Michael and Angela Garcia and their two children, Tony and Marisa, in 1981. Astonishingly, Lisa discovers that both a treasured childhood doll and herself as a young girl resemble Marisa. Lisa's informal investigation leads to dangerous repercussions, including an act of arson at Grayson Springs, in which she and her mother almost perish. Scott's timely rescue tightens their budding relationship as the action builds to a startling if far-fetched conclusion. (Mar.)
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From Booklist
While growing up on a prestigious horse farm, Lisa Grant took her exalted position in life for granted, growing close to her mother after her parents divorced. So she doesn’t hesitate to leave her law practice in Boston to take care of her mother, who is suffering from ALS and impending financial ruin. Lisa is lucky to get a job as a research assistant for District Attorney Scott Buchanan, her former lowly neighbor who made good. As a teen, Lisa tortured Scott with sexual innuendos, while he did odd jobs for her mother, and now it is Scott’s turn to lord it over Lisa. Sexual tension crackles between the two, but when Lisa is late for court, Scott orders her to work on cold-case files. On her first foray, she finds a picture of a missing family, and the mother looks just like her. Suddenly, her life becomes harrowing. With no one else to turn to, she confides in Scott, who, surprisingly, agrees to help, knowing that Lisa won’t like what they discover. Robards proves once again to be a master of romantic suspense, creating likable characters and an intriguing, well-paced, and nail-biting plot. --Patty Engelmann
Review
"While growing up on a prestigious horse farm, Lisa Grant took her exalted position in life for granted, growing close to her mother after her parents divorced. So she doesn't hesitate to leave her law practice in Boston to take care of her mother, who is suffering from ALS and impending financial ruin. Lisa is lucky to get a job as a research assistant for District Attorney Scott Buchanan, her former lowly neighbor who made good. As a teen, Lisa tortured Scott with sexual innuendos, while he did odd jobs for her mother, and now it is Scott's turn to lord it over Lisa. Sexual tension crackles between the two, but when Lisa is late for court, Scott orders her to work on cold-case files. On her first foray, she finds a picture of a missing family, and the mother looks just like her. Suddenly, her life becomes harrowing. With no one else to turn to, she confides in Scott, who, surprisingly, agrees to help, knowing that Lisa won't like what they discover. Robards proves once again to be a master of romantic suspense, creating likable characters and an intriguing, well-paced, and nail- biting plot."
-Patty Engelmann, Booklist
Customer Reviews
drawn in
I couldn't put this book down or sleep until I finished it! My heart was pounding and after I finished it I still could not sleep. It's been awhile since a book had this much physical effect on me.
I love the writing style, and am very drawn to the main characters. One can not help but "feel" with them (and for them )especially as some very sensitive areas were revealed.
If I have a criticism it would be that the end was a bit rushed- too many "facts" dropped in without enough support, and some key "evidence" thrown in that could not have been known, or quickly known, from skeletal remains, as was presented . I would have been happy to keep on reading and reading while all these details, and some secondary relationships, were fleshed out or resolved however!! I did not want to "leave" the world of this book or the charicters!
wish i could get both my time and money back
i have read and enjoyed karen robards in the past and therefore felt comfortable ordering this book without having any reviews to refer to. for the first time i feel compelled to write a review.
where was the editor for this novel? from the very beginning i was struck by oddly chosen adjectives, unimportant information described in excessive detail and lengthy passages devoted to secondary information that neither enriches the novel nor assists in moving the plot along. unfortunately, the author spends absolutely no time crafting the central plot.
the cold case file with a 30 year old picture of a mother, who is a dead ringer for lisa grant today, and a little girl, who looks a lot like lisa would have at the same age, should be a promissing start for a mystery-thriller, but the author never developes a plot with twists and turns, "tells" and red herrings for the reader to figure out. instead, the family home is torched, the protagonist inexplicably has the feeling that it is because of the cold case file that she brought home and a series of attempts on her life begin without her having even made a first inquiry.
in place of a well developed plot and characters, the author spends the two final chapters simply describing the entire back story, all of the action we did not see take place (or even hinted at), and all of the motivation explained neatly. a total cheat. not surprisingly, these final chapters are tedious in their detail, but were clearly easier for the author to write than actually strategizing a plot with timing, reveals, motivations and mis-directions to engage the reader.
the author phoned this in.
fast-paced legal thriller
Having lost her position at a law firm that went bankrupt, Lisa Grant) leaves Lexington, Kentucky to go home to the family horse ranch Grayson Springs. Lisa does not feel bad about losing her job as she needs to care for her mom who is dying from ALS.
Lisa obtains work at the Fayette County District Attorney's office working as a research assistant to DA Scott Buchanan, whom she once loved. His attitude makes her realize he hired her under pressure due to her connections to her mom. Lisa looks into the files of a cold case in which Michael and Angela Garcia and their two children (Tony and Marisa) vanished without a trace in 1981. However, the case shakes her to her bone marrow when she sees the picture of Marisa and a doll the child clings to; she is looking at herself as a little girl and the doll is identical to one she had. Her inquiry with Scott's help turns ugly when an arsonist tries to kill her and her mom
This is a fast-paced legal thriller that after a prologue has Scott cursing out Lisa for failing to do her job; setting the tone of their relationship. The action never slows down as someone is out to harm Lisa and her mom although the younger has no idea why. Although the climax is over the top of Black Mountain with an incredulous denouement, fans will enjoy Karen Robards taut romantic suspense.
Harriet Klausner
