Romance Queen Nora Roberts has been released a
stand-alone romantic suspense book once a year for a number
of years now, along with at least one book from a trilogy or
quartet, and her yearly beloved In
Death book under
the pen name J.D. Robb. She's a prolific writer who can
provide a consistent and mostly comfortable read. Lately,
her romantic suspense offerings have been trending more
toward horror or thriller, though. Think more James
Patterson than Susan Wiggs. COME SUNDOWN thoroughly creeped
me out. I prefer my romance to not give me the heebie
jeebies, so COME SUNDOWN is a tough sell for me.
Bodine Longbow is a stereotypical Roberts heroine: she's
extremely busy as a competent and successful woman. Bodine
is the head of the resort portion of the Bodine family
ranch. Bodine is surrounded by four generations of family
working beside her (another lovely theme of Roberts' -- the
solidity of family). Callen Skinner grew up next to Bodine,
and has returned home from a successful horse wrangling
business in Hollywood. I do love when Roberts reunites old
friends then turns them into new lovers!
The disturbing part of the story is Bodine's aunt, who
was kidnapped as a young woman and held prisoner for years
by a fundamentalist fanatic who tortured and raped her. The
depravity of the kidnapper is chilling, and made me not want
to read this book late at night because I was scared to
close my eyes in the dark.
COME SUNDOWN hits many of the common notes that Nora
Roberts' books typically do, and will feel familiar to
her fans. She knows how to spin suspense! Readers
who like their romance with a side of chills will enjoy
Roberts' COME SUNDOWN.
A novel of suspense, family ties, and twisted passions
from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of
The Obsession...
The Bodine ranch and resort in western Montana is a family
business, an idyllic spot for vacationers. A little over
thirty thousand acres and home to four generations, it’s
kept running by Bodine Longbow with the help of a large
staff, including new hire Callen Skinner. There was another
member of the family once: Bodine’s aunt, Alice, who ran off
before Bodine was born. She never returned, and the Longbows
don’t talk about her much. The younger ones, who never met
her, quietly presume she’s dead. But she isn’t. She is not
far away, part of a new family, one she never chose—and her
mind has been shattered…
When a bartender leaves the resort late one night, and Bo
and Cal discover her battered body in the snow, it’s the
first sign that danger lurks in the mountains that surround
them. The police suspect Cal, but Bo finds herself trusting
him—and turning to him as another woman is murdered and the
Longbows are stunned by Alice’s sudden reappearance. The
twisted story she has to tell about the past—and the threat
that follows in her wake—will test the bonds of this strong
family, and thrust Bodine into a darkness she could never
have imagined.