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5 out of 5 stars
By
Diana DC
on
11-03-13
Wish there were more like it...
Sandra Brown has pioneered her own unique niche since throwing off the constrainting rules of writing genre fiction with the publication of Envy in 2001. I have mad love for just about every word she's written since then and Deadline is no exception. Setting a meticulously crafted mystery/thriller at the heart of a love story, Brown honors her romance writing roots as well as her romance reader fans. Or is it the other way around--romance at the heart of a mystery? Either way you choose to look at it, one needs the other and it's a happy confluence that pleases me in all the best ways.
I've struggled with false starts and wholesale deletes in writing a review for fear of spoilers. I'm a spoiler hater and I'm glad that I experienced Deadline knowing only what is revealed in the blurb and I urge you to do the same. I reveled in Brown's trademark diabolical plot twists without having a clue as to where she was going with it. Unspoiled is the only way to go with Sandra Brown.
In addition to main protagonists Dawson and Ameilia, there are numerous characters important to the storyline, each requiring a unique voice. Stephan Lang aces it in that respect, seamlessly delivering dialogue between/among the entire cast while consistently staying in character. I especially loved his voicing of a certain villain An unexpected choice and so devious and insightful. Extra kudos to Lang for his heartbreaking reading of Flora's journal.
I didn't love Lang's Ameilia voice, not that the timbre is a problem, but a bit of a miss on her characterization. She sounds too soft and hesitant, almost apologetic, for an accomplished professional woman with an aristocratic upbringing. Hero Dawson Scott's voice is exactly right to my ear. Dawson is decidedly different sort of Sandra Brown hero and that's all I'm going to say. Lang clearly gets Dawson and I love him for that.
Sandra Brown delivers another excellent romantic thriller and Stephan Lang pretty much nails it.
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14 of 15 people found this review helpful
3 out of 5 stars
By
Louis
on
10-01-13
Very good story! Gratuitous sex at end cheapens it
As I was reading the book all I could think of was how much I loved the rhythm of the book.The reader and the author combined to create a very good listening experience. I really enjoyed it. When I read a book, I am always thinking about if I could recommend the book to anyone and then to whom. Through the first 90% of the book, the answer was yes I would recommend the book and I had a long list of friends that depend on me for recommendations. Then, out of the blue, very graphic sex is added for who knows what reason. The story is over, we know where it is going and then bang. It doesn't fit, it wasn't needed and it cheapens the whole book. I can't recommend the book to anyone without telling them to be careful. I really can't believe that this was added to the book. It's place in the book seems like an afterthought. For me this was disappointing as I was really enjoying the book up till then.
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12 of 13 people found this review helpful