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When Detective Sergeant Duncan Hatcher is summoned to the home of Judge Cato Laird in the middle of the night to investigate a fatal shooting, he knows that discretion and kid-glove treatment are the keys to staying in the judge's good graces and keeping his job.
At first glance, the case appears open-and-shut: Elise, the judge's trophy wife, interrupted a burglary in progress and killed the intruder in self-defense. But Duncan is immediately suspicious of Elise's innocent act. His gut feeling is that her account of the shooting is only partially true — and it's the parts she's leaving out that bother him.
Determined to learn the dead man's connection to the Lairds and get at the truth, Duncan investigates further and quickly finds his career, as well as his integrity, in jeopardy — because he can't deny his increasing attraction to Elise Laird, even if she is a married woman, a proven liar, and a murder suspect.
When Elise seeks Duncan out privately and makes an incredible allegation, he initially dismisses it as the manipulative lie of a guilty woman. But what if she's telling the truth? Then that single fatal gunshot at her home takes on even more sinister significance, possibly involving Duncan's nemesis, the brutal crime lord Robert Savich.
And then Elise goes missing...
Ricochet's plot twists — as only Sandra Brown can write them — and palpable suspense combine to create this gripping thriller, in which a decent cop's worst enemy may be his own conscience, andtrusting the wrong person could mean the difference between life and death.
Review:
"No one does steamy suspense like Brown (Chill Factor), as shown by this expert mix of spicy romance and sharply crafted crime drama. Det. Sgt. Duncan Hatcher, a sexy Savannah homicide cop, falls hard for Elise Laird, a dishy damsel-in-distress, the moment he spots her at a police awards dinner. Too bad she's married to Judge Cato Laird, who consistently subverts Hatcher's efforts to bring local drug lord Robert Savich to justice. When Hatcher and his feisty partner, Det. DeeDee Bowen, are called to the Laird home after Elise supposedly shoots an intruder in self-defense, the desperate trophy wife confides to Hatcher that she believes her husband, a secret Savich crony, intended her to be the intruder's victim. Later, as the uncertain Hatcher grapples with his desires, Elise vanishes, leaving behind another dead body. Tight plotting, a hot love story with some nice twists and a credible ending help make this a stand-out thriller." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Review:
"My criteria for book reviewing are pretty clear: Did I believe the characters? Was it a good story, well told? Did I want to put the book down or keep reading? Bottom line, would I read another book by this author? For 'Ricochet,' my answer to these questions is a resounding yes. It's a great, entertaining read, with lots of surprising twists and turns, credibly flawed characters and a love... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) affair that's as steamy as a Savannah summer. Hunky yet sensitive Detective Duncan Hatcher is called to investigate the gorgeous and wildly manipulative Elise Laird when she kills a burglar in her elegant home, supposedly in self-defense. Complicating the case is that Mrs. Laird is the trophy wife of a patrician judge who dislikes our hero. Worse, her account of the murder is somewhere between sketchy and laughable. Hatcher finds himself falling for the mysterious Mrs. Laird, even as he uncovers each new fact that seems to suggest that the murder was intentional and the burglar, Gary Ray Trotter, no stranger. Hatcher doubts Mrs. Laird's increasingly weak explanations, but he still can't help thinking about her body. Here's Mrs. Laird explaining her case to him: '"I'd been expecting it for several months. Not a burglary, specifically. But something. This was the moment I'd been dreading." She pressed her fist against the center of her chest, right above her heart, pulling the fabric of her T-shirt tight across her breasts. "I knew, Detective. I knew." Whispering that, she raised her head and looked up at him. "Gary Ray Trotter wasn't a thief I caught in the act. He was there to kill me." 'Duncan pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as though concentrating hard, trying to work out the details in his mind. Actually, he had to do something to keep from drowning in those damn eyes of hers or becoming fixated on her breasts. He wanted to haul her up against him, kiss her, and see if her mouth delivered as promised. Instead, he pinched the skin between his eye sockets until it hurt like hell. It helped him to refocus. Some.' Then he finds out she used to be a topless dancer. How great is that? You've seen this femme-fatale plotline before, of course, but it's terrific when it's well done, as it is here. Mrs. Laird may be a double-crossing dame, but she's no dummy, though to tell more would ruin the fun. The story line is updated by the presence of Detective DeeDee Bowen, Hatcher's no-nonsense female partner. Naturally, Bowen suspects every scheming inch of Mrs. Laird and calls Hatcher on his crush with your basic snap-out-of-it speech. Leave it to a woman to add that touch of testosterone. The cat-and-mouse relationship between Hatcher and Mrs. Laird kept me turning the pages, and when the mystery blonde vanished in the middle of the novel, I found myself worried about her, even though I wasn't sure I liked her or her employment history. Still, I was happy to be kept guessing until the end, which came as a genuine surprise. My only quibble is that this best-selling author sometimes settles for phrases such as 'copious notes' and even 'silver-tongued.' She's a better writer than that, and I'm enough of a Strunk and White fan to want her to avoid cliches. But I'm also a Sandra Brown fan, thanks to 'Ricochet.' Lisa Scottoline is the author of 13 novels, the most recent of which is 'Dirty Blonde.'" Reviewed by Lisa Scottoline, Washington Post Book World (Copyright 2006 Washington Post Book World Service/Washington Post Writers Group)
(hide most of this review)
Review:
"A masterful storyteller." USA Today
Review:
"Gripping and absorbing, this is Brown's best thriller in years and a must-read for her many devotees." Booklist
Review:
"As always, Sandra Brown pulls all of the threads together and creates a satisfying tapestry." Bookreporter.com
Synopsis:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown presents a spine-tingling story of murder and betrayal in high society Savannah, where a homicide detective finds his career—and life—on the line.
When Savannah detective Duncan Hatcher is summoned to an unusual crime scene, he knows discretion is key. Influential Judge Cato Lairds beloved trophy wife, Elise, has fatally shot a burglar. She claims self-defense, but Duncan suspects shes lying, and puts his career in jeopardy by investigating further. Then, in secret, Elise makes an incredible allegation, which he dismisses as the lie of a cunning woman trying to exploit his intense attraction to her. But when Elise goes missing, Duncan finds that trusting the wrong person could mean the difference between life and death for both of them.
Synopsis:
The "New York Times" bestselling author of "Chill Factor" returns with a chilling story of murder, romance, and betrayal in high society where one rough-and-tumble detective might find his own life on the line. Available in a tall Premium Edition.
Umber4, September 6, 2007 (view all comments by Umber4)
Hi,i got a chance to first read your book when i was 15 years of age and since then, i was captured.I hope you keep up the good work as your books are the means by which some of us wind up the day.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No (4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"No one does steamy suspense like Brown (Chill Factor), as shown by this expert mix of spicy romance and sharply crafted crime drama. Det. Sgt. Duncan Hatcher, a sexy Savannah homicide cop, falls hard for Elise Laird, a dishy damsel-in-distress, the moment he spots her at a police awards dinner. Too bad she's married to Judge Cato Laird, who consistently subverts Hatcher's efforts to bring local drug lord Robert Savich to justice. When Hatcher and his feisty partner, Det. DeeDee Bowen, are called to the Laird home after Elise supposedly shoots an intruder in self-defense, the desperate trophy wife confides to Hatcher that she believes her husband, a secret Savich crony, intended her to be the intruder's victim. Later, as the uncertain Hatcher grapples with his desires, Elise vanishes, leaving behind another dead body. Tight plotting, a hot love story with some nice twists and a credible ending help make this a stand-out thriller." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review"
by USA Today,
"A masterful storyteller."
"Review"
by Booklist,
"Gripping and absorbing, this is Brown's best thriller in years and a must-read for her many devotees."
"Review"
by Bookreporter.com,
"As always, Sandra Brown pulls all of the threads together and creates a satisfying tapestry."
"Synopsis"
by Netread,
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown presents a spine-tingling story of murder and betrayal in high society Savannah, where a homicide detective finds his career—and life—on the line.
When Savannah detective Duncan Hatcher is summoned to an unusual crime scene, he knows discretion is key. Influential Judge Cato Lairds beloved trophy wife, Elise, has fatally shot a burglar. She claims self-defense, but Duncan suspects shes lying, and puts his career in jeopardy by investigating further. Then, in secret, Elise makes an incredible allegation, which he dismisses as the lie of a cunning woman trying to exploit his intense attraction to her. But when Elise goes missing, Duncan finds that trusting the wrong person could mean the difference between life and death for both of them.
"Synopsis"
by Libri,
The "New York Times" bestselling author of "Chill Factor" returns with a chilling story of murder, romance, and betrayal in high society where one rough-and-tumble detective might find his own life on the line. Available in a tall Premium Edition.
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