Promising young archaeologist Callie Dunbrook is on what could be the dig of her career - a pre-Neanderthal site discovered during preparation for housing estate in Maryland. The dig is only slightly marred by the presence of her gorgeous ex-husband, anthropologist and site guardian Jacob Greystone. Well, that and the murder of the estate developer. And the revelation that Callie may not be the only child of dearly loved Bostonian parents but the kidnapped baby daughter of a devastated local family. The lawyer she hires also has a connection with the Cullen family, and unresolved issues of her own.
As a romance reader and an occasional lurker at Smart Bitches, I've heard a lot about the apparently incomparable Nora Roberts so, when I spied a book of hers on the recently returned trolley of my local library I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I like mysteries and archaeology, and those elements were quite good. There was certainly a fair sprinkling of both romance and lust, though the romantic hurdles were a little sketchy, and there was a lot of bickering between them.
I quite like Callie, but she often acted in an impulsive and unconsidered way (like chasing a potential murderer into a wood, in the middle of the night, alone and armed only with insect spray). I prefer consistently intelligent heroines, although I suppose we're all entitled to having blonde moments.
I liked the idea of revisiting the family of an abducted child some decades on, though I found Callie's (possible) biological mother's obsession over it, to the point of interrupting the relationship with the son who remained, a little distressing. The resolution of that mystery (if she is the missing child, are Callie's parents baby snatchers?) gave rise to its own implausible heroine-in-peril moments.
I found Lana (Callie's lawyer) a more mature and interesting character, and think the entire abduction plot - though adding a layer of complexity - detracted from what could have been a more interesting whole. I'll try another Roberts, but won't be rushing out to buy her entire oeuvre. - Alex
No comments:
Post a Comment