Title: The Collector
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Published: April 2014, Brilliance Audio
Length: 15 hours 44 minutes
Source: Personal copy via Audible
From #1 New
York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a novel of a woman who
needs nothing, a man who sees everything, and the web of deceit, greed,
and danger that brings them together—and could tear them apart . . .When
professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from
her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic
turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost
wishing for one. . . .Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother
isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila,
the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to
paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their
investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques
are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is
who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . . .
My thoughts: I always get excited when I find out that a new romantic suspense story is coming out by Nora Roberts. I have really come to enjoy these books and have found that they are perfect to listen to on audio! The suspense is just enough to keep me engaged while the romance is usually fun and sweet.
My favorite part about Nora Roberts’ stand alone books is that with each story she takes us into very different worlds. This time, we delve into the world of a writer/house-sitter and it was very interesting to approach the story from that perspective. Lila views the world with a much more critical eye than your average person does because of her writing and this added to her appeal. It also makes her a great adversary for Ashton when he begins looking into his brother’s death – a death Lila happens to witness from across the courtyard.
I loved the interactions between Lila and Ashton right from the start. They start out as allies but eventually join forces to solve the crime of who murdered his brother. As they start working together, there relationship becomes quite complicated – Lila has a deep-seated need to control her own life and Ashton can’t seem to stop controlling the lives of the people he cares for, including Lila. I also loved the secondary romance between their two friends – neither one of the romances was over the top, but rather understated, letting the suspense elements take center stage. And boy oh boy – the villains in this book are great as are some of the action scenes.
My only complaint is that I now have to wait another year for Nora Roberts’ next stand-alone book…
Audio Thoughts: I enjoyed Julia Whelan’s telling of this story. I’ve listened to her narrate another of Nora Robert’s romantic suspense stories and she does a great job with them. She is able to give each character their own unique voice, infusing just the right amount of tension when needed. I will definitely be checking out what else she narrates.
I've not read any Nora Roberts upto date. I do know she is a prolific writer so maybe its now time. Thanks for the review.
I read rather than listened to this one and really enjoyed it too.
That looks great, added it to my list, thanks for the review !
I enjoyed this one but was distracted when I was reading it. I saw that my library had it on audio and was thinking about getting it. Glad to hear it's well done. Thanks for sharing!