Customer Reviews

Blackout (Warner Forever)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

BLACKOUT by Annie Solomon
April 12, 2006


Margo Scott wakes up to a horrible headache, and as the day progresses, she finds that she's having a hard time remembering things. She also learns that she's lost an entire month from her life. She doesn't remember a lot, and isn't sure anymore that she works in a used book store, isn't sure if she has a sister named Barbara, or that her parents even exist. As she tries to solve the mystery of her life (and her identity), she also has Jake Wise on her back.

She doesn't know it right away, but Jake has been instructed to keep an eye on her, as a favor to his old friend and mentor Frank Temple. He doesn't know what Margo has to do with anything, but when Frank is found dead, Margo becomes a major suspect. Margo can't say she remembers who Frank is, and Jake thinks she's lying, especially since photos have been found with Margo and Frank together. Another reason Jake suspects Margo is not telling the truth is because the first time they meet, at a local park late at night, she behaves like a professional hit man or a killer. Something about her tells Jake she is not some innocent bookstore owner.

BLACKOUT is one hell of a ride, as the book takes the reader from Washington DC and the world of espionage, to Spain where Margo believes she had been visiting the month before, but cannot remember why she was there. Her journey to track her lost memories is probably the most interesting part of the plot, as the reader may be convinced at first that she is indeed that innocent book seller that Margo thinks she is. Things escalate in Spain, and while I thought the rest would be downhill, there is yet one more climatic point in the story before the last page is turned. For fans of romantic suspense, this is a must-read. BLACKOUT by Annie Solomon is filled with mystery, adventure, suspense, and of course romance. Be prepared for a wild ride! -- courtesy of Love Romances

Annie Solomon does it again with her latest novel Blackout. Pulling the reader in from the very first page with non stop suspense and intrigue.

Margo Scott has lost a month of her memory and maybe even more. She has military skills, but no recollection of being trained by any organization. Her profession as a bookseller living in her deceased Aunt's home appears to be nothing more than a cover. Now, a man she does not remember ever meeting is dead, and Margo is the prime suspect in the investigation.

Jake Wise thinks he is doing a simple surveilance job when he is asked to keep an eye on Margo. That is, until his boss turns up dead and all the evidence points to his charge. Every question in his mind is only answered with another question. Margo's only memories are of her cover persona. If Jake wants the truth, he will have to break down Margo's resistance and work with her to find the killer. Even if every clue points back to her.

Billed as a Romantic Suspense, it falls short on the romance. The author fails to show any real emotion between the characters other than a tight friendship mixed with sex. There is no Happily Ever After Ending, but left more with the hope for one eventually. This novel should be billed more as a fiction with a strong emphasis for the suspense, which never lets up. For that I gave it 5 stars. The author keeps the plot moving with plenty of new clues to pose even more questions.

My only complaint is that there was no climactic ending, no surprise reveal and no emotional connection to the characters. I believe the author made an attempt at it, but fell short of successfully pulling it off. Therefore, I only gave this book 4 stars.

Is it worth buying?
Yes. If nothing more than being a good suspense novel, Blackout will keep the reader glued to the pages.

With the release of BLACKOUT, Annie Solomon continues to firmly define her place as one of today's top romantic suspense novelists.

I have to admit that my favorite part of this book was the kick-butt, knife-wielding heroine, Margo. Even in the depth of her confusion over who she might be--murderer, federal agent, or innocent bookseller--she has a takes-no-prisoners attitude that makes her an enjoyable read. She's just tough enough to go it on her own, but human enough and smart enough to know when she does need help.

Jake is the perfect partner in crime. He's strong, funny and nice. He's even man enough to admit to be impressed with her knife skills.

The pacing, as always in a Solomon novel, is perfect. The material is fresh, and there are enough bad guys wandering through the book to make it interesting, but not so many that the plot becomes convoluted and implausible. Most importantly, though, this is a really enjoyable story, and readers should plan to finish it in one setting.

As far as Margo Scott knew, she was a bookseller who lived in a house she had inherited from her aunt and she had a sister. Then, one day, she wakes up, with no memory of the last month, skills she can not account for, and no way to prove anything that she believes about herself is real. As Margo works to learn who she is, the truths are dark and disturbing. Someone else wants to know who she is as well; Jake Wise, an undercover agent who keeps turning up until he becomes her ally and lover. The more answers they find, the more questions arise, and the more afraid Margo is of who she really is. Is she a killer?

**** This is a challenging read with twists and turns that will keep you guessing from start to finish. It's a rollercoaster read that only gets faster as it nears the end. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

Once again Annie Solomon turned out a book that doesn't let you put it down until the very last page. Every book is better than the last one and this one is the best.

I originally picked up this book because it won the RITA award for best romantic suspense. Wow, I can see why it did. This is the first book I have read by this author and I plan on reading more. You can't stop reading once you start it and the author does an excellent job making the reader relate to the heroine; knowing what it feels like to walk in her shoes.

The romance between Margo and Jake was refreshing. This is not a lovey-dovey romance novel where the hero and heroine fall hopelessly in love and get engaged within a weeks time. Their relationship builds over time; given the situation that they are in. There is angst and emotional push and pull. The romance is realistic with the plot. The ending is also realistic. Some would argue it was not a happy ending, but I thought that it was and I would've been mad if it ended any other way.

This novel kinda reminds me of the movie The Bourne Identity (with more romance, of course). Both stories keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. If you like stories like that, you will like this book.

It's better than "Alias" because it makes sense.

Margo Scott wakes up at midnight unable to remember the past month. But she has assassin-like skills and knowledge and is afraid of what she might be. Jake Wise is a government agent. He's taken a leave of absence to do a favor for his former boss and mentor, Frank Temple.

Frank has Jake watching Margo but won't tell him why - it's a need to know thing. Jake decides to get to the bottom of it. He manages to "accidentally" meet Margo. When Frank is brutally murdered, the evidence points to Margo. She can't remember anything but thinks it's possible she did it . . . and did worse things.

The worse things may be why ruthless assassins are trying to kill her. Jake and Margo form an uneasy alliance to uncover the truth.

Great suspense, excellent action, complicated plot that comes together with a satisfying resolution, the characters made sense, sexual tension very well done and a hero to die for. I liked everything about this book.

Annie Solomon gets the reader hooked in the very first chapter which is a single paragraph. Solomon has an uncanny ability to put the reader into the storyline to experience what her characters are experiencing. I picked this book up on a lark and found myself reading it on the way to the checkout. Classified as a Romantic novel it could easily qualify as a mystery.
Her descriptive phrases add punch to a plot that continues to build suspense. The heroine has had a loss of memory and is trying to recall her life and who she is when she discovers that everyone she talks with wants her dead, for different reasons. I'd recommend this book to aspiring authors who want to learn the mechanics of a successful novel. There is a wealth of style and skillful storyline in this book. Annie Solomon has taken an old plot and breathed new life into it. Great read!

This was my first book by Ms. Solomon. For most of the book, I felt confused and couldn't understand why things were constantly happening to Margo. I actually felt as she did and I thought it was creative that the author wrote the story in such a way that the reader would share the same feelings as the characters. Definitely will read more by this author.

Washington, D.C. bookstore owner Margo Scott cannot remember anything from the last month as if she was in a coma. Already befuddled and frightened, adding to her trepidations over her amnesia, the police arrive and question what she knows about Frank Temple, the deputy director of the Terrorism Control Force and where was she when he was murdered. Margo swears she never met Frank though the police show evidence to the contrary to her.

Trying to piece back what occurred in her life over the past thirty or so days, Margo becomes even more terrified when she finds nothing to prove she existed before her recent awakening. She has no pictures of loved ones and no seeming contacts of friends or relatives. Worse what she finds out about herself has nothing to do with being an independent bookstore owner and all to do with skills the average person does not possess. Her only hope is a Fed tailing her that she confronts though she has no idea how she obtained the skill to realize that Jack Wise was following her. Though Jack suspects Margo of lying about her memory loss, they unite to discover why what she learned of her past does not gel with her memories prior to the last month, what happened during the memory lapse and did she kill Temple.

Margo is terrific as she begins to uncover the truth about herself and assumes she probably killed Temple though she cannot fathom why. Her efforts to learn who she is grips the audience as each step closer to the truth proves more dangerous than the previous encounters. Though the romantic relationship with Jack seems unnecessary filler as Margo's plight and her escapades make for a delightful action-packed one sitting thriller.

Harriet Klausner