Customer Reviews

Breakwater (MIRA)

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

 

 

Quinn Harlowe worked for the Justice Dept until three months ago. Then she went out on her own. She is a smart intreped investigator and when one of her best friends from the Justice Dept dies in a boating accident while she was staying at Quinn's cottage, Quinn starts her own investigation. Quinn was in the top echelon at Justice and knows most of the same people her friend did.

Huck McCabe is undercover in the small town Quinn's Cottage is in. He is investigating a group of suspected vigillantes. Not just a small local group, but a very high placed, well financed, and supplied group. Only a few very highly placed people know about the investigation.

Naturally Quinn and Huck meet when both investigations cross paths. The death of Quinn's friend is central to both and the more she digs the more he has to worry about her.

Most of these political suspense stories leave me cold, but this one was tightly plotted and moved along at a fast clip. I truly enjoyed the plot, the pace and the romance. This is a good read. Don't miss it.

Former Justice Department researcher Quinn Marlowe discovers the decomposing body of her friend Alicia at her seaside cottage. The last time she saw Alicia, she was incoherent, appeared to be suffering from a breakdown, and disappeared into a limo. Undercover US Marshall Huck McCabe is jogging by when she makes the grisly discovery and tries to aid her. And he continues to have a growing interest in her as she investigates the events surrounding Alicia's death, bringing her to the very people he is trying to link to a vigilante group headed by a wealthy CEO that was a victim of kidnapping.

Quinn's snooping gets her into hot water and it is all Huck can do to get her to abandon her search for her own safety. But n the grand tradition of being far too stupid to live, she not only continues to investigate, but alienates mot people she comes into contact with, thus putting herself in the forefront of danger.

This is my first Carla Neggers book. I felt like I was in the middle of a two hour movie that had already been on for at least an hour and a half. There are so many characters - most with little background to differentiae them from others - it was obvious that this was one of a series of books. I struggled to tell them all apart (many only made a casual entrance in the story then disappeared altogether). The synopsis on the back made the plot sound interesting - but it was a truly disappointing read. I found the minor characters like Nate Winter and Juliet Longstreet more interesting. And lo and behold, they have their own stories.

I've been madly in love with several of Ms. Neggers hero's for years. They'll now have to make room for Huck McCabe. He is wonderful, as is her heroine Quinn Harlowe. Together they create a truly thrilling story. Ms. Neggers knows how to create rich, full of life characters, weaving them into a mix that is fast paced, suspenseful and romantic. If you like romantic suspense, you can't go wrong with Breakwater.

I am a huge Carla Neggers fan and automatically buy her books without reading the synopsis. The good news here is that I remain a huge Carla Neggers fan. The bad news is that this was a disappointing book. It had a slow developing plot; I almost abandoned the book. Back to some good news... the last quarter of the book was really suspenseful and I wished the previous chapters were as well written. The addition of many of Ms. Neggers characters from previous books seemed a little disjointed, developed too quickly and incomplete. A little more detail could have been used. Back to the good news...because the last quarter of the book was so good, that's what I remember the most and can't wait for Carla Neggers next book.

This book kept me intrigued. The author brings you into the book with great details of the characters (sometimes too much) but hey it was still worth it. This is my first book of Neggers and from this first one I plan on reading more. Breakwater is a mystery/romance and even action pack book. The deception alone will make you want to keep reading to see who is really the bad guys (vigilantes) and who are good. I love the way the book ended and made me want a sequel just to see if Miss Quinn keeps her nose out of police business and what will happen to her and Huck.

Quinn Marlowe's hope of having a real life shatters shortly after a strange conversation with her friend, Alicia Morrow, in which the other woman makes little sense and seems focused on ospreys. A little while later, Alicia is found dead right outside Quinn's cottage, and the former Justice Department agent is determined to find out what happened. She does not believe that Alicia killed herself. As her investigation begins, Quinn becomes congnizant of the fact that she herself is being watched by Huck McCabe, an alleged guard at the Breakwater, a high security complex in Quinn's area. In actuality, he's much more, an undercover operative searching for a band of killers. As their investigations are apparently connected, the two team up to battle a giant.

** The oddball start strikes a discordant note that makes it quite problematic to get involved in the story. Characterization is somewhat lacking, though the plot is replete with action. Ms. Neggers fans will likely enjoy this, but it won't win new ones. **

Amanda Killgore

Like another reviewer Quinn fit into the TSTL (too stupid to live) for me. She may have only been a historian at the Justice Department but certainly knew something about being covert. She just plowed right in, confronted people with her suspicions and told them everything she knew. She used no discretion at all and was practically ringing the dinner bell and saying, "Here I am, come kill me because it's the only way I'll stop running my big mouth!" I realize this is part of the series but I'm not interested in reading anymore books by Ms. Neggers.

I loved this book. The play between the main characters, Huck and Quinn is terrific. The storyline keeps you on the edge with just the right amount of suspense. I'm sorry the book wasn't longer. Once again Ms. Neggers delivers both romance and suspense in one great package.

I have this book, but after reading the reviews, I realize that I should read the prior books in the series first. Please tell me which books preceded this in the series. Please disregard the rating, but I couldn't submit my question without making a rating.

Thanks

Who to trust? That's the ultimate question. It is a world of law enforcement, government sector, high profiles, and criminals. Betrayal seems to be the main subject matter. A woman starts acting recklessly and her friend later found her dead. The friend thus investigates not knowing that a big undercover is taking place which coincides with her pain of losing a friend. The writer tries to confuse the reader with many different characters and secretive typed dialogues. Good plot but with disconnected tendencies the story appears bland.