The Crush [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Sandra Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2002

When Dr Rennie Newton is summoned to jury duty, she brings to the courtroom the same degree of dedication and composure that she displays in the operating room. And it is this commitment to duty and precision that compels her to return a not guilty verdict in the trial of notorious killer, Ricky Lozada. But it might prove the most regrettable decision of her life ...When a rival colleague is brutally slain, Rennie is cast as prime suspect even though Lozada's menacing shadow looms over the murder. Not only does Lozada seem to be insinuating himself into every aspect of her life, but the police also seem intent on invading her privacy - particularly Wick Threadgill, an embittered detective with vengeance on his mind and a point to prove. As the stakes continue to rise, Rennie and Wick decide to forge an uneasy alliance - but what they both have yet to realise is that when the killer strikes, they won't see it coming ...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Dr. Rennie Newton's jury duty on a case involving a contract killer ends in an acquittal for Ricky Lozada, her carefully composed and very private life begins to unravel. First, someone breaks into her house to leave her an anonymous dozen red roses. Then her colleague and one-time rival for the chief of surgery job is murdered in the parking lot of her hospital, which makes her a prime suspect, especially when the police learn that she's killed a man once before. None of that stops Detective Wick Threadgill from falling in love with her; unlike his partner, he's sure that Lozada, not Rennie, is behind Howell's murder. And it soon becomes clear that the killer is so obsessed with Rennie that he'll do anything to have her--including killing again. Brown, master of the romantic mystery, goes into darker territory here, but she handles it with her usual deftness and turns in a well-paced if not particularly heart-stopping thriller with the requisite happy ending for Rennie and Wick. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Brown's latest thriller pits the infamous Ricky Lozada, an unscrupulous killer for hire, against Wick Threadgill, a wily, disgruntled detective on leave from the force. Threadgill's former partner, Oren Wesley, lures him back with the news that Lozada-against whom Threadgill has a personal vendetta-has murdered a respected doctor. The author ups the stakes by giving Threadgill and the killer the same love interest: Dr. Rennie Newton, a no-nonsense surgeon who unwittingly attracts Lozada's obsessive attention while serving on a jury that acquits him for murder. Newton's secret past raises doubts about where exactly her loyalties lie, and Brown deftly builds suspense around the romantic aspect of her story. She also scores points for her insight into the sociopath's mind, despite a rather facile explanation of how he went bad. (Not everyone with a handicapped younger sibling who gets all the parents' attention ends up a ruthless killer.) Similarly, the underlying reason for Dr. Newton's startling transformation from a young adult who lived on the wild side to a cold, controlled professional is too pat. Worst of all, Brown's prose seems aimed at an audience of eighth-graders, padded throughout with a slew of adjectives, useless descriptions and catch phrases ("Is that your final answer?"). But once things get rolling, the plot crackles with tension moving toward the final showdown between Lozada and Wick. Brown fans will not be disappointed.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 644 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786243473
• ISBN-13: 978-0786243471
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,215,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty New York Times bestsellers, including RAINWATER (2010), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), ENVY (2001), THE SWITCH (2000), THE ALIBI (1999), UNSPEAKABLE (1998) and FAT TUESDAY (1997), all of which have jumped onto the Times bestseller list in the number one to five spot.

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program "PM Magazine."

She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV's "Murder by the Book" premiered the series in 2008 and she was one of the launch authors for Investigation Discovery's new series, "Hardcover Mysteries."

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer's Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Crush, March 3, 2008

By 

Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Crush (Mass Market Paperback)

When a colleague is killed, Dr. Rennie Newton is shocked to find out it was a deliberate precision killing. Gossip starts to fly when it is disclosed that she and the deceased doctor were in line for the same job and fought often. Rennie's situation gets a lot worse when she finds out the man suspected of the recent death is none other than Ricky Lozada. She recently served on the jury at his trial.

Wick Threadgill is on leave from the Fort Worth police force. He has been accused of losing perspective after the death of his brother Joe. It is assumed that Ricky also committed this murder. His partner Oren has asked him to come and discretely watch Rennie because Oren is convinced she is the key to finding Ricky.

Wick determines early on that Rennie is innocent. As he gets closer to her, they find themselves unable to deny the attraction between them. When Wick realizes that Ricky has an attachment to Rennie, he will do anything to protect her.

This is one of my favorite books by SB. Ricky is one of the creepiest killers I have ever read. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I also liked Rennie and Wick. They had chemistry overload!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps You in Suspense All the Way Through!, January 22, 2003

By 

J. Kirkman "book jen" (St. Petersburg, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Crush (Hardcover)

This is the first time I have read Sandra Brown's books, and I really enjoyed this one.

In The Crush, Dr. Rennie Newton, was an exacting, and impersonal surgeon. When she was summoned to jury duty, she brings to the courtroom the same level of competence and composure that she always does with her patients. It is this commitment to precision that compels her to deliver a not guilty verdict in the murder case against the notorious contract killer, Lozada.

It will be the most regrettable decision of her life. Rennie's trial with Lozada doesn't exactly end there with his acquittal.

Her carefully structured world begins to fall apart when a colleague of Rennie's is brutally slain. Lozada's menacing shadow looms over the murder, but it's Rennie the detectives suspect. The privacy she has culitvated and protected at all costs is violated by the police as wellas Lozada. And when he begins an earnest courtship, insinuating himself into every corner of her life, it becomes terrifingly real that he is obsessed with having her.

Wick Threadgill is a detective on indefinite leave from the Fort Worth PD, who has his own personal agenda for the contract killer. Temperamental, bitter, and driven by loyalty and love, Wick is determined to destroy Lozada. And as determined is Lozada is to possess Rennie Newton.

A very absorbing book all the way through.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PageTurning Romantic Suspense, October 10, 2002

By 

Sheri Melnick (Enola, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Crush (Hardcover)

Sandra Brown delivers once again with this compelling tale of revenge and obsession. Career criminal, Ricky Lozada, is stalking Dr. Rennie Newton, a brilliant and beautiful surgeon at a Fort Worth, Texas hospital. A professional hit man, Lozada was acquitted of murder by a jury where Rennie was the foreman. Though Rennie voted to acquit based upon the evidence, she was constantly aware of Lozada's incessant stare, which lead to his sociopathic conclusion that he and Rennie had some type of bond.

When Dr. Lee Howell, a colleague of Rennie's, receives the promotion she wanted and then is subsequently murdered, Rennie becomes Detective Oren Wesley's prime suspect, especially when the Detective discovers that Rennie has been receiving roses and phone calls from Lozada. Oren decides to bring in Wick Threadgill, a former Fort Worth police officer on indefinite leave. Wick's desire to see Lozada pay for the murder of his brother has the potential to help Oren nail Lozada, as long as Wick keeps his temper in check.

But with a classic Brown twist, Wick becomes enamored of Rennie, though she fights her attraction for him, alluding to secrets behind her sanitary life free of attachments of any kind. And when Lozada discovers that Wick is interested in Rennie, the hit man's obsession becomes even greater, leaving a terrified Rennie wondering what his next "gift" will be.

Ms. Brown has succeeded in masterfully crafting characters whose depth is slowly revealed as she sheds light on their destructive pasts, i.e. Rennie's change from promiscuous teen to a solitary adult, Wick's derailment of the investigation into his brother's murder, and Lozada's resentment over his ill brother's preferential treatment. The gritty reality of one woman caught between two enemies adds to the suspense of the novel taking the reader on a wild ride that you won't want to miss. A true page-turner, this is romantic suspense at its very best.