Customer Reviews

Drop Dead Gorgeous

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Heather did a great job. I thought I knew who the killer was; when suddenly someone would do or say something and I'd have to rethink my logic. The book kept me on my toes and wide awake until 2am. First time to read a book by this author, but not my last.

Granted, I didn't have the killer figured out until it was revealed, (although I did have him at the top of my list) I thought the book was dull. I had to make myself finish it & not just skip to the last chapter to see whodunit. I thought the dialogue was stilted and unbelievable. I also thought it was lacking in transitions. There were huge gaps in the story that left me thinking, "How did we get here?" Definitely not a Graham book I'd recommend.

I enjoy Heather Graham's historicals for their rich detail, and memorable characters. Drop Dead Gorgeous had neither.The characters were as shallow as a 1 inch pool of water,and their dialogue lacked that spark that keeps one interested. While I didn't guess the killer until the end, and I though the sex was pretty good, I was constantly turned away from the story by the vacuous "heroes" and "heroines". Also, Ms. Grahams constant repetition of the phrase "DROP DEAD GORGEOUS" throughout the book was way over the top.Sorry Heather, I just wasn't feeling it.

Oh boy, where to start? Well, if you like poor writing, utterly predictable romance settings & situations, melodramatic dialogue of the usual Harlequin archetype, and one-deminsional characters ripped directely from a soap opera (the author even has her darlings compare themselves to 'The Bold and the Beautiful'--not once but two or maybe three times!), then this book is for you. Me, I read it out of desperation, being stuck in an English-Void while vacationing in Russia. Needless to say, I felt my IQ diminish rapidly with each painful page to the obvious climatic 'confusion/resolution.' In fact, the characters were so banal that half-way through I began rooting for the killer to succeed in his malevolent plan...until he was revealed as just as shallow as those he was knifing and strangling. Bah. I shed tears for all the trees slaughtered to fill the bestseller shelves with this worthless pulp. I hope the author enjoys her new SUV...

Fifteen years ago, all the members of the high school "in" crowd gathered at the rock pit to hang out and enjoy the warm waters of the Miami coast. On the surface, they appeared to be a happy group, but beneath the surface, simmering tension was boiling. Soon that tension leads to the murder of Mandy, who the police feel was purposely tied to underwater vines. Except for Sean Black and his brother Michael, everyone else comes from rich families, who hire lawyers to keep the police at bay. Sean is arrested for murder. No one puts up his bail. His public defender gets the case thrown out of court due to the lack of evidence. A cynical Sean leaves town. Feeling guilty for not helping him more, Lori Kelley also leaves, going to England where she marries and has a son Brandon.

Now Sean has returned to town and the killings have begun anew. Sean and Lori, who were attracted to each other fifteen years ago, fall in love, but the serial killer has a plan for them that will not just separate them. The murderer plans to kill both of them.

New York Times best selling author Heather Graham is one of the leading authors of romantic suspense, Her trmondous skill allows her to places equal emphasis on the romance and the suspense without shortchanging either one. Her current novel, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, is an enjoyable tale that is clearly one of Ms. Graham's best contemporary romances. The appealing characters are easy to identify with and the fast paced story line provides a thrill a minute. Fans of the sub-genre, and for that matter, fans of serial killers, will love this terrific tale.

Harriet Klausner

A mystery you just can't figure out! Everybody looks guilty. I kept refering back in the book thinking, well, this one's here and this one's there. They couldn't have done it. But, as I soon learned, you can convict them all and you can clear them all. You just have to get to the end, the very end, to find out. My husband says, one more of Heather Graham's books and I'm fired!!

I enjoyed this book. The villain is very clever and Ms. Graham does an excellent job disguising him and offering several suspects.

Sean Black is a sexy bad boy hero. The cast of characters is diverse and interesting. I enjoyed the way Ms. Graham explores how people change, but old high school friends know the basic make-up of their friends despite the years that have passed.

Overall, this story is well written. Everyone is gorgeous, which is nice but not typical. The dialogue is quite formal at times. For example, a fourteen-year old boy states "...I don't feel traumatized, nor do I have any psychological hang-ups..." That's just one instance that came across as unrealistic. Also, it's my opinion Ms. Graham is too liberal with exclamation points.

Shelley Dawn, author of Sweet, Sweet Jessie and Dark Nights, Dark Nights www.shelleydawn.com

This was my first Heather Graham book and definitely not my last! I could not put it down. Kept me guessing to the very end. Highly recommend this book.

The only reason I kept reading was because it was Heather Graham. I really have enjoyed all of her other books,however this one was lacking in comparison. I think that it was a good story line, but it just never got developed into the usual blockbusters she writes. It was good to pass the time with, but by far not a favorite.

Heather Graham did a wonderful job with this book. Couldnt wait to find out who did it. Hope she writes more soon.