Lethal [Paperback]

Sandra Brown (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 24, 2012

When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.

But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. Coburn is there to retrieve it -- at any cost. From FBI offices in Washington, D.C., to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Coburn and Honor run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens not only them, but the fabric of our society

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A relentless pace and clever plot

twists keep the pages turning." (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty New York Times bestsellers, including 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 now has over eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (January 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455510823
• ISBN-13: 978-1455510825
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (316 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,193 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.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#6 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction

#2 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#2 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#3 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#3 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction

#2 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#2 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#3 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#3 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 121 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Can love be hidden like a tattoo placed where no one can see it? September 20, 2011

By Mary J. Gramlich VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Honor Gillette has to make a split-second decision that will save her and her four year old daughter from Lee Coburn an accused mass murderer. He says he is a victim of circumstance but Honor's only concern is their safety and what he plans to do with the gun pointed at her head. Coburn's mission is to absolve himself of the crimes he did not commit and find something hidden in Honor's house.

Whatever is driving Coburn to tear her house apart and terrorize her is nothing she knows anything about. Her late husband did not leave anything worth killing for and his death was accidental but Coburn begs to differ on all her accounts including the details she believes to be true about her late husband. As time goes by and more people wind up dead she starts to wonder who is telling the truth and who is pretending to.

Coburn has both saved Honor and terrorized her, yet as Honor asks questions his answers begin to make more sense about what he is doing. Going on the run was never on anyone's to do list but staying ahead of the local authorities and the FBI is a challenge she is showing she is up for and proving she is worth the risk Coburn is taking by keeping her with him.

As more people become involved in the manhunt for them, Coburn and Honor tear across the state in search of the key to unlock the secrets with absolutely no idea what they are looking for. The place they keep landing is her father in law's house and it is time for a showdown with him. Coburn believes the hunt for answers began there and will end there one way or another even if it involves tearing apart childhood dreams and momentos. But will Honor be able to protect her husband's reputation or is she helping Coburn prove him to be a dirty cop.

Meetings are set up, shots are fired, cars explode and the person behind Coburn believes is behind everything the elusive "Bookkeeper" is still lurking in the shadows. The mysterious "Bookkeeper" can't be found or identified but has been sending out the orders and running this nightmare organization from burn phones and secured emails.

Sandra Brown has proven year after year the incredible ability she has to write thrillers that draw you in and take you on a adventure. But this book far exceeds any in the past as it keeps you guessing as to who is the shadow boss, where is the key to the answers, and what is the motive behind all of this. Unbelievable barely scratches the surface of how great this book and when it all comes together you find yourself gasping with unexpected revelations. The only downside is Ms. Brown apparently likes to tease her fans with cliffhangers - which you have to read to understand.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing ending October 2, 2011

By Dalmatian mom

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Excellent story, grabs your interest at the beginning. The "bad" guy is almost likeable from the start and the likeability grows. The main characters were all interesting and seemed well rounded, but beyond that you get dumped into a new chapter or section with another person and might not get back to the main characters for a while. There are a lot of extras in the book. Lots of surprises. I would have preferred a little more romance, but I wasn't upset about how little we got -- maybe because there was so much of Lee's thinking to take your mind off of it. However, I was so disappointed in the ending. All I can say is I need another book with either these characters or a book where they are prominent so that I can have the ending I would have expected. I honestly wondered if my book was missing pages when I remembered I was reading on the Kindle! Except for the occasional unnecessary violence that pops up in Ms. Brown's books, I love everything about her writing and stories. Mirror Image and Charade are the two that I recommend to anyone who hasn't read her books. I look forward to her books and I'm always satisfied with the mystery, the amount of suspense, and the romance -- always a good mix. Lethal just didn't have what I would call a complete ending -- I know what I think Ms. Brown wants us to think, but I would have liked two more paragraphs, two more pages, something.

54 of 59 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected. September 25, 2011

By Nikki W.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

think this was the first Sandra Brown novel that I didn't absolutely race through holding my breath. Instead, I found myself a bit bored.

On the run for killing 7 men in a warehouse, Lee Coburn is on the run. He runs straight to Honor's house. Honor will do anything to protect her daughter Emily, so she allows Coburn into her house and even helps him search for something he say's her husband was hiding.

I have to say I usually feel a connection with the characters and I was expecting the same thing from this novel but it didn't feel the same. Something seemed a bit off.

There was plenty of action and lots of guesswork. I was kept guessing until the end and still wasn't sure even after the unexciting reveal of The Bookkeeper. One thing it wasn't was predictable. Which is always a positive thing in my opinion.

One thing it lacked for me was the romance that I am so used to in Sandra's books. I didn't feel the passion or the connection between them. Not to mention the ending lacked a bit of everything for me. There was no closure for me at all. I know some people won't mind the ending the way it was but I just can't stand leaving things up to me. Of course I could probably work through some things but I don't want to have to.

As I've said, Sandra is one of my favorite authors and one I look forward to every time a new book comes out. This one, however, was just alright for me.