Customer Reviews

Never Look Back

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

 

 

This novel is a sequel to "Don't Look Now" and has even more action and mystery and humor as well as the stuttering romance between the main characters. Clare Westbrook is a young defense attorney who has been raising her sister's daughter Emma and trying to cope with the slime and associates of those she defends. Clare wants to only defend those clients who she believes are either innocent or have special circumstances. In the previous book, Clare worked for a sleazy kind of guy who gets murdered. She meets Tony (Antonio) Sonterra, a homicide cop, in the course of her adventures.

This story centers around two main themes: Clare is trying to set up her own attorney's office in a run down part of town and build up clientele without getting injured or worse herself. Tony is trying to protect her. The second theme is the mystery of who is stalking her and killing people around her and why and does it have to do with her law practice or Tony's cop business? There are various secondary themes, some humor and romance with the main mystery being resolved and the romance MOSTLY decided.
Very exciting scenes and very scary scenes.

I like variety in a novel and this fits the bill.

Very much in the same vein as Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

In Phoenix, attorney Clare Westbrook uses her twenty million dollars inheritance to open an office on the poor side of town to help innocent people who cannot afford a lawyer. Next door mental clinic patient Peter Bailey walks in and warns Clare to beware of the dolls before leaving. Clare is painting her office at night when a drive by shooting shatters her window. The cops arrive including her off again boyfriend Detective Anthony Sonterra, who takes the shaken up Clare to his home.

Tony and Clare talk about their future together. He wants her to move in with him, but she says she will never shack up except in marriage and she is not sure she wants to marry him.

Peter gives Clare an envelope containing thirteen pictures of dolls. Clare calls the clinic's Dr. Tomlinson, who insists Peter is not dangerous. Next Clare's email contains a picture of dolls with a warning, but she does not know why or what the "Dollman" wants of her. People associated with Clare begin to die and arson occurs as the beleaguered attorney wonders who the Dollman is and why is he trying to destroy her?

The return of the cast from DON'T LOOK NOW will excite readers as the lead duo from then and now has grown further in this exhilarating police procedural romance. A secondary subplot involving Clare's assistant adds to the well written thriller that never slows down until the final confrontation between the heroine and the killer. Though the killer comes out of nowhere and his motive seems unreal, romantic suspense fans will look back on the two Westbrooke novels as fond Miller time.

Harriet Klausner

I think I have found a replacement for Janet Evanovich. LLM's sequel was an instant hit with me. Claire Westbrook has opened her own practice in a suspect neighborhood and 'things' come her way. Thank heaven, Tony Sonterra is around to pick up her pieces. Emma is a big factor in her life.

Interesting and fun book to read. Hope to see another one. Of course, the last sentence is a cliff hanger. Fun, fun, fun.

I can't tell you how fast I read this book. It was engaging and the first person narrative, wit, and effortless description makes this such an entertaining and easy read. It starts off where we left off from the first book, Don't Look Now, where Clare Westbrook has come into a major 20+ million dollar inheritance. She's decided after a career of questionable morality to go to the opposite end of the defense spectrum, renting an office space to setup a pro bono law office in a poor and desperate neighborhood. On her first day at the office, a mentally unstable and slightly creepy Peter Bailey shows up in her office warning her of conspiracy, danger, and scary dolls. After nearly dying three months earlier, she has to ask herself, why me? Shortly thereafter, her office is the lucky recipient of a random drive by shooting, continuing her streak and dangerously bad luck. As she's starting up her practice, she carefully selects clients she believes are innocent and during her effforts to defend her clients, she becomes stalked by none other than dolls. Unfortunately, the likely suspect, Peter Bailey, turns up dead in her swimming pool and with the help of her sexy on again, off again lover, detective Tony Sonterra, she tries to identify the killer before she becomes his next victim.

Although there is a lot going on in the story, it is significantly more focused than the first book. The entire supporting cast, plus new characters are introduced and make the story that much more interesting and funny. Clare and Tony develop and explore their feelings for each other in more depth, but still manage to keep it on the lighter side. The danger is more real and Tony and Clare do not come out of this plot unscathed, although it is rather obvious who did it. An additional element of the supernatural is also introduced in the book and it'll be interesting to see how it is tied up in the final of the trilogy. The best part of the story overall is that the author does not go into overkill in the descriptions, like what happened, what the sun looked like, what they're wearing, etc... This story sticks to the salient points with added comic relief and relationship development and does a wonderful job. I can't wait to read One Last Look to see how it all ends.

This book was GREAT ! I could not put it down. It's the 2nd book in Miller's series and this book absorbs you into the the characters. The storyline was good, but Miller's writing style is what totally keeps me interested. Very witty !!!

I cannot believe how this book ended. I finished it in November and the last book didn't arrive until January. I thought I would have a hissy fit. Linda Lael Miller really knows how to hold on to readers with this one. I really think she should have more Tony and Clare books.

As the second in the trilogy, I think I actually liked this one the best, but that doesn't say much.

Clare Westbrook has opened her new pro bono lawyers office after receiving a large inheritance from a father she didn't know. Unfortunately, Clare picked one of the worst parts of the city to set up shop. This leads to a slew of vandalism and murder attempts, as well as a crazy stalker after her.

As with her other novels, LLM spins several different plots throughout the story line. The only problem with her writing is that she never has enough red herrings making the reveal all that more obvious. The suspense is okay, but other than a curiosity for the Clare and Tony's on going relationship, the series falls short of being anything great. The serial stalker/killer in this particular novel makes for more interesting reading though compared to the other two in the series. The suspense is consistent throughout the novel as well keeping the reader turning pages until the very end.

Is it worth buying?

I hate to say this because I know the authors need the sales, but the series isn't worth retail value. It is okay as a check out from the library or on sale and this one novel is better than the others, but I still wouldn't want the series in my collection of great novels. It is just an average read at that.

The book arrived in a timely fashion and was in as good or better than stated.I would order again from this vendor.

I was so excited when I order this book and I was only mildly disappointed. The book was good but it didn't have the same flare as the first book of this trilogy.

these are great stories! i could not wait to read the other 2. read them all in 2 weeks.