Customer Reviews

The Refuge

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Refuge, the sequel to The Inheritance, is an engaging read. Cresswell's latest romantic suspense novel is refreshingly unique from anything I've read in a while.

Marisa Joubert is a single mother in dire need of gainful employment. As a high school dropout with no marketable skills, she feels lucky to find a job making good wages at "The Refuge", a home for unwed mothers in the Colorado Rockies. It doesn't take long, however, for Marisa to figure out that something is amiss at her new place of employment. For one thing, the majority of the women that live in "The Refuge" are refugees in the truest sense of the word...they herald from war-torn places like Bosnia and the former Soviet states, many of them having endured rape and other horrific atrocities at the hands of the soldiers in their former countries. These young girls speak little English and have no one to turn to in the United States, a land where everyone is a stranger to them. Furthermore, all of these girls are pressured into giving up their babies for adoption, with the option of keeping their children all but removed from them.

Shortly after one of the pregnant refugees turns up missing, Marisa discovers something even more shocking, and that's the truth behind "The Refuge's" side business. As it turns out, these young women have survived one nightmare only to be thrown into another. Marisa isn't certain what to do or who she can trust. Is her boss behind all of this, or is he an innocent pawn? And what about Jimmy, the handsome, but mentally retarded janitor who she senses isn't as slow as he leads people to believe?

Jimmy Griffin is a former FBI agent who now has his own security firm. He recently lost his sister in a car crash, and although the police ruled it to be an accident, he isn't buying it. Two days before his sister died, she had left a message on Jimmy's answering machine, wanting to speak with him. As it turns out, his sister, an important doctor who had once volunteered her skills in Bosnia following the aftermath of the ethnic cleansing campaign, had found some information concerning a man from "The Refuge" that had taken two of the pregnant women from the camp she had worked in and secreted them back to the United States.

Jimmy doesn't have much to go on besides his instincts. Determined to find his sister's killer, he goes undercover and works at "The Refuge", posing as a mentally retarded janitor. When the office manager Marisa discovers his true identity, Jimmy is forced to tell her everything he suspects is going on. Will Marisa believe him? And just as importantly, will she ever forgive him for deceiving her?

Cresswell manages to create a strong romance and a good suspense while simultaneously delivering a poignant commentary on the plight of poor women in America today. She stirs your social conscience, but does it in such a way that you don't really realize it until the book is over. The story and romance don't suffer in the least, which couldn't have been an easy thing to pull off. Very admirably done.

-full review originally published in The Romance Reader

I have to disagree with the other three reviews and simply state, I was really disappointed with this story, it lacked the emotional attatchment with her characters that her previous books have had. The story line was extremely far fetched and really not believable at all. The ending was really really really disappointing. I had a hard time actally reading the end and quite honestly, just skimmed it, I was that disappointed with it. Ms. Creswell, had spent a lot of time building up to a climax that just didn't pan out, it was if she realized she had enough pages and had to wrap it all up. It just wasn't worthy of her other stories. I would suggest reading The Daughter, The Disappearance and The Inheritance rather than this one. I hope she regains the momentum for her next book. I look forward to her stories, especially since she only puts one out per year. I certainly won't be keeping this one, into the donation pile it will go.

In Colorado, Marisa Joubert works at the Wainscott Foundation's Ranch that serves as a refuge for unwed mothers. Marisa is happy to have the job that allows her to raise her son by herself without the illegal money her deceased spouse earned. She also relishes Wainscott's vision to place babies in happy homes and find jobs for the mothers. Marisa works for the enigmatic director Stuart Frieze.

However, almost from her first day of her employment, Marisa feels something is not quite right with the Foundation. Her fears escalate when women begin to vanish. Marisa is not sure if its her employer or one of the workers, such as handicapped janitor Jimmy Griffin, who she finds so handsome, who isn't trustworthy. Marisa knows something diabolical and evil is occurring here in the Rocky Mountains and fears for the lives of herself and her son even as she falls in love with Jimmy.

THE REFUGE is an intriguing romantic suspense that centers on Marisa's growing suspicion of everyone around her. The story line is fast-paced and ably crafted to provide the audience with a rising sense of foreboding that the heroine and her son might not survive this tale. As expected by long time best selling author Jasmine Cresswell, her fully developed cast with their logical and easy to understand motives turns her latest novel into a strong tale that sub-genre fan will appreciate.

Harriet Klausner

Ms Cresswell's novels are generally very good to excellent. She ties several features together into readable and enjoyable mysteries with well-developed characters. In this novel, her male protagonist is an ex-FBI agent -- but he totally misses several clues, and harbors no suspicions about the murderer. This is not believeable.

Ms Crsswell does it again.... The Refuge is a story about Marisa. After denying her legacy, Marisa goes out on her own to get a job and take care of her young son. The job at The Refuge sounds too good to be true. She is an asst. to the director of a home for unwed mothers. Soon she discovers that all is not what it seems to be. Throw in the janitor who is mentally handicapped (who she can't help feeling attracted to) and a mother to be missing and previous murders and you find the formula that keeps Ms. Cresswell at the top.

I believe this book is out of print but if you happen to find a used one it's worth a read. The first hundred or so pages are a little slow going but it catches on and leads to a great ending. I've read many other Cresswell books and her other books have been far better reads. Before reading this one you should try one of her other "better" books (ie. The Conspiracy, Secret Sins, etc.)

The first almost 300 pages were pretty boring. I kept reading hoping it would get good, and it did. Even with these last 100 pages or so, I had no problem putting it down.

Ignore the detractors. This was my introduction to Cresswell, and, due to it, I have gone back to her. The action, romance and mystery are all very good, and Creswell keeps it interesting from start to finish, as is her wont. Look, women don't write like men--I have come to accept it. They beat around the bush too much, and inject too many goody-goody phrases in their work (while describing other people as "dorky"?!), but with the good ones, like Creswell, it still works. Heck, maybe it is one of the reasons we find them so attractive.

I loved "The Inheritance" and couldn't wait to read this book. What a bust!

The characters were one dimensional, the male and female lead had no chemistry and the book moved along slower than a snail. The conversations were always stiff and uncomfortable.

Marissa, while likeable in The Inheritance was just irritating in this one, not to mention not overly bright! It's honorable that she didn't want to keep any of the money from her father and husband. But honor does not support a toddler! To take care of her son she should have kept enough to get her and her son started in her new life. And she didn't just give away the money, she gave away her clothes, furniture, everything. Then she moves to Colorado, not sure why, 2000 miles away from any family who could have helped her and her son out. Pretty darn irresponsible!

And Stuart's motivation for the things he did never really made sense. Not to mention Jimmy was very careless, particularly in a small town. Considering his profession you'd think he'd keep a lower profile.

I kept waiting for this book to get better but frankly it never did. Most of the action happened in the last ten pages! I bought it used but was still sorry I got it at all. I would recommend "The Inheritance" but don't waste your time on this one!

Once again Jasmine Cresswell delivers an outstanding story! Fans of her previous books will recognize Cresswell's ability to present engaging and sympathetic characters in an intriguing and fast-moving story. Although this is the sequel to Cresswell's last book ("The Inheritance") it can definitely be read on its own. For those of you who haven't yet discovered this fantastic author, I promise you won't be disappointed!