Ricochet [Import] [Hardcover]

Sandra Brown (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster; Book of the Month Club edition (2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340923571
• ISBN-13: 978-0340923573
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)

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

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sandra Brown is back!!, September 8, 2006

By 

iheartjackbauer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ricochet: A Novel (Hardcover)

After her last two books, White Hot and Chill Factor, I had little hope that I would like Ricochet. I am so glad that I picked this book up because it restored my faith in Sandra Brown.

Detective Duncan Hatcher's mission in live is to put drug lord Robert Savich behind bars for the rest of his life. During Savich's second murder trial, Judge Cato Laird declares a mistrial on a technicality. Duncan is incensed and more determined than ever to put Savich behind bars for good.

A few days later, Duncan and his partner are called to the scene of a burglary gone wrong. Duncan is shocked to find himself at the house of Judge Cato Laird, where his wife Elise, shot and killed an intruder. Though Cato is very attentive to his wife's needs, Duncan knows something is off. On top of that, he is battling his attraction to Elise Laird. Soon Duncan finds himself putting everything that was important to him in jeopardy...his ethics, his loyalty, and his self respect. Never had he found himself attracted to a suspect before.

When Elise Laird approaches him with an outrageous claim, Duncan doesn't believe her. He feels that Elise is using his attraction against him and refuses to give her the time of day.

When Elise goes missing, he tortures himself by thinking about how he could have prevented it. When bodies start turning up and Elise still isn't found, Duncan starts questioning if what Elise told him had any truth to it.

This book has so many twists and turns, it's hard to put it down. With the perfect combination of mystery and romance, I believe that lovers of Brown's older works (Envy, The Switch, Mirror Image) will love this book.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Believe Her or Not?, September 12, 2006

By 

Susie Morris "Book Junkie" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ricochet: A Novel (Hardcover)

Sandra Brown is one of my favorite authors and with her emergence into the mystery/romance combination; her books usually keep me turning pages as fast as I can read them. However, RICOCHET seemed to miss the mark for me and only fell to the average range. That was a huge disappointment to me - Sandra Brown does not write average books.

RICOCHET focuses on Duncan Hatcher, a hunky police detective, who is bent on putting away a ruthless killer, Robert Savich. However, Savich's trial is declared a mistrial by Superior Court Judge Cato Laird on a technicality and Hatcher is determined to bring the man to justice at any cost which lands Hatcher in jail for two days on a contempt of court charge.

A strange twist of events soon puts Hatcher and his partner, DeeDee Brown, as primary investigators when the honorable judge's wife, Elise, kills an intruder at her home. Things don't add up for Hatcher and he leaves the case open until all of his questions can be answered instead of deciding it a simple case of self defense. The suspicions aren't all that are piqued with Hatcher; Elise gets under his skin like no woman has ever done before. Doesn't matter that she's married to the man who set his archenemy free, Hatcher can't get Elise out of his mind.

When Elise secretly meets Duncan and tells him that her husband is trying to kill her, it only adds more suspicion to the list. Nothing is adding up for Duncan with this beautiful woman and the judge seems too perfect to not be believed. Add into the mix another killing and the disappearance of Elise, and the reader isn't sure what the outcome will be.

The term "RICOCHET" doesn't have anything to do with the actual story - it's what happens to the reader as he/she is tossed back and forth. I went from believing Elise, to not believing her, to maybe believing her, and back again. Talk about a rollercoaster ride... but it wasn't thrilling and instead left me with a bit of motion sickness. I was tossed back and forth a few too many times to feel comfortable. In fact, at the end I was to the point of actually saying, "Who cares... just end it and tell me." That's not how I like feeling during the climax of a well thought out story.

Character development was hit and miss. Duncan Hatcher was well developed and we could see the angst his actions had on his emotional state - he was the son of a preacher and being involved with a married woman wreaked havoc on his mind. DeeDee Brown was fairly well developed - tough, opinionated and strong. In fact, I'd like to see a follow-up book with her as the main character! Elise was not well developed but that was intentional. The reader couldn't grasp whether she was a con artist or a poor soul with tragedy striking at every turn. Savich was not as well developed as he could have been, even though the reader was definitely left with the feeling of dislike. Judge Cato Laird was the one who got too much page time. The numerous emotional scenes we endured when his wife was missing and presumed dead was overkill.

Overall RICOCHET was a decent book but not one of my favorites written by Sandra Brown. I much preferred her previous works, WHITE HOT [...]

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ricochet, March 2, 2008

By 

Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ricochet: A Novel (Paperback)

This book was a disappointment. I couldn't get drawn in because I didn't like the main characters. Duncan Hatcher was especially hideous. I don't know which was more disturbing, his involvement with suspect Elise, or his total disregard of police procedure. The story never seemed to end, and didn't have the expected drama and suspense.