Customer Reviews

Ricochet

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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 [...]

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.

In general, this was a good story. While I wasn't really "wowed" by this book, I was curious about Elise's relationships with the other major characters in the book. One problem is that I don't buy the romance. It didn't make sense to me. Lust at first sight I can understand. A deep lasting love between two people who have about three conversations in the book? Not so much.

Another problem is that this book is pretty much Sandra Brown's FAT TUESDAY warmed over. Charmingly unique Southern town? Check. Rugged cop with integrity who has a grudge against a flamboyant and deadly criminal? Check. Exquisitely beautiful trophy wife with mysterious and painful past who is married to a legal professional? Check. There are other similarities, but I don't want to give away too much. If you've read FAT TUESDAY, you can pretty much figure RICOCHET out.

I got a little over halfway through and I had to stop. I am a big Sandra Brown fan but this reads nothing like her. The plot is juvenille and just plain boring. I kept thinking that even I could write a better book. I found nothing enticing about the characters or what was happening to them. I can't believe this made it past the publisher's desk! Here is what you need to know. There are long, drawn-out conversations and sequences that go into heights of unecessary detail that I have never seen from Sandra Brown before. I found myself in agony trying to get through them, thinking, "WHO CARES???" This is one of the most SLOW MOVING books I have ever read. I could barely bring myself to pick it up. Do your self a favor and skip this one. Pick up "Chill Factor" and "Where There's Smoke" instead.

Detective Duncan Hatcher is jailed for contempt after lashing out at Judge Cato Laird when Savannah drug crime lord Robert Savich slips once again through the hands of justice. Savich, sadistic and known for taking care of anyone willing to talk has provided a welcome home gift to Dunk - the tongue of his last victim, whose trial was aborted. When he and his partner DeeDee Bowen are called to the Laird home to investigate a fatal shooting, he finds that Laird's sexy trophy wife Elise has shot an intruder, and he knows that one and one don't equal two in this crime scene. One thing is for sure; he is attracted to the lethal wife.

After another intense interrogation, Elise passes him a note asking that they meet in private. Ignoring her request, she hunts him down and tells him that she fears that her husband sent the intruder, Gary Trotter to their home with the intention of killing her. But Dunk does not believe the serene beauty since her husband seems devoted to her, and keeps the meeting a secret from DeeDee. As more victims pile up, and there appears to be a relationship between Elise and Savich, Dunk is not sure what to believe, other than one night with Elise is not enough. Is Elise a femme fatale willing to use Dunk for her own personal agenda? Or is she indeed trapped in a loveless marriage with a criminal?

Brown masterfully weaves an intricate tale of sex, murder, betrayal, and vengeance. As the story unfolds, you don't know who to believe or whether to love or loathe Elise. Brown is definitely back in her game with "Ricochet." Like "Envy" and "White Hot" it will keep you guessing right up to the last paragraph.

A great book! It took me a little while to figure out whose side the judge's wife (Elise) was on. Whether she was telling the truth that her husband wanted her killed. Poor Duncan was caught in a rock and hard place, being in love with Elise but not sure if she was telling the truth.

Once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it away. Had me on the edge of my seat!

Homicide detective Duncan Hatcher is a gung-ho, and sometimes sort of a rogue cop who pushes all the issues to the fullest envelope content. When he sees outlandish criminal Robert Savich released by Judge Cato Laird when Hatcher knew there was enough evidence on this man to put him away for a long time, he becomes obsessed at finding more evidence to keep Savich off the streets.

DeeDee Bowen is Hatcher's partner. She is very gung-ho but not to the extent of Hatcher. She has to attempt to calm Hatcher down when he allows his anger to get into his official police work. The situation intensifies when several connected with Savich's past and present life turn up missing or dead. Everyone knows that Savich is a bad criminal capable of anything, but since Judge Laird had released him the police had to dig deeper to find solid evidence on Savich. Savich was extremely careful not to leave a trail of evidence that would lead to him for any of the crimes he is suspected of committing. When the police delve into these older disappearances Judge Laird seems to be involved somehow in most of them.

One night Judge Laird's house was broken into and his lovely wife, Elise, shot and killed the man in the judge's study. A strange trail of evidence was found in the house. Elise had gone downstairs from their bedroom to get some milk, as she did many nights due to "sleeplessness!" She claims she heard a noise as she moved around the downstairs area. She grabbed a hidden gun and claimed that the burglar shot at her, missed her, and she shot and killed him. Hatcher was one of the many law authorities that arrived but Hatcher was having a hard time taking his eyes and mind off of the so gorgeous Elise Laird, making his concentration on the actual case very hard. But between he, DeeDee, and all the other law enforcement agency people that were to work on this high profile case, things return to a huge workload for all involved. Hatcher was fine until he thought or saw Elise Laird. He was caught on her.

The authorities were finding too many pieces of evidence, some possibly just coincidence, linking Judge Laird to Savich. This made Hatcher and Bowen delve into old mysterious murder cases that seemed to connect to the judge. Duncan and DeeDee made a great team seemingly to know what is on the others mind while investigating. DeeDee only had qualms regarding Hatcher's actions some times. When Elise goes missing Hatcher goes even more radical than before. He has to find this woman for who he has so many feelings.

At this point I don't want to ruin any of the many plots and twists and turns in Ricochet. Sandra Brown has come through with another top story. The surprises go to the very end. The reader can follow the story easily the way the author has written it. I have always enjoyed her books especially the crime stories. Her characters are real and their actions place you in the midst of every crime scene and interrogation. Don't pass this book up.

I read at least 3 mysteries and/or general fiction each month. I skipped over the last few chapters of this book because the characters and situation were completely unbelievable. The cops would never compromise themselves this way. The primary female character was a perfect barbie-doll, dead-eye shot, topless waitress concubine who's motivation was obscure and actions reprehensible. When I read that "she looked wistfully at the little kids on the playground" after getting a selfless tubal ligation, I gave up. The novel's climax was ridiculous. I usually like Sandra Brown, but this was awful.

Bristling with Brown's trademark suspense, Ricochet stars upstanding police detective Duncan Hatcher, frustrated with his inability to nail criminal extraordinaire, Robert Savich. Savich has recently gone free despite being guilty of murder, courtesy of smooth, handsome judge Cato Laird calling a mistrial. Before he knows who she is, Duncan finds himself attracted to Judge Laird's beautiful wife, Elise. When she is involved in a fatal shooting at their posh residence, Duncan knows she's hiding at least part of the truth. There is evidence to suggest the situation was more than a break-in and shooting in self defense, and Duncan and his partner Dee Dee are reluctant to close the case too quickly. Duncan finds himself violating his personal code of ethics when Elise Laird secretly approaches him with a story about her life being in danger. He doesn't believe a word of what she says, but he still finds himself irresistibly drawn to her. Evidence is piling up against her, and then Elise disappears at the same time another body shows up.

Since Sandra Brown writes romantic suspense, I knew there had to be more to Elise than met the eye. There are a number of red herrings along the way, as well as a great deal of intrigue to help keep me turning the pages. Brown likes to write about characters in seemingly impossible situations, combined with a lack of trust bordering on dislike that makes romance seem unlikely, yet through the unraveling of intrigue, they work through all their issues and manage a happily ever after. She does that in this book with a great deal of skill, creating characters with depth for this first-class mystery. The villains are chillingly evil, and the odds against the good guys seem impossible. This is excellent romantic suspense.