The Ruby [Mass Market Paperback]

Ann Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994

Danger At Every Turn

When an exquisitely crafted, authentic imperial Faberge egg mysteriously shows up at Laurel Swann's home studio, she knows it can only be from one person -- her father, who has drifted in and out of her life for as long as she can remember. But this time Jamie Swann leaves her something too many people will kill for.

Out of her league and desperate, Laurel is forced to accept help from the very man who is trying to ensnare her father in his own web of double crosses. Cruz Rowan can help her stay alive, but will he do the same for her father?

Elizabeth Lowell, writing as Ann Maxwell, deftly combines the nonstop action of a spy thriller with the heart-pounding excitement of true love and adventure.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The fabulous talent of Ann Maxwell, a.k.a. Elizabeth Lowell, dazzles the imagination and bewitches the heart." -- Rave Reviews

"Whether as writing as Ann Maxwell or Elizabeth Lowell, this author delivers pure, undiluted excitement." -- Jayne Ann Krentz

About the Author

Elizabeth Lowell is the award-winning author of numerous historical and contemporary novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Forget Me Not, Only Love, A Woman Without Lies, Autumn Lover, and, Winter Fire. Her most recent major accomplishment is a four-book series of suspense novels featuring the unforgettable Donovan family -- Amber Beach, Jade Island, Pearl Cove and Midnight in Ruby Bayou -- all of which were immediate New York Times bestsellers. There are more than fifteen million Elizabeth Lowell, books currently in print. Ms. Lowell, lives in the San Juan Islands with her, husband, with whom she writesmystery novels under a pseudonym.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061042692
• ISBN-13: 978-0061042690
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So/So, May 5, 2001

By 

V. Craft (GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ruby (Mass Market Paperback)

Like Ann Maxwell's (Elizabeth Lowell's) earlier books this one starts off a bit dull, but slowly gets interesting. You are slowly introduced to the main characters Laurel Swann and Cruz Rowan. Laurell is a jewelry designer, who's father is top CIA, possibly gone bad. Cruz works for a company that does search work for other governments and businesses who want to keep quiet about it. The two are drawn together when a Russian collector losses a faberge egg that was on tour in the US. Like other faberge eggs this one has a surprise inside: a large ruby. Cruz tracks the egg down to Laurel's father, who recently sent it to her, then retrieved it, taking it off without explaining anything to her. When Laurell is attacked Cruz takes to away for safe keeping until he can find where her father has taken it. While keeping her safe, they fall in love, and Cruz will do anything to keep her safe from the people who will do anything to get the egg.

This book was enjoyable once you get into it, but you need to make it past the first 50 or 60 pages before that happens. This book is also pretty predictable in the romance department, and can get pretty deep into government problems and procedures. If you don't mind a little bit of that however, it's a pretty good book.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An average book...., June 16, 2000

By 

Sarah "sssspro" (North East, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ruby (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed reading Laurel and Cruz's story, but subtracted stars for the lack of depth in the over all plot. Whether writing as Ann Maxwell, Elizabeth Lowell or with her husband as A E Maxwell, she usually gives the reader a twisting and turning plot with deep insights into the location she is writing about. Although an attempt is made to do this with Russia in this story, I thought she fell a bit flat. Instead of feeling like we were living in a post-Soviet era, it seemed as if she turned to what we all think stereotypically happened to the ex-Soviet Union, not necessarily what did happen. Tell us, or make us believe what is going on today in the ex-Soviet Union, don't give us a rehash of some old Cold War relics who have no influence or power (or is that the whole point?).

Laurel and Cruz fall for one another very quickly and I am not sure I believe the love-at-first-sight theme. I am getting a bit inundated with all of the ex-marine, ex-cop, ex-FBI, ex-CIA, ex-mercenary, etc, stories about macho men who are tough as nails but as soft as kittens deep down. Do you think these men truly exist? By the amount of books written about them today, one would think that is ALL that exists in today's world.

We get a bit more character development of Laurel than we do of Cruz, but I felt that we skimmed over both of them a little too much. Laurel gets to make that difficult choice between father and lover, and we see her struggling with this decision. Cruz has an interesting sounding past, but we never really see into his psyche. The secondary characters are crucial to the plot, and Ms. Maxwell does a great job describing and using them. All in all, not a bad read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Currently published as Whirlpool by Elizabeth Lowell, December 13, 2006

By 

Book Collector (Kent, WA and Helena, MT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ruby (Mass Market Paperback)

Ann Maxwell's books are currently being re-printed with new titles under the name Elizabeth Lowell. So if you are looking for some of these older titles, search under that author. Titles won't match, but hopefully the description will let you know which older title it is. The books are excellent and I would highly recommend them.