Customer Reviews

Unspoken (Zebra Books)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Shelby Cole has returned to Bad Luck, Texas after being gone nearly ten years. When she was told by her father that her daughter died, she left with no intention of ever returning. Then she received an anonymous package with pictures of the daughter that she thought died. Knowing that she'd do anything to get her daughter back, Shelby returns to Bad Luck. Once there, she asks Nevada Smith for help, her one time love and the father of her baby. Although she swore that she would never fall in love with Nevada again, she knew that she couldn't stop it.

Nevada Smith was always labeled a "no good half breed" by the citizens of Bad Luck. He couldn't stay away from Shelby Cole ten years before, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to stay away now. Even though she was the pampered daughter of Judge Red Cole, something about her drew him. When he's hit with the information that he was a father and never knew it, Nevada vows that he will do anything he can to find their daughter.

Then a ten year old murder case resurfaces when the man originally convicted is released. When the man who's testimony sent him to prison says he was wrong about what he saw, Ross McCallum is a free man once again. Tension runs high in this book of greed, evil, jealousy, and love. Everyone has secrets in Bad Luck, secrets that Nevada and Shelby are close to revealing. Not only do they have a daughter to find, but now they have to find out who murdered Ramon Estevan, because Nevada has been arrested for the crime.

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In Bad Luck, Texas, Deputy Sheriff Shep Marson pays a "friendly" visit to former law enforcement official Nevada Smith. He informs the outcast Nevada that Caleb Swaggert has recanted his testimony that convicted Ross McCallum. Ross is a free person after spending a decade behind bars. Since Nevada was the arresting official, Shep worries about trouble. He makes it clear to Nevada that he plans to run for sheriff and wants nothing to interfere with his candidacy.

At the same time, Shelby Cole leaves Seattle to return to her hometown after receiving a package that contains evidence that her daughter is still alive. Nine years ago, Shelby was informed that the baby she gave birth to died. She meets Nevada, the father of the child, and tells him what she learns. They work together trying to uncover the truth of what happened to the child even as they wonder about the coincidence of the package timed with Ross, release and return to Bad Luck. Both Nevada and Shelby realize that they still love one another, but Ross seeks vengeance on those who incarcerated him and someone has set in motion the opportunity for him to succeed.

Romantic suspense readers will loudly speak praise for Lisa Jackson's thriller. The tension builds higher and higher until the story line seems ready to explode. The characters are an interesting cast who struggles to overcome mistrust. Ms. Jackson has written a terrific tale that will garner her many new readers.

Harriet Klausner

Unspoken by Lisa Jackson is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Not only is it a romance story but it is an action-packed mystery adventure as well. "Bad-boy" hero Nevada Smith is a handsome rebel and his relationship with spirited Shelby Cole is full of excitement. Lisa Jackson does a great job capturing the feel of small town Texas and everyone from the overweight sheriff to the gossipy cafe waitress are genuinely portrayed and add to the flavor of the book. There is never a dull moment in Bad Luck, Texas once Shelby and Nevada get together and the plot's twists and turns keep the reader guessing up until the end.

Suspense, murder,and lies it is all here. Shelby Cole has a dark secret she wants to keep secret and a daughter that she is determined to find. But in order to find the daughter she must go home to Bad Luck Texas to her father and family secrets that she would rather avoid. There is also a man from her past Nevada Smith. The towns bad boy who Shelby had fallen in love with 10 years earlier and who she thinks is the father of her missing child. Add to this a murder suspect is released from jail and the murder is opened again. Who killed Ramone Estevan 10 years earlier and why? And how does is effect Nevada, Shelby, Ross, and the Judge. Your going to have to read the book to find out. A great effort by a talented author

Shelby Cole fled her aptly named hometown of Bad Luck, Texas ten years earlier, and settled in Seattle. When she receives a mysterious package in the mail containing pictures of a child bearing resemblance to the one that she was told she lost in childbirth, she returns home to confront her meddlesome father the judge. While there, she runs into Nevada Smith, the man she has always loved, and who may be the father of her child. Nevada is the town bad boy and former deputy, unaffectionately referred to as a "no good half breed" (far too often-it got so redundant). He never felt deserving of Shelby, but together they vow to find their daughter and find their way back into each other's heart.

A witness in a murder comes forward to recant his testimony on his deathbed, which frees Ross McCallum, the man who vied for Shelby's attention, brutally raped her, and could also be the father of her child. With Ross free, and Nevada the arresting officer, Nevada is soon being sought for questioning by the police who suspect that he did the deed then framed Ross.

Jackson adds sizzle and plenty of suspense as Shelby and Nevada seek justice for the relationship and child that was denied them. It is an emotional story with the requisite happy ending, but they experience plenty of anguish along their road to happiness.

What a combo! Shelby Cole returns to Bad Luck Texas after receivng pictures of a child implied to be hers. She 'lost' a baby girl 10 years prior and returns home to get the truth. At the same time, a convicted killer is released from prison unexpectedly to the chagrin of all concerned, especially Shelby and Nevada, the father of her child. Ross McCollum is someone you love to hate and hope he gets his just desserts. Meanwhile, he plows over everyone in his way. Pretty suspensful reading with a nice romance thrown in to boot. Good for waiting in long airport lines!

I always enjoy Lisa Jackson's contemporary romantic suspense novels, and I thought this was perhaps one of her better. As other readers have said, it hooks you from the first page, and only becomes more suspenseful the longer you read.

The mystery aspect was very well done. Jackson does a great job of creating a suspensful small town atmosphere and the reader, along with the characters have the uneasy feeling of waiting for the villan to be revealed.

However, despite the fact that I found this to be a complete page turner, I can't give it five stars because the characters were so one dimensional. We got to know Shelby, the heroine, more than any other character, but I frankly found her to be snappy and whiney. Yes, horrible wrongs have been done to her, but she took them out on people who were not to blame. How often did we have to see her "jerking/hitching" her thumbs towards her chest while saying "I have rights!" There just didn't seem to be a whole lot to her. Nevada had the potential to be very likable and endearing, but unfortunetly descriptions of him were pretty repetitive. The same is true of all descriptions in this book. I often felt like I was reading the same section over again.

I think part of this may be due to poor editing. I've noticed more grammar/spelling problems in Lisa Jackson books than any other author. In this book, there was a particularly obvious mistake, in which the main character is shocked by a new piece of information that is "news to her." Several pages later, she "relearns" this information in a scene nearly identical to the preceding episode. It's like the first one never happened. Not the end of the world, but as I start to notice a pattern of editing problems in her books, it because increasingly annoying.

Still, as others have said, this is great for a fun, quick read. I'd definetly recommend it!

Reads like she wrote it for Harlequin earlier in her career. Not really believable, and heavy on the stereotypical bad-boy (but not really) -meets-rich-princess (who's really not) theme. And a thesaurus would have helped -- the use of the phrase "half-breed" was frequent enough to be annoying.

I've read other Lisa Jackson books and liked them, but this one was just kinda blah.

It wasn't what I would call a suspense or a romance book. It was just a story of fiction.

I'm a real bookworm and can usually finish a book within 1 1/2 days, this one took me over a week and it's only 362 pages. It just didn't hold my interest.

If you've never read a Lisa Jackson book before then I don't recommend starting with this one. If you typically like Ms. Jackson's suspense books - don't expect this one to be up to her regular standards. If you're the type of person who just has to read everything their fav author writes then go ahead and read it because it's not terrible.

Lisa Jackson is fact becoming one of the tops in the contemporary field. Shelby Cole thought she'd left all her bad luck behind her when she left Bad Luck, Texas. Now she must return. She is getting photographs of a little girl, the sender claims is her presumed dead illegitimate baby. And that means facing Nevada Smith, the man who broke her heart. Now she must cut through years of lies and deceit to find her daughter and nothing will stand in her way. Not even Ross Mc Callum, the man once falsely accusted of murder, with a score to settle with both Shelby and Nevada