Customer Reviews

Up Close and Personal (Signet Eclipse)

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

 

 

[Review book provided by publisher]

Carla Cassidy achieves an enviable balance and blend of suspense and romance, neither one pushing the other to the side. In particular I love her depiction of family relationships. Jordan doesn't have some sort of idealized friendship with her ex-husband--there are hurt feelings and plenty of annoyances there--but neither do they have the stereotypical stormy relationship.

I also love Jordan's relationship with her daughter. She's trying to balance a desire to be both mother and friend to Mandy, and she's worrying over Mandy's moods. Her daughter seems to not want to be with her, and while Jordan desperately wants to know why that is, she's also afraid to push her on the matter. The relationship and Jordan's confusion over it felt very real and engaging. The best-friend-drama-queen is a nice touch as well; usually the best friend in a romance novel has certain set roles to play, and this time things played out quite differently.

The romance is sweet. It isn't overly easy for Clint and Jordan to get past their high school problems, but I'm also happy to note that Carla doesn't artificially try to string things out with too many misunderstandings or exaggerated hurt feelings. Clint and Jordan make a wonderful couple, with enjoyable chemistry.

There's plenty of tension, the investigation and the people working on it are interesting and engaging, and the mystery is a good one. As usual, of course, it's hard to say too much about the mystery plot for fear of giving something away. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the detectives assigned to the case--there, too, you'll find some great personalities and relationships that impact the hunt for the killer in unusual ways.

If you enjoy romance/suspense crossovers, give one of Carla Cassidy's books a try! I don't think you'll be disappointed, particularly if you appreciate good character writing.

"I absolutely loved Up Close and Personal. When Jordan was summing up all the information in her mind about the potential suspects, it was thoroughly mind-blowing lifelike. Carla Cassidy positively sculptures a story that is purely irresistible to this reader. The way she incorporates the habitual signs of a serial killer, allowed me visualize what was conspiring. This story targets the reader like a magnet. I could feel all the excitement and thrills that come together making it an exceptional read. Clint is likeable, as well as understanding and compassionate. Every time I eat egg drop soup or crab rangoons, I will remember this book. The fast-paced action, and nail-biting thrills, is definitely a plus. There were some calming moments with Mandy , Jordan and Dane that made this an even more splendid read, that I highly recommend." - Linda L.

I have decided that Ms. Cassidy cannot write a bad book. UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL is a great example. When I read the back cover I thought the storyline was going to be rather "juvenile"..boy was I wrong..I have to remember this is Carla Cassidy. She pulled it off beautifully. As always, she kept me guessing until the end. There were some twists and turns I didn't see coming. I would recommend anything, I mean ANYTHING, this lady writes. Keep up the good work Carla.

The book, as with others written by Ms. Cassidy, was well done, except for a blooper that ruined it for me. The protagonist (guilty party) is said to be dead and zipped in a body bag on p. 305, only to appear in "jail and claiming insanity" a few pages later. Careful editing (which is not an oxymoron) would have eliminated this error. There was also no resolution of the long-ago crime.

Kansas City homicide detective Jordan Sampson is a single mom struggling with a rebellious twelve year old daughter Mandy, who does not want to live with her even for weekends; preferring to stay with her dad Dane who has custody.

The former head cheerleader accompanies her "blackmailing" best friend Della Broadbent to their fifteenth anniversary Oak Ridge High School reunion. The highlight of the gala that she did not want to attend is seeing her former boyfriend, divorced coach Clint Cooper. However, the worst that happens is someone begins killing her classmates. Jordan investigates wondering if one of her schoolmates has turned into a serial killer.

This is an exciting romantic suspense thriller that feels in some ways like a teen slasher movie. The ending is abrupt and the motive for the killings over the top of the Liberty Memorial. Still fans will appreciate the lead cop as she struggles with her relationship with her tweener daughter, a case that should have been a sure shot conviction that went sour, a renewed relationship with Clint, and a serial killer. This is all in a day (or three) work for a homicide cop.

Harriet Klausner

Despite Jordan's self-declaration that she was good at her job, I thought she was mediocre at best. She also claimed she could take care of herself, and she even told a fellow detective, "I don't go anywhere in the house without my gun with me." Yet twice she was caught in her house in potential precarious situations without her weapon handy; it was out of reach both times. And nothing SHE did got her out of those situations.

She was a little bit better as a mother, although I don't think she should have greeted her daughter as "Hey, girlfriend." And Mandy was 12, yet she'd never seen childhood pictures of her mother before? Odd. Dane might have been a lousy husband but he was a good father.

Clint Cooper certainly turned out to be the kind of guy a woman would want to marry, but he didn't stand out; he was average. He was supposed to be this great looking guy who had lots of girlfriends in the past, yet no one besides Jordan ever looked at him. He was one of the most popular kids in high school, yet when he walked into the reunion, nobody approached him? Doesn't make sense.

So..was the killer dead or not dead? As another reader posted, one page said the killer was, another said the killer wasn't.

I would have thought it impossible to live in the same town with former classmates and never run into them - ever - but I found out differently at my own class reunion.

I am so sorry that I didn't do this before..I thought I had done them all...I apologize its taken me so long...this book was better than described and I thank you for that...I will return to you to buy again...Thanks again....AAAAAAAAAAAAA++++++++++ Pat

I thing the book was realy good all of her stuff is really good any one who has not read her should give her a try . The boook had a good plot and a good middle and a good end now thats the kind of books that i like the kind that you keep u intresterd till the very end again this book was very good pick up a copy and read it I read anything that i can get by her

This is romantic suspense, but it's mostly bloody, edgy serial killer/police procedural, and, oddly enough, angst. Yes, angst. The heroine has been emotionally stuck for years because of a family tragedy for which she (wrongly, of course) blames herself. The author spends a lot of space on this and yet does not resolve this thread. I consider that a real flaw in the story. Maybe she plans to do a follow-up novel, or maybe not, but within the confines of this story, it was a real downer and struck an unfinished chord.

And the heroine is the kind of mom with the delusion that she is (and should be) her teenage daughter's best friend. Kind of like the cheerleader's mom in "Heroes." Oh, please. Enough with the "You can tell me anything" lie. Kids see right through it, and it's demeaning to parenthood.

I admit to having a weak stomach for blood and serial killers, but slogged through it to the rather interesting plot twists at the end and the pro forma romantic happy ending. Which did not resonate half as strongly as the author's (channeled through the heroine) sense of the world as an unfair and unhappy place. Which reminds me why I haven't read anything by this author in years. Real life sucks enough as it is; I don't generally turn to books for another dose of nasty reality.

However, that said, if you don't have my qualms, and don't mind the unresolved angst issue, you'll find this story entertaining. It is a well-constructed thriller with a mature romantic subplot.

I look forward to Carla Cassidy's work and as a loyal fan I couldn't wait to read this book. First of all I had a hard time finding it in the stores. I asked Borders and they said it wasn't available, the Borders website said it wasn't available in stores. I found a copy at a used bookstore in my area who sells new books.
This book wasn't the usual on your edge can't wait to finish type of book. I could not relate to any of the characters and while the main character's cheer leading squad was being murdered 15 years after graduation, I wasn't fearful for this character. I will continue to read Ms. Cassidy's books, this one just wasn't as good as previous titles.