Midnight in Ruby Bayou (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The public areas were above the thieves, buildings three and four stories high that held centuries of art and artifacts collected by rulers whose whim..." (more)
Key Phrases: belly drawer, ruby jewelry, big ruby, Ruby Bayou, Blessing Chest, Heart of Midnight (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A close-knit family in the jewelry business, a clan of Southern aristocrats descended from smugglers, the FBI and a Russian assassin clash in this juicy final episode in Lowell's Donovan series (Pearl Cove, etc.). When Seattle-based jewelry designer Faith Donovan is commissioned by Davis MontegeauAher best friend Mel's future father-in-lawAto design a necklace using 13 priceless rubies of uncertain origin, she becomes the target of an assassin trying to recover jewels stolen from the fabled Hermitage in Leningrad. To protect Faith, her brothers assign Owen Walker, dashing troubleshooter and gem expert, to accompany her and the necklace to a jewelry show in Savannah and then on to the wedding on Hilton Head Island. From the moment Faith and Walker start out, the fate of the rubies becomes entwined with their budding romance. As Faith and Walker learn when they come to stay at Ruby Bayou, the Montegeau family's crumbling old plantation on Hilton Head, the alcoholic Davis has mortgaged the place to keep a failed land deal afloat, and as a result he's now mixed up with a New Jersey crime family. Davis's sister, Tiga, hasn't been right in the head for years, ever since her father, who had forced her into incest, was blasted with a shotgun by parties unknown. That same night, the Blessing Chest, filled with all the family gems, disappeared, and only Tiga knows where it might be. Though constantly shifting points of view and a few gratuitous sex scenesAeven by genre standardsAdetract from the tale, Lowell wraps things up neatly as all parties converge on the Bayou, and Faith and Walker contrive to save the day. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Jewelry designer Faith Donovan has created a peerless necklace containing $1 million in rubies. Her plan is to exhibit the necklace and turn it over to the owners. Unfortunately, the gems appear to have dubious ownership. Owen Walker, ruby expert, works for Faith's brother Archer, who is insuring the rubies in transit; he also makes an excellent bodyguard. Faith is torn between resentment and attraction; Walker is simply torn. He wants Faith but doesn't believe he's in the same class as the Donovans. When mysterious accidents begin dogging the designer, social classes take a backseat to staying alive. Laural Merlington is a good match for Lowell's often emotionally charged story. Although her male voices and Southern drawl could use work, she effectively manages to keep the characters distinct and the pace lively. This is the latest Donovan family sequel; public libraries should expect demand. Recommended. Jodi L. Israel, Jamaica Plain, MA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (June 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380974053
• ISBN-13: 978-0380974054
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #761,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Donovans Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continuing excellence marks Midnight in Ruby Bayou, June 21, 2000

By	Tara Choate (Oregon City, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's hard to believe that anyone can maintain the level of excellence that Elizabeth Lowell had maintained in the Donovan series, but she has done it again with Ruby Bayou. Wow is about the only word to describe just how good this book is. By the name, you will guess that this book focuses on a mystery about the ruby trade (the others in the series focused on amber, jade and pearl trades). Though Ms. Lowell has written other books on the fine gem industry (Diamond Tiger and The Ruby (both under her Ann Maxwell pseudonym)), she still manages to bring new information to blend with sizziling sensuality and a great mystery. Also interesting, she brings Owen Walker (from Jade Island) as Faith Donovan's mate. Seemingly less intense that Ms. Lowell's other heroes in this series, he is a great character who compliments the hurt Faith. I always enjoy Ms. Lowell's male characters, as they are always very strong and genuinelly interesting... they aren't a copy of anyone! I think her husband's influence (she used to write with him under the pseudonym A.E. Maxwell) gives her books both strength and truth. This is a great stand alone-book, but it is even better if you read the others. Good reading!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great suspense, but romantically wanting..., June 27, 2000

By	B. Young (Sacramento) - See all my reviews

Elizabeth Lowell (aka, Ann Maxwell) contributes another intelligently written, enthralling novel. The dialogue is snappy and clever, the plot is well thought out and holds some intriguing surprises, while returning to the Donovan family is like welcoming an old friend back into your home. The topical information on rubies is fascinating and instructive. However, the issue which changed my rating from "5" to "4" was that the relationship didn't sizzle for me. The romance was tepid. Although this book was an enjoyable read and one I will certainly read again, I don't believe this installment in the Donovan saga is up to Ann's usual standard for romance. She normally produces sizzling romantic tension/resolution that is completly engaging -- the reader becomes emotionally engaged in the relationship as it evolves. Ruby Bayou, however, didn't evoke the same emotional connection for me...the Faith and Walker relationship took a long time to develop and then quickly transformed from passion to love to permanence in an implausible way -- Walker does a romantic 180 and the transformation seems forced. It seems clear that as romance writers are elevated to "mainstream fiction" by their publishers they lose some of the romantic heat which is so appealing to romance readers. For diehard romance readers: before you pay hardback cover prices for this, just know that while its a great suspence read and offers a welcome return to the Donovan family, Ruby Bayou may leave you romantically wanting.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Colorless, except for the rubies., October 25, 2000

By A Customer

Once again, Lowell saves a tired plot with clever banter and one likeable character. Owen is, for me, the best male character of the series. He is warm without being mushy, savvy without being hard like Archer. Even with his recent injury, he manages to be extremely tough to kill.

Too bad he wasn't paired with a more memorable female lead, but Faith lacks spine. Recovering from a very weak chioce on her last boyfriend, I began to wonder halfway through if she didn't deserve him. There was just something missing in her character.

The plot itself is pretty mundane, missing gems, bad guys, eccentric southern family with a history of abuse and other weird stuff. The resolution of the conflict also lacks sizzle. Faith, proving once again what a flat character she is, caves competely, without even an attempt at assertiveness.

There wasn't as much information on rubies as I have come to expect, either. I missed the soundbites of lore and legend, coupled with the gemacological tidbits

The improvement I would suggest is for Owen to leave Faith, meet a woman with a bit more oomph, and have a rough and tumble courtship that doesn't involve steroetypical bad guys (The Mob, come on!). Now that would be a book worth keeping. This one, I fear, is defintitely one to recycle.