Beachcomber (Robards, Karen) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "SOMETIMES IN LIFE, when one thing goes wrong it triggers another and another until disasters end up multiplying around you like horny rabbits..." (more)
Key Phrases: damned cat, trunk release, patio door, Uncle Vince, Aunt Rosa, Elizabeth Smolski (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mob honeys and Jersey capos populate this frothy, fast-paced offering from bestselling Robards. In the beachfront town of Ocracoke on North Carolina's Outer Banks, 27-year-old lawyer Christy Petrino hurries along the dunes to her rental cottage after running a risky errand for her "Uncle" Vince, a made man and her mother's on-again, off-again boyfriend. She thinks she's alone, but after growing up in a mob family in Atlantic City-her dad was killed by a hit man-Christy expects the worst. Her fears are promptly confirmed when she stumbles over an injured woman sprawled in the sand. Alerted by her screams for help, Luke Rand, an FBI agent disguised as a tourist looking for his cat, turns up, followed promptly by elderly Rosa Castellano, the year-round resident on the other side. When the police arrive, they find the woman on the beach dead, her throat cut. Was Christy herself the intended victim? Is her ex-fiance, a mob-connected lawyer, out to get her? Or is the murderer a serial killer on the loose? Robards's engaging heroine in this thriller-romance is alternately a "hot little chickie" and the personification of true grit, tough and resourceful when she's cornered and as aggressive as Luke in a series of titillating sex scenes. An abundance of humorous asides-the exploits of a cat called Marvin; the makeover of Luke's nerdy partner; an encounter with an eco-group earnestly observing sea turtles-are the candy coating on this toothsome treat.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Christy Petrino is originally from New Jersey and a family that is tight with the Mob. She thought she escaped that life by becoming a lawyer and working in Philadelphia with a colleague whom she believed was also tired of the gangster life, only he wasn't. Now she's in a beach house in a small tourist town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, following mysterious instructions so that she and her family don't suffer the wrath of the Mob. As if that weren't enough pressure, she seems to be the target of a serial killer, and then there's Luke, a surfer neighbor who may or may not be as innocuous as he seems. Luke acts suspiciously, yet he keeps popping up and saving her life because he is actually an FBI agent sent to tail Christy and arrest her former boss and fiance. Not only is he trying to keep Christy alive, he's also fighting his attraction to her. Prolific and reliable, Robards delivers a perfect summer read with two dynamic main characters and a healthy dose of tension mixed with a dash of humor. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1ST edition (August 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743453484
• ISBN-13: 978-0743453486
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #359,624 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beachcomber Is Not A Beach Read - Very Disappointing!, July 20, 2004

By	Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

There was a time when I could pickup a novel by Karen Robards and, without perusing it, know that I could be assured of a terrific read. No more. The penultimate book I read by Ms. Robards, ("Island Flame"), was somewhat disappointing, but I remained a loyal fan. What's one mediocre novel after so many good ones? A friend gave me a copy of "Beachcomber" last week. Well, this novel is so far below the author's considerable talents that I am beginning to wonder if she has hit a major rough spot.

The plot and characters remind me of the satiric comedy film starring Michelle Pfeiffer, "Married To The Mob," (It came out about 10 years ago & is quite good), except this is not supposed to be either satire or comedy. The characters are caricatures. Our heroine, Christy Petrino, has been raised in south Jersey, in a neighborhood inhabited by the mafia...mob...organized bad guys. Her deceased father was a minor mobster. So is her mother's boyfriend, Uncle Vince, and most of their friends and associates. Wanting to get away from all these friendly family criminals, Christy studies law and when she passes the bar, she gets a terrific job with DePalma and Lowery, a top Philadelphia law firm. She and Michael DePalma, (her boss), fall in love, become engaged and then she discovers he is a "made man." Oh, and the firm is also a mob cover. Such a smart girl...what a coincidence! So she quits her job and breaks off with Michael, who she thinks might kill her for "knowing too much." Ahhh, trust and love! This lady is not too on the ball! Anyway, Christy goes off to vacation on Ocracoke Island, the Outer Banks, to get away from it all. The cottage on the island where she stays belongs to, you guessed it, her mobster relatives. And her next door neighbors - more of same. Her Uncle Vince has assured her that she will be safe from DePalma and associates if she only does them one little favor. She is to drop off a briefcase, contents unknown, to an island motel. She agrees, and after doing the deed comes upon a gruesome murder - which appears to be one of many. A serial killer is on the loose and is aware she might be a witness to the crime. By the way, there's a big, hunky surfer dude next door to her cottage, who just happens to be an FBI agent monitoring her every move - so he can catch the recipient of the briefcase and Michale DePalma. He gets to watch her live her life through a hidden camera. What a way to get one's kicks!

This romanric thriller is all too predictable from the start. The characters are one dimensional. The dialogue is too funny, at times, to be taken seriously. I didn't feel any real heat or chemistry between Mr. FBI or Christy...but maybe I was too bored by the time they met.

I don't mean to be harsh. Ms. Robards has supplied me with hours of entertainment and reading pleasure over the years. However, I will be more careful now when buying her books. If anyone wants to read Robards at her best, try "Dark of the Moon," "Tiger's Eye," "Hunter's Moon," etc.. There are so many good ones. This is not one of them.
JANA

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slizzling Romantic Suspense, September 15, 2003

By	Sheri Melnick (Enola, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ms. Robards is at the top of her game with her latest novel packed with a touch of humor, plenty of steamy romance, and eerie suspense. Philadelphia attorney Christy Petrino is hoping to get some semblance of normality back into her life after she learns that her former fiancé Michael, head of her law firm, is using his business as a front to lauder mob money. With a promise to mobster Uncle Vince to make a delivery of a briefcase at Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, Christy hopes to free herself and her mother and sisters from the mob's undue influence.

Poor Christy soon realizes that not only is the mob after her, but a serial killer wants her dead after she sees his latest victim along the beach shortly before the killer slits the victim's throat. With the help of buff beach neighbor Luke Rand (who is secretly an FBI agent), Christy manages to escape the deadly clutches of the killer in several pulse-pounding episodes. Feeling guilty for using Christy as bait to snare Michael, Luke tries to avoid his attraction to her while attempting to get along with his fellow agent and polar opposite, nerdy Gary.

Christy's assertion that someone is watching her is never ending as she feels that she can't even trust the local sheriff to protect her. Feeling safe only in Luke's arms, the two embark on a sizzling affair that threatens to go bust when she discovers his true identity. Fast-paced thrills and chills with sensual romance will keep readers glued to the pages, despite Luke's endless assertions that he can't understand why other bikini clad women don't attract him as Christy does.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another hit by Robards..., August 13, 2003

By	iheartjackbauer - See all my reviews

Christy Petrino never knew how far she was in over her head until she learned that the law firm she worked for was a front for the mob and the man she was engaged to was a key player. She wanted out, but she soon learned that no one walks away from the mob. She is told she only has to do one more thing and then her and her family will be free from the mob forever.

Special Agent Luke Rand has been after Michael DePalma for years. He finally has a chance to get him through Christy, who he believes is in cahoots with who the FBI has nicknamed Donnie Jr. When Christy is targeted again and again by a violent killer, Luke urges her to confide in him even though she has no idea that he is anyone other than her next door neighbor.

Karen Robards delievers in this book which is full of suspense and romance. When a serial killer, dubbed the Beachcomber by police, singles out Christy, Luke knows that he will do anything to protect her. All though Christy has a penchant for screaming and shreiking, her fear jumps out at the reader and somehow isn't too annoying. Luke and his partner, Gary, are a laugh and a half, while Luke also has surprisingly emotional depths. I throughly enjoyed this new book by Robards!