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Title and Author: River’s End
by Nora RobertsPrint Length: 402 Pages
Publication Date: 1999
Language: English
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
My Review:
Twenty years ago, a gruesome murder destroyed many lives and Olivia was one of them. Daughter of the fairy tale couple of Hollywood, Julie and Sam, Olivia was supposed to have a prefect life but the sudden and horrible murder of her mother left her father in prison and Olivia, the sole witness to the crime is taken away by her grandparents to a place far far away. Sheltered and kept away from the harrowing details of that night, Olivia has only vague memories of the murder and when Noah Brady, a writer starts writing a book on the events of that night, she is forced to look back.
Noah wants to reconstruct the night and bring to light the complete events from an unbiased perspective. It also helps that Sam Tanner is willing to talk now.
Will Olivia and her family be able to look back and brave all the heartache all over again?
Was Sam Tanner correct when he said that he didn’t kill his wife?
Can Olivia finally let go and look forward to a life Noah is willing to show her?
Will she survive this time when she knows that the “Monster walks again”?
Nora Roberts is an author who can write both a romantic suspense with grisly crimes and soft, sensuous romances with equal ease. River’s End is another proof of that. Nora creates an atmosphere of darkness, mystery, hatred, anger and fear. Olivia was the sole witness to fer mother’s murder and has always feared that night. According to her the man who killed her mother was a monster with her father’s face.
The characterization is beautifully done and they are the base on which the story flows. Olivia’s father, the man who told her funny stories and who loved her so much seems like a good man but then he turns into a monster who shouts, throws things and finally kills her mother. People with strong characters and varied facets to their personality, this book gives the reader a deep insight into human nature and the delicate balance between good and bad.
Olivia and Noah have a complex relationship and Nora gives a romance that isn’t soft nor is it the cozy type. Olivia is struggling with her past and her doubts about herself. Noah is determined to make Olivia accept his love. I loved the scenes involving them and could empathize with them.
The plot is not that exceptional but the fluid narration and expert skill of presentation makes the book so engrossing the you would feel compelled to finish it in one sitting. Having read ingenious mysteries and being a fan of the mystery genre, I was able to pick out the end beforehand but this, in no way, lessened my interest and I was hooked in the story from start to finish.
The beautiful and vivid descriptions of places, events and people add more appeal to the book. The author is able to bring the story alive and running in the minds of the readers and I felt as if I was right there in the story, seeing and feeling everything that was going on in the book.
All in all, a book that will hook you and thrill you. I give River’s End a 4.5 out of 5 and recommend it to everyone. A book that will take you to the posh localities of LA and into the lives of celebrities, to the faraway serenity of nature with beautiful flora and fauna and a peace that eludes us in the cities, this is a book that you should read if you love a good plot with plenty of thrill and great characters.
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