Whenever I’m in the mood for a good suspense novel with a gritty romance element, I turn to Sandra Brown. She can usually be counted on to deliver a page turning plot that often keeps you guessing. I also like the way she writes her heroines. They are typically smart women who can keep their head in a crisis and are not the high maintenance, attitude-laden protagonists some romantic suspense authors regularly showcase. In other words, they’re likable. And her heroes are usually handsome, macho and flawed, but not too flawed – just enough to give them edgy appeal.
“Friction” certainly satisfied my craving for a good suspense novel. It begins with a shooting in the courtroom where the hero, Crawford Hunt, is trying to convince judge Holly Spencer (the heroine ) to grant him custody of his young daughter. Crawford shields Holly from the gunman (because that’s what macho heroes do! ) and chases the gunman through the courthouse building. Thus begins a series of events that throws Crawford and Holly together, casts suspicion on our hero’s role in the shooting and had me doggedly turning pages to see who was behind the shooting and why, whether Crawford would get custody of his daughter and, of course, what would become of the budding romance between Crawford and Holly.
Overall, I liked the book. It was entertaining. There were a couple of drawbacks, however. A big one was the motive of the villain who engineered the courtroom shooting. It was a bit of a stretch. But then again, villains are often irrational, so I can roll with it. The other thing was that Crawford was sometimes unlikable. In fact, his social skills were so bad that if Holly had met him at a party or on a blind date, she probably would have kicked him to the curb. But the circumstances in which they met (he saves Holly’s life while fighting for custody of his daughter ) illustrate that he’s a man of substance, whose actions speak louder than words. What woman can resist a hot, brave daddy?
Other books by Sandra Brown that I’ve enjoyed:
– “Mean Streak”
– “Ricochet”
– “Lethal”
– “The Alibi”
Tell me what you think. What suspense authors or books do you recommend?
Book Thoughts from Bed 
I’ve only read a few Sandra Brown books – do they need to be read in order? Your description of Holly sounds like how I feel about Eve Dallas, the star of JD Robb’s In Death series. A smart, strong NY police lieutenant who didn’t need or particularly want a man but hit the mother load when she met Roarke, a totally hot Irishman who happens to be insanely wealthy. I think I’ve mentioned this series to you – it’s my go-to for murder mystery/suspense mixed with a little but of smut. 😉
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Hi, Merile. These aren’t in a series so you can read them in whatever order you want.
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What suspense authors do I recommend? Well, Sandra Brown makes me think of Dan Brown, and I LOVE his books. My youngest daughter was named after his character Sophie from the Da Vinci Code, and his latest book, Inferno, was so intense, so surprising, so amazing!
I’m currently enjoying a bit of “brain candy” as I work my way through the 14th and 15th books in Robert Patterson’s “Women’s Murder Club” series. However, based upon your recent review of “Dead Wake,” I’m going to put that at the top of my reading list once I wrap these bad boys up!
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It’s funny you should mention those two authors because I recently realized I was probably the only person in the world who hasn’t read “The Da Vinci Code”, so I added it to my library list. Similarly, I think it’s about time I read a James Patterson novel so I can understand why so many of his books are best sellers. Sounds like the “Women’s Murder Club” series would be a good place to start?
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If you like The Da Vinci Code, then you might also check out Angels & Demons and Inferno by Dan Brown.
James Patterson has a BUNCH of different series, from the Alex Cross series to the Women’s Murder Club series. For some reason, I like the Women’s Murder Club series better.
I am excited to hear what you think of both authors!!!
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I think one of the reasons I haven’t read any James Patterson is because he’s written so much that I wasn’t sure where to start. Thanks for giving me a starting point!
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Your post about this Sandra Brown novel reminded me of a book of hers that I read several years ago — Standoff. If you haven’t already read that one and are looking for another Sandra Brown novel to put in your queue, now you have one!
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