Contemporary

I was really impressed by the book and I loved the story. There aren't many authors who can write such a good hair-raising thriller.

Lynn Nelson is a successful anchor woman. Her daughter Rory is now a teenager and makes her crazy with her continually changing moods. As a single parent she doesn't know what to do anymore and so she is on vacation with Rory in the mountains. Adventure Inc. is the company which manages their trip through the Utah's wilderness. But Lynn hasn't known before that they would have such a sexy guide. Jess is the dream man from all the teenagers in the group and also Rory tries to flirt with him. A situation that disturbs Lynn a lot.

Life in the wilderness isn't very easy - nothing for the spoiled Lynn who loves her comfortable life. More than once she regrets making that trip. And when an accident happens, Lynn, Rory and another teenager fall down a mountain. A small tree top is Lynns' only rescue. Jess can rescue Jenny (the other girl) but it is not possible for him and the others to come again on top of the mountain. So they climb down. Rory has hurt her head and needs a doctor. Jess' brother wants to send them a car to a meeting place where they should go.

Normally that wouldn't be such a big problem but in an old camp they find many dead persons. It looks like a ritual murder. And the killers are still at the place. This is what they find out when a group of white dressed people with guns start to shoot at them. On their desperate escape, Jess is hit by a bullet.

In the first night it is possible for them to find a refuge and Lynn can nurse Jess's wound. Her pursuers are still behind them. After a lot of hair-raising adventures they make it to the meeting place and a car is waiting for them. But they are not the only people who try to save their lives they have to find out then a young girl with a baby in its arms runs on the street to stop the car. And this gives the pursuers a new advantage.

And there is more terrible news which waits for them when they find out who plots that awful crime.

Till the last chapters that fantastic story is full of breathtaking suspense and foolhardy adventures. I would say this is one of Karen Robards best books.

Heartbreaker

Rated 4.0
Reviewed 2/10/98 by Sharon T.

I have always enjoy Karen Robards' novels. She has a very descriptive style that is easily seen in the mind - some of which may be a little graphic for some tastes. In Heartbreaker, Lynn Nelson, a TV News anchorperson (let's be politically correct) has decided that she and her 12 year old daughter Rory need more time together. In an effort to follow through on that thought, Lynn has agreed to go along as a chaperon with Rory's classmates on a field trip to the mountains. Now you must remember that Lynn doesn't do OUTDOORS. She doesn't camp, she doesn't ride horses, she doesn't like bugs. But Adventures, Inc., had a very inviting brochure which stated that showers would be available at the end of each day, so she decided she could do this. So when completing the registration, she checked yes after the question "Do you ride?" and went out and bought her designer boots and jeans.

From the very first, Lynn's critical eye cast a negative response on anything and everything that Jess Feldman, one of the owners and guides for this little adventure in the mountains, did. As far as she was concerned, he could do nothing right. She even decided that he was looking at her daughter in a suggestive way. She seemed to get along just fine with the other owner and guide, Jess's brother - Owen.

Ms. Nelson is a bit of a feminist (actually a lot feminist) who has decided that all most men want from a woman is the obvious - sex and no commitment. I found her to be a bit frustrating because she was always ready to pick up on the negative characteristics about men. Of course her past history included a very negative relationship with Rory's father, who wouldn't have anything to do with Rory (which Rory had no knowledge of).

Jess Feldman, co-owner of Adventures, Inc., is a former DEA agent. He retired after the Waco debacle, which continues to give him nightmares. Lynn Nelson interests him from the very beginning. He likes a challenge and Lynn is definitely a challenge. He's attracted to her from the moment he sees her at the airport. She decides he's a male chauvinist from the moment she sees him! Their relationship goes downhill from there.

Rory is a typical teen - chafing under mother's thumb. She was not very excited about her mother accompanying her class on this adventure in the mountains since they did not always get along very well. Lynn tended to smother Rory with motherly concern, rules, and restrictions. Jess had the audacity to tell her she was too hard on her daughter. (Another black mark in his favor! After all, what does he know about raising children, especially a daughter.) Rory and her girl friends have a typically teenage reaction to the good looking Jess - flirting with him whenever they can get away with it. Asking him to teach them to fish, listening to stories around the campfire, hanging on every word - whatever.

After Rory, Lynn and Jess are separated from the rest of the group because of an accident, the real excitement begins. In the process of hiking through the woods and mountains in an effort to be reunited with the rest of the group, the trio encounters what appears to be a mass murder by a fanatical religious cult. Suddenly, they are the target of "The Healers". What follows is action packed excitement. Just when you think everything will be OK, - Oh, Oh, there's too much book left for this to be over.

I enjoyed the action and adventure. Don't dwell too much on the reality of the storyline - just enjoy.