A review by laurenjodi
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
3.0
Whiskey Beach
3 Stars
Under suspicions for the murder of his wife, Eli Landon finds refuge in his old family home in Whiskey Beach. There he finds solace both in his writing and in the arms of Abra Walsh, a Jill-of-All-Trades housekeeper, Yoga teacher, jewelry maker and unrepentant busybody. But someone has it in for Eli and will stop at nothing, not even murder, to fulfill his twisted agenda...
Not up to Nora’s standards. The pacing is too slow and Nora’s trademark skills at building tension is sorely lacking in both the romance and the suspense plots. It is like she was simply going through the motions to publish another book.
The mystery revolves around two separate threads. The first focuses on the murder plot, which is predictable with an unsatisfying climax and a bland resolution, and the second revolves around the history of the Landon family and Esmeralda’s Dowry, which is interesting but also glaringly obvious. Even the small town setting, which is usually one of my favorites, is prosaic and uninspired.
Eli and Abra have both suffered in their pasts and while their strength in the face of adversity makes you want to root for them as a couple, they have absolutely no chemistry and their romance falls flat. The secondary characters have a lot of charm from Eli’s tenacious grandmother and loving family to Abra’s loyal friends and quirky neighbors. It is a pity that the rest of the book does not live up to their example.
In sum, an unexceptional addition to Nora’s repertoire and there are much better books of hers out there.
3 Stars
Under suspicions for the murder of his wife, Eli Landon finds refuge in his old family home in Whiskey Beach. There he finds solace both in his writing and in the arms of Abra Walsh, a Jill-of-All-Trades housekeeper, Yoga teacher, jewelry maker and unrepentant busybody. But someone has it in for Eli and will stop at nothing, not even murder, to fulfill his twisted agenda...
Not up to Nora’s standards. The pacing is too slow and Nora’s trademark skills at building tension is sorely lacking in both the romance and the suspense plots. It is like she was simply going through the motions to publish another book.
The mystery revolves around two separate threads. The first focuses on the murder plot, which is predictable with an unsatisfying climax and a bland resolution, and the second revolves around the history of the Landon family and Esmeralda’s Dowry, which is interesting but also glaringly obvious
Spoiler
Duh, of course the family spent it all!Eli and Abra have both suffered in their pasts and while their strength in the face of adversity makes you want to root for them as a couple, they have absolutely no chemistry and their romance falls flat. The secondary characters have a lot of charm from Eli’s tenacious grandmother and loving family to Abra’s loyal friends and quirky neighbors. It is a pity that the rest of the book does not live up to their example.
In sum, an unexceptional addition to Nora’s repertoire and there are much better books of hers out there.