The Witness

This one kept me up late reading and delayed my errands the next day too because I couldn't put it down until I reached the very satisfying ending. I fell in love with both the hero and the heroine. Abigail is making a life for herself in a small town in to Ozarks. She has been on the run since she was seventeen years old and has survived by being ready to move on at a moment's notice and by keeping to herself.

Brooks is the Chief of Police in the town where he grew up. He returned home from years as a police detective in Little Rock when his family needed him. He is determined to protect and to serve and is an integral part of the town. He is fascinated with Abigail and is determined to work his way into her life because everything show more about her tells him she is on the run from something.

Abigail is a genius who has very little social experience. She reminds me a lot of the television portrayal of Dr. Temperance Brennan on the television show Bones. She has no social filters. She is logical and blunt. She wants to make a life for herself in this town and stop running. But to do that she will have to bring down a powerful Russian mafia family that wants her dead because she witnessed a murder.

Another plot line in this one concerns a purely local bad seed of a teenage boy and the rich father who is willing to pull strings and dispense bribes to keep his darling out of trouble. This situation parallels Abigail's larger problem but puts Brooks and Abigail in more immediate danger.

One of the strengths of this story is the strong family that has nurtured Brooks. By watching his interactions with his family, Abigail is learning what family is like. She was raised by a mother who had her almost like a science experiment and who controlled her life completely. Abigail has never known love because her mother is a cold, selfish woman who abandoned her when she wouldn't follow her mother's directives.

I loved this story and can't recommend it enough to fans of romantic suspense. show less

After having had enough of her mother’s cold manners and controlling directives, 16 year old Elizabeth finally rebels. But one foolish decision has fatal consequences, and then on her 17th birthday Elizabeth is again faced with tragedy. On those two days the events Elizabeth witnesses make her a target, and forces her to run.

12 years later in rural Arkansas, Elizabeth is now known as Abigail but she hasn’t stopped watching over her shoulder. Her reclusive lifestyle and unwillingness to talk draw the attention of Bickford’s Chief of Police Brooks Gleason. And before too long, he (and most of the rest of his charmingly persistent family) have wiggled their way into Abigail’s life, with Brooks determined to understand who Abigail show more is running from.

The beginning of The Witness grabbed my attention, and is one of the better starts to a Roberts book. A mother conducts a social experiment centred on her own daughter, and leaves the young girl struggling to break free and be her own person. I found the relationship between Abigail and her mother really interesting, but this book soon settles back into the kind of good lazy day read I expect from Roberts.

The pacing is a bit different to normal, much of the action occurs in the first 100 or so pages, then the plot becomes much more about the everyday life and a blossoming romance. The ending works well for the storyline, but there was little build up or tension. Brooks and Abigail are nicely portrayed, although there is no conflict between them and everything in their (emotional) relationship is perhaps too easy.

But all in all this is another entertaining, solid read from Nora Roberts. show less

Not quite 4 stars, but rounding up for the stellar portrayal of a precocious main character and her life on the run.

After [book:The Hum and the Shiver|10942400], I was in the mood was more tales of magical small towns in Appalachia, but they're hard to find, mainly because there aren't any. So I settled for something sort of similar (but not really) on a friend's recommendation.

This book is a contemporary suspense/romance set in an idyllic small town in the Ozark, and it's not even close to what I was looking for, but it was a quick, interesting read that got me hooked (for awhile).

At first I was hesitant because I had never finish a whole chapter of a Nora Roberts book before. Somehow I was able to not only finish the whole book this show more time, but I even liked it--well, I liked many parts of it, all having to do with the stellar MC and her life on the run. That was really well written. Sucked me right into the story and wouldn't let go... until the moment the romance was introduced.

Once again, Ms Roberts lost me there, but I was too taken in by that point to stop reading. Everything else was still interesting; i just didn't find this particular diversion interesting. It's ironic that the story lost steam for me the moment the love interest came into the picture. That's my problem though since I'm not the right audience for this genre.

Overall, a good read for when you're in the mood for some slow burning, payback-style suspense/romance.

* * * * *

Much better the second time around. I went with the audiobook and it was very good, much better than I expected. The narrator really captures the spirit and atmosphere of this book, as well as each individual character.

* * * * *

3.5 stars

I liked most of it, but there were a few things that I felt didn't really fit into the fabric of the story that well. And maybe cutting them out altogether would've made this a stronger story.

Overall a solid read that keep me turning the pages well into the night. show less

I don’t particularly like Nora Roberts’ writing. Her writing is formulaic and predictable. Yet, I find myself continuously drawn back to her novels. I usually find myself opening a Roberts’ novel after I’ve read a couple of heavy books and need something light to read.

The Witness is classic Nora Roberts. The main character Elizabeth has the bad luck to end up at a home with members of the Russian Mafia and witnesses a crime. From that moment on, she is a witness, and is wanting by the same men she saw commit murder. I found the beginning of the book to be interesting and liked how Roberts created the early characters. But, once Elizabeth reemerges as Abigail and meets the police chief, Brooks, my attention was lost. I really show more disliked the character Brooks. I know that I was supposed to fall in love with him and swoon all over his manliness but I was actually turned off by his pushiness and his refusal to give Abigail her space.

But, like I said, even though I disliked The Witness, I will continue to read Nora Roberts. Perhaps it’s because I was so charmed with the first set of books that I read by her, The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy (Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea). I’ve even pre-ordered the first book of her upcoming Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy. ;-) show less

Oh. My. Goodness.

This was my first Nora Roberts. Of course, I have seen the name everywhere but I had never picked up one of the books before. I am so glad I started with this one! It had a strong female lead (by strong I mean strong presence, well written, and just as complicated and vulnerable as anyone) and an intriguing plot. This isn't the sort of action book that has something happening every page, though it will still keep you engaged and wondering where the next threat is coming from.

Roberts seems to have a knack for fleshing out every character and making them feel real, even the dogs that featured in this story. They are all treated with great respect. It's hard to explain exactly how I felt reading it, but it was almost like show more I was there with Abigail the whole way through.

Definitely a must read if you like a slow-burn, mafia/espionage story with a fantastic ending! No spoilers, but I almost shed a tear. show less

I'm a hot and cold fan of Nora Roberts: it's a love/hate relationship. But The Witness, IMHO, stands out as one of her best works.

Expecting it to be a traditional romance, I was perplexed when the first several chapters of the book describe the adventures of a 16 year old girl. Roberts - a YA? But no. This was the author's ingenious way of giving us the crucial backstory on the main character so we can fully understand her when we flash forward twelve years.

Abigail Dowery lives a self-imposed, cloistered life in a remote town in the Ozark mountains, with security cameras riddling her property, firearms in every drawer and cupboard, and a really big dog. A mystery to the local townsfolk, she remains aloof until police chief Brooks show more Gleason, who likes to solve mysteries�ÛÓand problems, starts making himself an uninvited guest at Abigail's house. Brooks won't stop until he's figured her out. Abigail tries to resist, but she's not only a recluse with a secret, but she's also a very human woman. One who finds the attraction between her and Brooks irresistible.

Combining an espionage with a classic romance, Roberts does an outstanding job of bringing together two most unlikely characters into the love story of the century. I listened to it on Audible, and the narrator, Julia Whelan, did an outstanding job of telling the story and capturing the nuances of each character's personality. I highly recommend The Witness, and wonder when the film industry will wake up and realize it would make an awesome movie. show less

This stand-alone book by Nora Roberts held my interest throughout. Emphasis on the thriller plot rather than the romance, but still plenty of romance to give it the 'Roberts' stamp.

Sixteen year old Elizabeth Finch rebels against her controlling mother for the first time, and within a day her life is forever changed. Elizabeth is brilliant, has an eidetic memory, and is very socially awkward. She may be one of my favorite NR main characters.