Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
Identity is by well-known American writer Nora Roberts. I have read many of her 225 romance novels, those set in a world of magic, as well as her ‘In Death Series’ written under the name J. D. Robb and enjoyed them. She has also written under the pseudonyms Jill March and for publications in the U.K. as Sarah Hardesty. Over the years Nora Roberts has published over 80 standalone titles and 31 popular series, publishing at least four books in a year, usually two Robbs, one stand-alone Roberts, and one portion of a trilogy. For her, writing is her day job, and she works every day. She is a firm believer in routine and conscientious in her work.
All her stories highlight strong independent main characters, both male and female, but predominately female who are very good at their chosen career. A strong sense of family also inhabits her books. This latest book is no exception. Morgan Albright was a former Army brat who is determined to plan her own path and set down roots. This idea of growing in the one spot determines all Morgan’s goals. The sentence ‘Her roots, directed by her father’s work, grew short and shallow to allow for quick transplanting’ are found in the first paragraph of the book and ‘Roots already planted…they’d tend them and watch them grow’, are found in the last couple of sentences in the book.
Morgan is prepared to work two jobs in order to save money to fulfill her goal until it is all taken away from her by a scammer who steals everything she owned and murdered her flatmate. It soon becomes clear that Morgan was the one who should have died, and she remains a target, so she has no choice but to find refuge with her mother and grandmother in another part of America. But Morgan is Robert’s determined strong woman and sets about building a new life always aware that she will be in danger until the perpetrator is caught and put away for life.
Roberts relies on detailed descriptions of flora, buildings, interiors, and cooking in her stories and this can become a little off-putting to the reader who wishes to get back to the main action. She also relies a lot on dialogue to help her flesh out her story. As interesting as this is, with little side stories along the way, it can become frustrating.
One thing that really surprised me with a writer of this calibre, and one who was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame, was the use of the same phrases close together as in ‘South toward the sun’ twice on page 339, both in the bottom half of the page and ‘as she sat in that big-ass house’ on page 339 and ‘sitting in that big-ass house’ at the top of the next page.
It has to be said that this topic is relevant to the 21st Century and readers need to be reminded of the dangers that can be linked to the technology which has become so much a part of our lives today. In this book a psychopath uses the technology to fund his lifestyle before going in for the kill.
The characters are to be admired or feared as she provides the reader with a comprehensive look into the thinking and workings of her characters. Through reading this story the reader also learns much about the running of a resort and especially the work done behind the bar of such a high-class establishment. Her work is always well researched.
Overall, an interesting and engaging read.
(2023)
By Nora Roberts
Piatkus
ISBN:978-0-349-43397-4
$34.99; 446pp