River's End

Nora Roberts

When she was 4 years old, Olivia's famous actor father killed her famous actress mother. Sam Tanner was convicted and sent to jail for 20 years to life. Olivia saw her father bending over her dead mother with the bloody knife, and when he came for her she ran and hid. Later, Frank Brady was the detective who found the terrified child. Olivia McBride was sent to live with her grandparents in the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. Noah Brady, Frank's son, never forgot the incident. Frank stayed in touch with Olivia over the years so she had someone who would answer her questions that her grandparents tried to ignore and forget.

Twenty years later, Noah is a successful true crime writer. Sam Tanner is about to be released from jail. Sam has asked Noah to write the real story of what happened that night. For all those years the McBride family has tried to put it past them, cushion Olivia from the attention that keeps returning to her parents' story, to prevent her from being hurt again. Noah's book, with Sam's sanction, will shatter their silence. But the book has worse consequences. Sam is out and Olivia is in danger. Someone doesn't want her to remember all the details she may have seen that night. Olivia has become a strong, independent, solitary woman. She knows how to protect herself physically and emotionally. Can she avoid being killed? Can she find the strength to let Noah into her life?

River's End strength is in its description of the Pacific Northwest. Olivia was raised and lives at the end of the national forest in the Olympic Mountains. The reader is given an enchanting view of the area and its beauty. The storyline itself is average. Julie McBride's murderer is fairly obvious to the reader of this genre almost from the beginning of the book. Noah's and Olivia's romance is enjoyable despite being predictable throughout their relationship. Nora Roberts has a novel here that's good for a few hours escape.

Notice: Non-graphic violence, Strong sexual content

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