What’s it all about?:
A saga of love, family ties, and twisted passions from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obsession…
The Bodine ranch and resort in western Montana is a family business, an idyllic spot for vacationers. A little over thirty thousand acres and home to four generations, it’s kept running by Bodine Longbow with the help of a large staff, including new hire Callen Skinner. There was another member of the family once: Bodine’s aunt, Alice, who ran off before Bodine was born. She never returned, and the Longbows don’t talk about her much. The younger ones, who never met her, quietly presume she’s dead. But she isn’t. She is not far away, part of a new family, one she never chose—and her mind has been shattered…
When a bartender leaves the resort late one night, and Bo and Cal discover her battered body in the snow, it’s the first sign that danger lurks in the mountains that surround them. The police suspect Cal, but Bo finds herself trusting him—and turning to him as another woman is murdered and the Longbows are stunned by Alice’s sudden reappearance. The twisted story she has to tell about the past—and the threat that follows in her wake—will test the bonds of this strong family, and thrust Bodine into a darkness she could never have imagined.
What did I think?:
First of all, a huge thank you to Clara Diaz and Little, Brown publishers for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and sending me a complimentary copy of Nora Roberts’ new novel, Come Sundown in exchange for an honest review. Strangely enough, I first came across Nora Roberts through Little, Brown publishers themselves when they asked me if I’d be interested in participating in a blog tour for the latest book in her futuristic suspense In Death series which she writes under a pseudonym, J.D. Robb. I really enjoyed the novel, Echoes In Death and was determined to seek out some more of her work. Thanks to Little, Brown I didn’t have to wait long! In Come Sundown, there’s a lot more romance compared to Echoes In Death but it still had a classic, sometimes terrifying crime focus and, in some ways, felt a lot more sinister which I did appreciate, being somewhat of a sucker for a darker narrative.
The story is set in Montana on a ranch owned by a hard-working dynasty of a family and spear-headed by the strong and independent Bodine Longbow, who has an incredibly loyal support network of family, friends and employees behind her willing her on and assisting her in every way possible when required. There are some fierce and fantastic characters in her family, namely her mother and grandmother whom even after undergoing so much personal hardship in their pasts are committed to their family in the present time and have a clear and blissful vision of what the future could hold.
Many years ago, Bodine’s Aunt Alice left her family in search of bigger adventures and has not returned, breaking her mother’s heart and angering others. Since then, things have been relatively peaceful on the ranch, everyone has muddled through and the business has become extremely successful. When a childhood friend of Bodine’s, Callen Skinner returns to the ranch and begins working there, things may also be looking up in the romantic sense too! However, when the body of an employee is found on the ranch in suspicious circumstances and Aunt Alice unexpectedly returns with devastating news to share, Bodine begins to realize that her haven of peace, tranquillity and control may not be so safe anymore.
I don’t want to say much more about the plot of this novel as it’s honestly so much better to just discover it all for yourself. Personally, I was delighted by what I found. It was the perfect mixture of romance, suspense and mystery all rolled into one and I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not a big romance fan. For some reason, the relationships in this book just worked for me. This includes the non-romantic ones I hasten to add! I really loved the family dynamics between Bodine and her mother, grandmother, brothers and also the strong friendship she ends up forging with Jessica, events manager for the site. To top it all off (and my favorite part of the novel) was an incredibly strong and eerie crime plot with a villain that will send chills down your spine and make you think a lot deeper about the psychological damage and lasting effects that accompany a hugely traumatic event. I’m very pleased I read this novel, it was a lot deeper and darker than I was expecting and I certainly won’t hesitate to pick up another story by Nora Roberts.
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Nora Roberts is the number one New York Times bestseller
of more than 200 novels. With over 500 million copies of her
books in print, she is indisputably one of the most celebrated
and popular writers in the world. She is a Sunday Times
hardback bestseller writing as both Nora Roberts and J.D.
Robb.
Find Nora on her website at http://www.noraroberts.com/
Or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/norarobertsjdrobb
Thank you once again to Little, Brown publishers for inviting me to take part in this blog tour, I’ve had a great time doing it. Come Sundown was published on 30th May 2017 and is available from all good bookshops now. Why not check out some of the other stops on the tour?