Killjoy: A Novel Reviews

• Killjoy is anything but...

  
  By A3P6XI50S1W1XM on 2002-09-24
  In Julie Garwood's newest suspense filled romance novel, we find ourselves introduced to some new and interesting characters along with some old familiar ones. We start out with Avery Delaney who is an Analyst for the FBI. She is what you might call a problem solver. She was raised by her aunt Carrie and her grandmother who died when she was eleven. Her mother (I should use the term loosely), is a sociopath who abandoned her at birth. Her aunt Carrie made sure she new how to protect herself and also, more importantly, that she knew the truth about her mother.
  
  Now years later, she finds herself on a rollercoster ride trying to save her aunt from a hired killer named Monk, who we have met before in Ms. Garwood's previous book Mercy. Avery isn't alone in her frantic search. John Paul Renard joins her quest. We were introduced to him in Mercy as well. John Paul has been searching for Monk every since Monk tried to kill his sister, Michelle (aka Mike). Now he has tracked him down to a spa called Utopia in Colorado where Monk has kidnapped three women, one of whom is Avery's aunt Carrie. They are joined later by one of my favorite characters from both Heartbreaker and Mercy, Noah Clayborne. (As a side note, I really can't wait until she features him in a novel!!)
  
  Anyway, I only gave the book four stars because it did start out a bit slow, but as always, when I finish a Julie Garwood book, I'm begging for more!
  
  If you haven't read any of Ms. Garwood's books before, I recommend at least trying Heartbreaker and Mercy. I pretty confident you won't be heartbroken!
  
  

• Not her best...

  
  By on 2002-09-21
  While Julie Garwood has always been a favorite author of mine, I wasn't too impressed with Killjoy. After reading the excerpt on her homepage (which is longer than the one here), I was dying to get my hands on a copy of Killjoy. I finally did only to discover that while the excerpt centers on Avery's work at the FBI, the book spends most of it's time with her on the road.

  All of Julie Garwood's contemporary novels have something a little different than those you find from other historial turned contemporary authors, which stems from her amazing imagination. Killjoy is no different, having an insane aunt as the mastermind behind it all (which we learn early on). However, unlike in Garwood's fabulous historicals, with Killjoy we spend so much time running around that we hardly have a chance to take a breath and get to know the characters. The climax is relatively boring as well, something I remember from Mercy and Heartbreaker that I was hoping that Garwood had worked on.

  Overall, while Garwood is still creative and can spin a tale, I think her strength is in historicals. Her contemporary novels, this one in particular, show that she just doesn't have a firm grasp of what it takes to make a murder mystery/thriller work.

  This is the third one of Garwood's hardbacked contemporaries that I have bought, and I don't intend to do so again. Next time, I'm waiting for paperback. (Although if she decides to go back to what she's really good at, historicals, I'd buy it in a second!)
  
  

• 3 Strikes and Garwood's out

  
  By on 2002-09-23
  This book is a big time disappointment if you are a long time Garwood fan. It seems that Garwood has decided to go the way of so many of our other favorite character/couple writers. In this book (as in Mercy and Heartbreaker) the characters take a back seat to a under developed and somewhat boring plot. Garwood should stick to what she knows and write about intriguing couples. Couples such as Ian & Judith, Brodick & Gillian, Duncan & Madelyne stay with us long after the book is done. In her last three attempts at contemporary writing, Garwood has forgotten to impress us with the depth and feeling of beloved couples and dymanic characters. However, I don't think her charaters in contemporary settings would be so bad if they were not so flat. The focus needs to be put back on the 2 main characters of her novel and she should not introduce as many secondary characters. We only get one book a year from Garwood and it has been a shame to waste the last three years anticipating her novels to find out that she has abandoned what made her books lovable and her name famous.
  
  

• A Strong Novel By A Great Author!

  
  By AN0XWUHSHRUG6 on 2002-12-21
  Ms. Garwood first hooked me with her charming historical novels such as the Secret, and Saving Grace. She has since moved on to pen the Romantic Suspense and Killjoy is the third in a series that began with Heartbreaker, and then was followed by Mercy.

  Killjoy is the story of Dr. Mike's (heroine in Mercy) bother John Paul. In this story the killer for hire Monk plays a large part in the story. You will remember him from Mercy as well. If you have not read the previous two books that is ok this story still manages to stand alone. This story is fast paced but it is more supsense and on the edge of your seat reading with a little romance on the side. This seems to be more of a mainstream novel then romance so fans of Ms. Garwood may be a little disappointed by this. I found that the lack of romance was not a bad thing and made the romance between John Paul and Avery more believable since they were not falling into bed right away. The story is well plotted and the character development is also well done. The secondary story and characters add to the telling of the story instead of detracting from it. All in all this is a very strong novel and worth the time it takes to read.
  
  

• Great Sunday afternoon read!

  
  By on 2002-10-14
  Killjoy is another treat for Garwood's fans. For many of us, making the leap with Garwood from historical romantic suspense to contemporary romantic suspense was a bumpy transition with her first effort, Heartbreaker. Mercy was much better, and I was expecting more stories featuring the Buchanan Brood. I was pleasantly surprised to meet some new characters in Killjoy and learn more about an enigmatic character from Mercy.

  Avery Delaney, the heroine of Killjoy, is a very likable FBI analyst, who has overcome a troubled past. John Paul Renard, the hero, has his own demons and is desperately in need of someone like Avery in his life. Readers will remember John Paul, the mysterious older brother of Dr. Mike from Garwood's previous contemporary, Mercy. After meeting him in that book, I was interested in finding out where this cynical man's story might go. I was glad with the direction in Killjoy.

  Readers will also be pleased to see old friends, like Noah Clayborne, and catch up on the folks in Bowen, LA, but don't expect a repeat of Mercy's down home, bayou vibe. Set in and around the fashionable Aspen, CO mountains, Killjoy has as many twists and turns as the roads and rivers described in the book.

  Garwood's well on her way to a dual career in contemporary and historical romantic suspense.
  
  

• Family feud
  By AN3D3M8MJ07BQ on 2006-09-03
  When it comes to compelling novels of relentless suspense, Julie Garwood is in a class by herself. She is a dominating force in the craft of creating living, breathing characters in gripping situations. This offering takes us into the life of Avery Delaney, abandoned by her mother 3 days after her birth and raised by her Aunt Carrie and Grandmother Lola.
  Now an adult, Avery works as a crime analyst for the FBI and possesses an uncanny talent for scrutinizing and deciphering clues. She must utilize her deductive gifts to find her Aunt Carrie, who has disappeared as well as stay one step ahead of a killer named Monk.
  
  Although Garwood will never win the Nobel, the Booker, or any of the other prizes bestowed for writing prowess, she definitely takes home the gold in the category of "Fun light reading, no in-depth analysis required".
  
  
• And the Race is On
  By A2E9Q3T876TQ6C on 2005-06-29
  My introduction to Julie Garwood was HEARTBREAKER, which happened to be her first contemporary book. I was hooked. KILLJOY is the 3rd book in this series, and equally as good as the first two.
  
  The story revolves around Avery Delaney who is a data analyst with the FBI. From the time Avery was a few days old, she was raised by her Grandma Lola and Aunt Carrie, as her mother, Jilly, was more interested in partying and adding another notch to her bedpost than raising a child. They didn't hear from Jilly for five years until she returned with a boyfriend and wanted money threatening to take Avery if she didn't get what she wanted. It didn't turn out the way Jilly planned and she left in a huff, only to return a few years later to try again. This time things turned violent - Lola died, while Avery was almost killed. This harrowing experience formed a special bond between Avery and her Aunt Carrie.
  
  Zip to current timeframe and we see Carrie in a troubled marriage with Tony. Seems Tony likes to spend Carries money that she makes from her advertising company, yet has little emotional involvement in their relationship. He encourages her to go on a holiday at a Colorado Spa, Utopia with Avery. This is when the story puts you on the edge of your seat.
  
  In typical Avery fashion, she loses track of time and misses her plane. She arrives at the spa a day late only to find that her aunt never arrived and cancelled the reservations. No way would that happen, so Avery is on the hunt to figure out what happened to Aunt Carrie. She runs into John Paul Renard in the lobby of Utopia. Seems he's looking for a hit man named Monk. John Paul hears of Carrie's disappearance and begins to wonder if Monk is involved.
  
  A phone call to Avery sets them on a treasure hunt of sorts. They have a short time to make a destination or Carrie will be killed. As they race along, frantic that they won't make it, the reader is thrust to the hilltop home where Carrie and two other ladies are being held captive. An interesting twist is that the house is rigged with explosives so that if they try to escape, they will be blown up.
  
  The story is two fold - we have John Paul and Avery racing to save Carrie and being led from destination to destination. Meanwhile Carrie is trying to save the women in the home by figuring out how to get out. The two plots come together nicely and the ending will surprise a few, but most will have figured out the villains. Even so, there is enough going on to continue the suspense without the mystery involved. The romance between John Paul and Avery is expected yet refreshing at times. Garwood includes enough humor to keep things interesting and refreshing instead of boring and bland.
  
  Characters are vivid and unique. We were given glimpses of John Paul in Garwood's two previous books, HEATBREAKER and MERCY. Avery and Carrie are both strong women who don't dwell on past atrocities they've endured but strive to be successful, happy people. Even Monk and his sidekick are so descriptive that I took an instant dislike to both of them.
  
  KILLJOY was so enjoyable that I have added all of Garwood's books to my list of Books to Read. She's definitely one of my favorite authors.
  
  
  
  
  
• This book is a killjoy
  By on 2002-10-02
  As a longtime Julie Garwood fan, I buy her books as soon as they are available. I wish I'd saved my money this time. This book was a total disappointment. The story rambled, the characters were so boring I was cheering the hitman on instead of the hero and heroine. Everyone has a miss now and again, this was Garwood's. She was so caught up in the elaborate plot and subplot she completely lost her way and her reader. My advice to readers, if you want to read it, borrow from a friend or the library, don't waste your money.
  
  
• Good, but not Garwood Great
  By A2IXV2QW0A8U3F on 2003-05-31
  Like many other reviewers on here, I've been a long time fan of Ms. Garwood. Her historical romances are fun, warm, and loving. Once you read "The Secret" or "The Bride," you don't forget the characters.

  Over the past three years, Ms. Garwood has gone away from this genre, and into suspence-romance. At first, I was excited. One of my favorite authors was branching out to find a larger audience. However, I bought her first novel "Heartbreaker" and was greatly disappointed. I wasn't going to give up on her though. I bought "Mercy" and thought, this was a little better. Finally, there's "Killjoy."

  "Killjoy" is really a story about the heroine's mother, Jilly. This book should have been titled "Jilly's Revenge." The time and effort spent to her was vast, compared to that of the hero in the book. John Paul, who we first met in "Mercy," was not given fair justice in this book. His military background was not explained fully. We understand what initially drove him to move back home, but we don't understand why it took that last assignment to do so. Also, it is unclear how this individual "loner" guy falls in love with someone very opposite of himself.

  Overall, "Killjoy" is an okay novel. It isn't the great Ms. Garwood we've had in the past. If you are just getting into Ms. Garwood, I would recommend her earlier work first. Start with "The Secret" and skip these contemporary novels.
  
  

• Great romantic suspense
  By ANOBZWKE25SBY on 2006-01-27
  The tension and action is still in abundance in Garwood's third Buchanan installment, "Killjoy." John Paul Renard, who was a minor character in the last novel gets his own story, providing background into why he was so apprehensive of the government and became a recluse.
  
  Avery Delaney is the daughter of Jilly, a truly evil sociopath. Abandoned and raised by her grandmother and aunt Carrie, Avery was left for dead when Jilly's lover killed her grandmother. She managed to survive, though filled with scars, and put him behind bars. Jilly apparently perished in a car accident and escaped punishment. Avery moved to LA with Carrie, who is now a high powered talent agent.
  
  Now an FBI analyst, Avery discovers that Carrie never arrived at the Colorado spa retreat where they were supposed to meet. She is accosted by sexy John Paul, who's tracking the elusive hit-man Monk (last seen killing the arrogant ringleader of the infamous "Sowing Club" from Garwood's "Mercy"). He has tracked Monk to Carrie, also missing are two other women who have no apparent link to Carrie.
  
  Soon they discover that the money behind Monk's latest job is feral mom Jilly, who faked her death, and now is wreaking havoc in a misguided attempt to get justice for her former lover who's rotting in jail because of Avery's testimony. Joining forces and falling in love while on the run eluding Monk, Avery and John Paul unravel the mystery with the aid of charismatic FBI agent Noah Clayborne, who always steals the show, adds humor to the storyline.
  
  Garwood's latest installment in the Buchanan mysteries is an action-packed, suspense-filled romantic romp through the mountains of Colorado. The two protagonists are perfect foils for each other.
  
  
• Oh, brother ...
  By on 2002-09-28
  This was the most disjointed book I've ever read. Cardboard, almost caroonlike, characters. No real humor, lots of repitition ("oh, brother" and "suck it up") and very little suspense. It did have a great cover, though.
  
  
• Tripe
  By AOSW5A8LV8VWV on 2002-09-22
  I bought this book because I had enjoyed Mercy, her earlier novel, involving some of the same characters. This book was very poorly written, as though Ms. Garwood had been under a great time pressure. Her dialogue was trite, the story development was simplistic, and the characters: the very bad (Jillie) and the very good (Avery) were not very well sketched. Overall, I very much resented having bought his book in hardback and having wasted valuable time reading it.
  
  
• A WASTE OF TIME ...
  By on 2002-10-01
  SLOW START & KEPT GOING DOWNHILL ...No romance, little suspense and not worth reading unless you like crazy, violent people... a sociopath, hit man, etc. I am a fan of Ms. Garwood's wonderful historical romances and really feel disappointed in her current switch to violence. Previous characters were introduced to try to save the lack of plot... it didn't work. Don't waste your money ... read it from the library if you must ...
  
  
• Not as good as her other's
  By A2ACEX3KB5MWO8 on 2002-11-20
  I am a Julie Garwood fan and have read all of her books. Killjoy is the 3rd of her series including Heartbreaker and Mercy. The main man in this book is John Paul, the brother of Dr. "Mike" from Mercy. The storylines from the previous two books are continued in Killjoy, however, it can be read as a stand-alone.

  Garwood is a fabulous writer. Once you start one of her books it is difficult to put it down. In my opinion, Killjoy was not as good as her other books. I had been anxiously awaiting a book with John Paul and this didn't live up to my expectations. None of her books are bad, but this just didn't grab me the way her other books did. I reccomend you wait until it comes out in paperback. Don't spend the money on hardback.
  
  

• What a Perfect Title!
  By A6BBR19SSNS4K on 2005-10-22
  The name says it all: Killjoy will not fail to disappoint.
  
  Garwood's formula (virginal sweet-hearted girl with evil family is stalked by psycho killer and saved by an emotionally stunted knight in shining armor) works well in historical romances but reads like "Plan Nine From Outer Space" in a modern setting. And by virgin I mean a sexually inexperienced (not necessarily a physical virgin) who's never been in love and is innocent to the evil of the world.
  
  Our virgin: Avery Delaney, FBI analyst, raised by her gammy after her psycho mother abandoned her.
  
  Our Knight: John Paul, FBI hunter and arrogant a-hole extraordinaire
  
  Our Psycho: Monk, a leftover from the previous novel who is kidnapping women, including Avery's aunt Carrie. A bit deviant for a killer-for-hire.
  
  Of course the kidnapper calls beautiful and brainless Avery and the plot writes itself from there. She needs John Paul for protection, because God Forbid she should have any common sense. John Paul is burned out but basking in her innocence learns to be noble and loving. *Yawn* This is like one of those bad 80's movies you saw on "Lifetime" when it first started, but worse.
  
  The characters are cardboard cut outs, standards from Garwood's unimaginative supply, and the romance is DOA, the sex pathetic. However, once again, the psycho is the most interesting case and I found myself almost rooting for him.
  
  You know how it goes. Woman in trouble needs man's help, they fight the attraction for stupid reasons, work to outsmart a sexual psychopath, save the day and fall in love.
  
  Almost any other writer could make that work (Nora Roberts did it brilliantly in "Brazen Virtue") but Garwood is locked into a medieval mindset when it comes to characterization.
  
  A must-miss.
  
  
• Readable? Yes. Memorable? No.
  By on 2002-09-23
  I've been reading Julie Garwood since her early work in historical romance; marvelous books such as "The Bride," "Honor's Splendour," and "Saving Grace" captivated me and kept me reading for hours. Once done, I'd want to start again. Her pages were full of clever wit, suspensful intrigue, and beautiful romance, elements that Ms. Garwood's contemporary romances, including this latest one, seem to lack. Readable? Yes. Memorable? No.
  
  
• Brilliant
  By A142ZAFELHE7JU on 2002-10-27
  A continuation from Heartbreaker and Mercy Julie Garwood has created another wonderfully suspensful novel.. We get to see the rascal Noah again.. can't wait to see him in his own book.. especially if the others all have a good laugh over it.. there are two more Buchanan Brothers and Remy Renard and of course the delightful Noah.. so I hope Julie doesn't stop here...
  I love John Paul.. he made me laugh in Mercy and in this one too with his irritable image what a fake... Avery was sweet.. and tough in the right places... she was just the right match for John Paul...in many way they were both as bad as each other... I could say more but I shall not.. because that would spoil the plot to new readers.. I love Julie's books with her sence of homor that is found amongst the lines. Yeah I agree she is on power with other Romantic Suspence great but I never compare because they are all idividuals.
  
  
• This book was really a KILLJOY!
  By A11QVOLTS1AZXR on 2002-11-18
  The title of this book really fit my mood when I finished reading it. After all of the excitement of waiting and anticipating the latest book from Julie Garwood, this one really killed my joy of reading it. As mentioned in another review, there was just too much hype on the FBI and her childhood devotion for the governmental agency. Boring! Now don't get me wrong. I still love and will love Julie Garwood's books, but this one and the last two contempory books (Heartbreaker and Mercy) left me hanging without in real closure. What I mean by this is, it's like going to a restaurant and ordering something that sounds wonderful on the menu and when you get it, you feel let down. The let-down feels like you could get the same thing out of the frozen food section at the grocery store.(Which will probably taste better and is cheaper.) So many--what I think are--important variables of the book were left out. For instance, more detailed info on John Paul, how his military career really impacted his life (which was mentioned briefly), why all of a sudden he fell so deeply IN LOVE with Avery, what did Avery think of his hometown, what kind of family reunion he received when he brought Avery home, did they ever have any children, etc.

  Julie's historical romances are absolutely WONDERFUL! Would recommend any historical romance to anyone, on any day! Although, I am an avid collector of all of Julie Garwood's books,I'll probably wait to purchase her next comtempory novel. Hate to say this, I'll try to catch it at the flea market or a local thrift store.

  I'll say this much and then I gotta go. Julie, when and if you do a contempory novel on Noah Clayborne, please elaborate more on his family background, which will probably give his character more essence. Noah is a hottie and the character deserves to be recognized much better than John Paul. By this I mean John Paul was a spin-off from Mercy and he should have been built up a whole lot better. In my opinion, you do/will do your spin-off male characters a great in-justice when 90% of the focus is on a "so-so" female character.

  The anticipation to read her latest novels (Heartbreaker, Mercy, and Killjoy) was like taking a much needed vacation, but when I finished reading them, I felt like all I got was a stinking T-shirt.

  For the romantic in me, better closure for the "happily ever after" chapter(s).

  Still, love ya and your work. Hang in there!
  
  

• Bad book from a good author
  By AHU53AZE5XAKG on 2003-03-10
  A strange and violent story from an author I'd come to enjoy reading. Usually Julie Garwood mixes humor and mystery with a fairly believable plot. Not this time. The plot was just ludicrous, the humor lame, and the characters might have been cardboard cutouts. If this is the path she's following, I'll look for someone else to entertain me.
  
  
• slow start....too many irons in the fire
  By A2R6PD9KEY33F on 2002-09-20
  Julie Garwood usually delivers a novel with deep, carefully crafted characters who pull the reader in and make them care. Humor is quirky and endears readers to those characters. For those of us who see KILLJOY as an extention of the Heartbreaker/Mercy saga, the side bars of Carrie's marriage and extended interactions between Monk and Jilly made the book drag. The first 80 pages could have been condensed to about 20, and the novel would have flowed smoother. I found the sheriff to be a much more compelling character, and he only had about five pages in the book. I found Monk and JIlly, especially Jilly, to be stereotyped characters. By the time we got to John Paul, who was shallowly sketched, and Avery's meeting, I was saying to myself, "It's about time!" I enjoyed the interplay between the two and the way they learned about each other, but readers learned little about John Paul other than lightly touching on his "secret" past. Noah's cameo was too brief, his only purpose to raze John Paul. I'll admit that I had high expectations, but the book didn't measure up to Garwood's talent. Maybe Noah's story will have better focus.
  
  
• Thriller to the end!
  By A27K0WRW883T7Y on 2003-07-12
  Ms. Garwood has done a tremendous job jumping from historical romance to contemporary suspense romance. Garwood is a great writer and knows how to intrigue you from the very beginning. She does a great job of weaving her characters from one book into another. And she has the gift of letting humor be present in many situations throughout her stories. I love reading about the different characters from one book to another.
  Killjoy is the third attempt in the contemporary arena. If you have not read Heartbreaker and Mercy, after reading Killjoy you will want to. It has more violence than Mercy or Heartbreaker but is thrilling to the very last page. I could not put this down until I had finished it.
  The return of John Paul, Noah, and Monk was great! I can't wait to see if she will write anything with Noah in her next book. Way to go Garwood!
  
  
• Follows the rules
  By A3AD071UEP20WS on 2004-09-27
  There's obviously a set of rules for the present-day thriller, and this book certainly follows them. As far as I can determine, the major provisions are these: (1) Paranoia must prevail. The hero can trust no one, not spouse, not parent, not lifelong friend--no one. (2) The action must be non-stop, preferably condensed to one day, even though this results in patent absurdities. Lengthy chase scenes are required, it goes without saying. The chases may be in any sort of vehicles, on foot, or downriver (3) The hero must be virtually superhuman, able to survive falls from great heights, stabbings, gunshot wounds, etc. The villain must be likewise but not quite so since he has to lose eventually. (4) The central figure must be a physical specimen of great beauty and in perfect condition. Usually the hero is a health and physical fitness nut. (5) There must be sex scenes bordering on the x-rated, nay, animalistic, even though these scenes have nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. (6) There must be specific, even gratuitous, violence. Writers of thrillers apparently think violence is, per se, high drama.
  
  One has to wonder what sort of reader the author of this book envisioned. The plot isn't believable for a second. The characters are ridiculous. The atmosphere (mostly Colorado) is often vague. The only thing going for the book is that it is fast paced and the reader is soon done with it.
  
  Unfortunately there is a plethora of thrillers that follow the same rules, to the letter. Alas and alack.
  
  
• FANTASTIC BOOK
  By on 2002-09-24
  This book has the best dialogue between its characters. There is mystery, romance, and humor. I have read all of Julie Garwood's books and she just keeps getting better and better. Do not miss this one, it was a true pleasure to read it. I can't wait for Ms. Garwood's next book.
  
  
• Her Best Yet!
  By on 2002-10-05
  Killjoy is absolutely Ms. Garwood's best contemporary romance to date. This book was on par with Linda Howard and Nora Roberts who are two of my all time favorite authors. Now, I won't proceed to summarize the book, but I do want to say that I can't remember the last time I cared so much about 2 characters finally coming together as a couple. Avery's insecurities about her past were so touching and the way that John Paul handled them was beautifully done. I love how Ms. Garwood tied her previous book "Mercy" together with this one through family. As much as I love her historical romances, I hope that we have many more of her contemporary suspense/romances to look foward to.
  
  
• It is as suspenseful as I had hoped!
  By A1BI8PUEHA5CHW on 2003-05-26
  I love Julie Garwood's books ~~ always have and this one is no exeception to the rule. I have to admit that I am glad she is also writing suspense novels ~~ I am addicted to that genre and it's a thrill to have one of my favorite authors writing in that area of reading as well!

  Killjoy is a suspenseful book about Avery, a FBI employee, who was supposed to have met up with her aunt in Aspen, Colorado for a couple weeks of relaxation time at a spa. Only her aunt never showed up there. Avery then joins John Paul, an ex-Marine who was searching for the hired assassin, Monk Edwards, to find her aunt and rescue her before she dies. The plot thickens and twists and turns ~~ and the person behind the plot is so sinister that even my breath is taken away. And I have read a lot of suspense books.

  Garwood is a talented writer that knows how to hook her readers into her imagination ~~ and keeps them entertained and enthralled till the last page is turned. This book is no different. It is more violent than Mercy or Heartbreaker ~~ but still, I enjoy her writing and how she manages to keep the reader guessing the truth till the very end. This book is such a nice pace from the gloomy spring Ohio has been enduring ~~ it's a perfect book to while away a gloomy afternoon.

  5-25-03
  
  

• Two Thirds of This Book Is Pretty Good
  By A31J5132VSGSEZ on 2003-07-09
  After a slow, and unfortunately mandatory prologue, this novel becomes a fairly pleasurable quick read. I guess you could call it a "riller", a cross between a romance novel and a thriller. The main characters talk a great deal about how good they are at their respective jobs (big bad dude and beautiful FBI analyst). Neither prove their mettle in proportion to their boasting, although the heroine displays a couple of spurts of yoga-transcendental-meditation-mediated mental acuity. I've never read a romance novel, so I was surely surprised to note that a woman's lips could be swollen from kissing. And there is a lot of smooching; pages of it, with tongues reaching so deep that I suspect that livers were licked. Lastly, the ending was told in the style of a flashback reminiscent of the events, which was a somewhat disappointing departure from the style of the rest of the narrative.
  
  
• A disappointment
  By A5BZ76LJX9KUU on 2003-12-21
  This continuation of Julie Garwood's exciting and well-written 'Mercy' was a lackluster disappointment. It almost felt like it had been written by another person!

  Where its predecessor, 'Mercy,' made Monk an intriguing villain, 'Killjoy' turned him into a buffoon. The protagonists had few likeable moments, and while I had hoped John Paul Renard's character would be given more depth now that he was the hero of the story, there was hardly any development. Perhaps that was what was what was so unappealing about this novel - everyone, whether they were supposed to be on the side of right or wrong, came off as immensely shallow, and the traumas that were meant to endear them to the reader felt sorely contrived.

  Also, too often the action of the story was told in past-tense summation. Escapes, explosions - some moments that could have been tense, page-turners were half-heartedly skimmed over in ho-hum narrative. The end result was more deflating and tedious than thrilling.

  Julie Garwood's prior work is much more entertaining than this selection.
  
  

• Didn't finish it . . .
  By A29HDGTHTA9NDY on 2005-12-04
  I fell in love with Ms Garwood's writing with Heartbreaker. I purchased "Mercy" before it was released and was not disappointed. I did the same with "Killjoy". Big mistake. I found very little to like about this novel. It started well, but with each chapter it went farther and farther downhill. But, I kept hoping and then by page 300 I simply gave up. The story didn't connect me with the characters - I really didn't care what happened to them. The plot was so over the top that I kept wondering if it was all a joke. My recommendation - skip this one.
  
  
• If this is suspense, people are really dense
  By A3LZJ7IXWWZER5 on 2002-09-26
  This book sounded like a good suspense novel....I could tell the plot early in the book and even skiming it didn't lose anything. I was never so disappointed. I could tell the whole plot and it was wordy and so stayed.....I see no need to finish it because it's so transparent...... I quess I should stay away from romatic suspense.
  
  
• Great Book
  By A2AJ3CK87RVBAA on 2002-09-28
  I absolutly loved this book. I have read Heartbreaker, Mercy and now Killjoy, and have to say they get better all the time. I love the returning characters and from the moment I read Heartbreaker I have hoped Ms Garwood would write a book around Noah. Worth reading!!
  
  

• Murder List: A Novel
• Mercy
• Heartbreaker
• Slow Burn: A Novel
• Shadow Dance: A Novel