The book begins with a young lady, Elizabeth, who has been sheltered and controlled by her mother for all of her 17 years, breaking out and rebelling with the aid of a fellow student, Julie.  They end up in a nightclub owned by the Russian mafia, using false ID’s, and predictably, trouble ensues.  The first 30-40 pages made me wonder if I would actually be able to stay awake to read the rest, and the only reason I plodded through was because I am a fan of Nora Roberts and knew it would get better.  And indeed, it did!  Twelve years later, we find our heroine …….. (nope, not going to give it away here)

Nora Roberts writes three types of fiction:  Suspense (which includes this book), Romance, and Futuristic Suspense.  Though not a fan of the other two genres, I am a huge fan of her suspense novels and this one did not disappoint.  Those first 30-40 pages were necessary to the remainder, which takes place some twelve years later.  The book kept me reading long past my bedtime and stayed with me long after I set it aside and turned out the light.  It is a definite “edge-of-the-seat” novel and yet there are some parts, some lines, that had me literally laughing out loud!

That said, much of the story require a stretch of one’s imagination.  I stay away from spoilers at all times, but will just say that the capabilities Elizabeth develops are beyond credibility, but fun to think about. And the conclusion is … let’s just say, highly improbably within the structure of our law enforcement agencies. But hey, it’s fiction, right?  Ms. Roberts has certainly used her imagination and asks only that we do so also.  I am rating this book with four stars based on enjoyment value.  Read it … you won’t be sorry you did.