I pray, I hope, I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed - that Sandra Brown's next book will have the vital ingredients that made her older books such wonderful reads and which made Ricochet one of the most thrilling reads of 2006 for me.

While I'm one of those who are sceptical of the H & H falling madly in love after one encounter, I did buy into Hatcher's obsession with Elise. She was the unnattainable, the forbidden and she played Hatcher. These 3 elements are inflammable and when combined, poor Hatcher didn't stand a chance. This is one romantic thriller where the hero's character development is given enough attention so that he's not just a hunk of muscle with an appendage. I felt for Hatcher (more than I did for Elise) and worried for him as DeeDee did but boy, did I want to shut her up! Ricochet has made me NEED to go back and read the old SBs. Thank God I have a couple of them on my shelf!

This is the first time a book's blurb did not exaggerate. On the contrary, it doesn't do it justice. The plot is complex but not in the sense of those military romances where the authors think they need to overload their readers with technological details. Neither is it so sappy that I thought I was reading the script for a daytime soap. I loved the ending! It was unexpected, I didn't see it coming and I even ended the book not wishing DeeDee got shot and died. I've never come across a more annoying partner ever! - even though her concern for Hatcher's obsession with Elise was justified. It's just I felt so good, so satisfied and so pleased after I closed the book that I was feeling exceptionally magnanimous.

It was also refreshing to have a hero whose parents are in the ministry and are loving and normal, not religious freaks. That idea is wa-ay old so this bit about Hatcher's background earned Ricochet and Sandra Brown extra points from me.

P.S. My copy is from my local library (outside the US) and it's a mass paperback but has the cover from the hardback.

In general, this was a good story. While I wasn't really "wowed" by this book, I was curious about Elise's relationships with the other major characters in the book. One problem is that I don't buy the romance. It didn't make sense to me. Lust at first sight I can understand. A deep lasting love between two people who have about three conversations in the book? Not so much.

Another problem is that this book is pretty much Sandra Brown's FAT TUESDAY warmed over. Charmingly unique Southern town? Check. Rugged cop with integrity who has a grudge against a flamboyant and deadly criminal? Check. Exquisitely beautiful trophy wife with mysterious and painful past who is married to a legal professional? Check. There are other similarities, but I don't want to give away too much. If you've read FAT TUESDAY, you can pretty much figure RICOCHET out.

Sandra Brown is a fantastic writer and I really enjoy reader her books. RICOCHET was wonderful, with believable and exciting characters and miles upon miles of plot twists and turns. By the time I got to the incredible final surprise, I couldn't believe how fast I blew through 400 pages. For another murder mystery set in a hot and steamy location, look for Don Bruns' SOUTH BEACH SHAKEDOWN, an entertaining and smart read set in sizzling Miami.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ricochet. The plot is intricate and had me going until the very end. The characters are unique and well-developed. I'd recommend Ricochet to those who like their crime novels with lots of plot twists and just a bit of spice.

Another great book by Sandra Brown--one that grabs you from the beginning and you don't want to put down. This author has a great imagination because her stories, especially the really good ones, take a lot of twists and turns and you never know where you might end up. If you enjoyed this, don't miss Chill Factor, The Witness, The Alibi and Envy, to name a few.