Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm going to begin with a couple of observations about Suzanne Brockmann with the full realization that anybody who is unfamiliar with her body of work will probably have not a single clue what I'm talking about. If this is you, go ahead and give me an unhelpful vote right now and go pick yourself up a copy of The Unsung Hero. Start there and read away. You can come back to Infamous in a month or so - once you've read her most famous series.
For the rest - in a genre that is rife with generic cookie cutter writing, Suzanne Brockmann is a sparkling gem of originality and for that I love her. I may not always love her writing, I may not always love her books, but I absolutely adore her willingness to take a risk and be original. This book Infamous, it is original. That plus her rock solid history is going to prevent me from totally trashing the novel.
Now for the bad part. Suzanne Brockmann is a passionate woman of opinions which are frequently reflected in her writing. Loudly, blatantly and unashamedly. That is a fact that I totally respect and even enjoy, because if a writer isn't passionate about her work, how can a reader ever be?
My problem with this novel is that when the two points made above, the originality and the passion, go crashing into each other they can very often create a mess. And that is pretty much where this book Infamous leaves the reader - in a befuddled confused mess where the discord of Ms. Brockmann's passionate social beliefs and agenda overwhelm the story she is trying to tell. Really. Paranormal Cowboy Movie Romance with a Murder Plot, Alcoholism, Gay Rights, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Native American Mysticism, Homelessness, Remarriage After Spousal Death, Gulf War Vets, Fathers Who Murder Sons for Undisclosed Reasons and a Sister Who Got Married As A Teen Because the Love Of Her Life Was Critically Ill.
Whew.
If only we could have spent a couple of pages exploring corporate greed and that oil spill in the Gulf, but I'm guessing this book went to print before that ever happened. Okay I've headed into sarcasm so I'll try to say it more nicely. Not everything belongs in every book and in the end the STORY should trump the author's agenda. If it doesn't enhance the story, then it should be saved for the book where it does fit. And on that major rule, this book is a Fail with a capital F A I and L. FAIL.
So the good part? Underneath all that clutter there really is the makings of a pretty nice novel here. And it's a novel we all haven't already read hundreds of times before. There's a nontraditional heroine, a nontraditional hero and a pretty sweet story of how love, honor, respect and trust can bind a family through the generations. If you can keep your mind on the story, ignore a couple of nonsensical huge plot holes, dropped storylines, and shaky characterization of the major players - you might even enjoy it. I'm going with 3 stars with a major nod to the author's past history and thanks that I didn't pay hardback prices for this.
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