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lynguy1's review against another edition
4.0
Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh is a romantic suspense novel set in Scarlet Falls, New York. Leigh does a great job of blending suspense, action, and romance. Major Grant Barrett is deployed to Afghanistan when he receives word that his brother Lee and sister-in-law Kate have been murdered. Grant returns home on emergency leave to care for his orphaned nephew and niece (Carson and Faith). Ellie Ross and her daughter Julia and grandmother Nan live next door to Lee and Kate. Julia had been babysitting them while Lee and Kate had gone to dinner. When there is an attempt to kidnap the kids, Grant knows something more than a robbery gone wrong has occurred. But what is it?
Grant and Ellie are likeable characters with depth. While both have flaws, they both want what is best for their respective families. They are compelling and definitely someone you can root for. The secondary characters are well-drawn. Some assist the protagonists through emotional and other support while others are definitely oppositional. Points of view do occasionally shift, but it is always clear who it is.
The opening chapter is chilling and well done. It sets the stage for what is to come later. The emphasis is heavy on the suspense, danger, and action with the romance slowly developing and being woven into the story. The first steamy scene is about 70 percent of the way through the book. There was an occasional bit of humor that provided some relief to the intensity of the rest of the novel.
The writing was addictive, engrossing, fluid, and appealing. I was fully engaged in the story. The plot was multi-layered, but my first quibble is that the supposed surprises along the way were too easily discerned. The second is that the murdered couple were identified so quickly when they had no identification on them. However, it’s fast-moving with a terrific ending and very enjoyable.
Overall, this book has a great concept and the pacing is just right. This is a great start to the trilogy and I’m looking forward to reading the next two novels.
I received a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Discussion Group Giveaway. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Grant and Ellie are likeable characters with depth. While both have flaws, they both want what is best for their respective families. They are compelling and definitely someone you can root for. The secondary characters are well-drawn. Some assist the protagonists through emotional and other support while others are definitely oppositional. Points of view do occasionally shift, but it is always clear who it is.
The opening chapter is chilling and well done. It sets the stage for what is to come later. The emphasis is heavy on the suspense, danger, and action with the romance slowly developing and being woven into the story. The first steamy scene is about 70 percent of the way through the book. There was an occasional bit of humor that provided some relief to the intensity of the rest of the novel.
The writing was addictive, engrossing, fluid, and appealing. I was fully engaged in the story. The plot was multi-layered, but my first quibble is that the supposed surprises along the way were too easily discerned. The second is that the murdered couple were identified so quickly when they had no identification on them. However, it’s fast-moving with a terrific ending and very enjoyable.
Overall, this book has a great concept and the pacing is just right. This is a great start to the trilogy and I’m looking forward to reading the next two novels.
I received a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Discussion Group Giveaway. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
kberry513's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to read the second one, so I reread this one because I couldn't remember anything that happened.
Basically, the Barretts siblings, Grant, Lee, Hannah, and Mac, were very close growing up. When their mother died, they all went their separate ways. Grant joined the military and rose through the ranks, Lee and Hannah both became lawyers, Lee at a local firm and Hannah at an international one, and Mac first became a wild child involved in a gang and then later became a field biologist studying otters. Lee is the only one who settled down and had a family, but he and his wife are murdered on their anniversary. His wife Kate had an affair with a coworker, but overhears said coworker being blackmailed by one of their skating students. The student along with several others accidentally killed a classmate in a bullying prank gone wrong, filmed it, and blackmailed the coworker into covering it up, as he had slept with several underage students. He wants the student to get rid of the phone with the evidence. Kate takes the phone and he threatens to tell her husband of their affair if she shows the phone to anyone. Not trusting her to keep it to herself, he hires Donnie to kill her and retrieve the phone.
Grant comes home to take care of the kids and falls in love with Ellie, the single mother of a teenager next door, who lives with her grandmother. Ellie worked with Lee and was friends with Kate. Lee had just taken on the civil case about the girl who had died and everyone wants to find his file on the case, which is missing.
One of the kids sees Donnie and when he realizes that, he tries to kill the kids. Julia (the neighbor's daughter) and Hannah save the kids. He tries again by setting the house ablaze, at which point Grant catches him and beats him senseless. Meanwhile, Ellie is being blackmailed to find the missing file by one of the fathers of the girls accused of bullying her into suicide, however she believes it is the killer and keeps it to herself for a long time before Grant gets it out of her. After the fire, Grant finds the missing phone in Kate's van and after watching the video, they know who hired Donnie - and that Ellie is at the rink with him. He takes her hostage, but the police end up getting him in the end.
The siblings also discover that Lee was drowning in debt while trying to make partner and had borrowed money from one of Mac's shady friends from the old days. Meanwhile, his competition had been stealing from the firm. Their father, who was paralyzed in battle, is suffering from Alzheimer's and doesn't even know his son is dead. Hannah has a few moments with the detective investigating the case.
Basically, the Barretts siblings, Grant, Lee, Hannah, and Mac, were very close growing up. When their mother died, they all went their separate ways. Grant joined the military and rose through the ranks, Lee and Hannah both became lawyers, Lee at a local firm and Hannah at an international one, and Mac first became a wild child involved in a gang and then later became a field biologist studying otters. Lee is the only one who settled down and had a family, but he and his wife are murdered on their anniversary. His wife Kate had an affair with a coworker, but overhears said coworker being blackmailed by one of their skating students. The student along with several others accidentally killed a classmate in a bullying prank gone wrong, filmed it, and blackmailed the coworker into covering it up, as he had slept with several underage students. He wants the student to get rid of the phone with the evidence. Kate takes the phone and he threatens to tell her husband of their affair if she shows the phone to anyone. Not trusting her to keep it to herself, he hires Donnie to kill her and retrieve the phone.
Grant comes home to take care of the kids and falls in love with Ellie, the single mother of a teenager next door, who lives with her grandmother. Ellie worked with Lee and was friends with Kate. Lee had just taken on the civil case about the girl who had died and everyone wants to find his file on the case, which is missing.
One of the kids sees Donnie and when he realizes that, he tries to kill the kids. Julia (the neighbor's daughter) and Hannah save the kids. He tries again by setting the house ablaze, at which point Grant catches him and beats him senseless. Meanwhile, Ellie is being blackmailed to find the missing file by one of the fathers of the girls accused of bullying her into suicide, however she believes it is the killer and keeps it to herself for a long time before Grant gets it out of her. After the fire, Grant finds the missing phone in Kate's van and after watching the video, they know who hired Donnie - and that Ellie is at the rink with him. He takes her hostage, but the police end up getting him in the end.
The siblings also discover that Lee was drowning in debt while trying to make partner and had borrowed money from one of Mac's shady friends from the old days. Meanwhile, his competition had been stealing from the firm. Their father, who was paralyzed in battle, is suffering from Alzheimer's and doesn't even know his son is dead. Hannah has a few moments with the detective investigating the case.
daisy222de's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tsquare345's review against another edition
4.0
Oh how I appreciate a dark suburbia story that showcases the underbelly of humanity. Random acts of violence that aren't so random, spoiled mean girls, and poor choices converge in this fast-paced story.
cjay1957's review against another edition
4.0
The story was really good but the narrator is awful. The men all sound the same, stiff and flat. But I love these stories by the author and audiobook suits me more than ebook right now so must suffer with this narrator.
Great story though so do recommend the read.
Great story though so do recommend the read.
labraden's review against another edition
4.0
Major Grant Barrett must return home when news of his brother's and sister in law's murder reach him in Afghanistan. After he retrieves his niece, Faith, and nephew, Carson, from Child Protective Services, he takes on the task of caring for two children he barely knows. In the meantime, next door neighbor, Ellie Ross, has been threatened if she can't find a missing file that had something to do with a recent case that Grant's brother had been working on. Ellie desperately wants to protect her family by turning over the file, but the threats continue to come closer and closer to home and she has to weigh her fear with her need to trust Grant with what she knows.
Hour of Need is a good beginning to the Scarlet Falls series. By the end of the book, we realize just how many suspects there really are in this mystery, but throughout most of the story, there is just one. The romance between Grant and Ellie is a bit awkward with the characters jumping from attraction to much more fairly quickly. Also, more time could have been devoted to Grant's obvious PTSD, which is barely touched on during the story. However, overall, Hour of Need does have a solid plot with adequate character development, making it an enjoyable read. 3 1/2 stars
Hour of Need is a good beginning to the Scarlet Falls series. By the end of the book, we realize just how many suspects there really are in this mystery, but throughout most of the story, there is just one. The romance between Grant and Ellie is a bit awkward with the characters jumping from attraction to much more fairly quickly. Also, more time could have been devoted to Grant's obvious PTSD, which is barely touched on during the story. However, overall, Hour of Need does have a solid plot with adequate character development, making it an enjoyable read. 3 1/2 stars
bfive's review against another edition
4.0
Fast paced reading. Many characters, mystery and action kept me reading; although, the writing was simplistic and lacked the richness of great writing. Good beach read.