The Witness (edition 2012)

This book took about half a page to capture my interest. From the beginning, I wanted Elizabeth to have a chance to make her own way in life and was very pleased with how it turned out for her. I'm a sucker for happy endings, and Nora Roberts has delivered again! This riveting tale had me on the edge of my seat and had me scolding the characters for their crazy choices. It was very easy to become emotionally invested in this gripping story! I would recomend this to anyone who asked! ( )

The Witness
4 Stars

Synopsis
Following one night of teenage rebellion against her controlling mother, Elizabeth Fitch's life changes forever. As the only witness to a bloody crime, Elizabeth must run for her life. Twelve years later, living as a recluse in a small town in the Ozarks, Abigail Lowrey has finally found some peace and quiet, or so she thinks, as tenacious police chief, Brooks Gleason, has decided to make it his mission in life to get under Abigail's skin and learn all her secrets.

Note: This review may contain ***SPOILERS***. Please do not read ahead if you don't want to know what happens.

Review
Excellent premise, good execution, however, it left me vaguely disappointed.

Let's get my biggest peeve out of the way right off the bat. A great deal of poetic license is taken with WITSEC (the Witness Protection Program), an organization famous for NEVER losing a witness. Suddenly, we have not one but three corrupt agents and a witness losing their life - I don't think so!

Whew! It was good to get that off my chest.

Nora is a undoubtedly a wonderful storyteller and her skill at building gripping tension and suspense is very evident here. Nevertheless, the resolution to this tension fails to materialize. There is much detail put into Abigail's elaborate security system, which is never put to the test, and her huge bullmastiff never gets to tear anyone's throat out - very disappointing.

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the Russian hitman to turn up on Abigail's doorstep but, unfortunately, he never does and she doesn't get to blow anyone away. In addition, given the few scenes told from Ilya and Sergei's POVs, it is a pity that there is no follow up to their comeuppance.

On a more positive note, Nora's characters, as always, are very endearing, especially Elizabeth/Abigail. She is definitely an original - quirky, nerdy and tactless to the extreme. Her personality is reminiscent of Temperance Brennan on Bones but unlike some reviewers I do not view this as plagiarism. Elizabeth's background and behavior is very unlike Tempe's (I cannot see Brennan hiding anywhere for 12 years).

Brooks is a typical Nora hero and while he is amazing, I do wish Nora would shake things up a little. He is almost too perfect - too understanding, too sympathetic, too patient - there is no conflict to his and Abigail's relationship, which makes it somewhat bland.

The writing is solid and the secondary plot lines add to characterization although they do not mesh well with the larger story. Happily, the dialogue is laugh out loud funny at times. So, all in all, an entertaining read and one I prefer over Nora's more recent works - namely Chasing Fire and The Bride Quartet.

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This review originally appeared at:
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I honestly can't believe it took me so long to read this book. Ever since stumbling across Nora Roberts' Blood Brothers trilogy in 2007, I've read over a dozen of her books and eagerly anticipate her annual adult romantic suspense thriller. Perhaps the reason for my hesitation in picking up The Witness came from my mild disappointment with the last few standalone thrillers, none of which have lived up to 2008's Tribute. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, though, and now my aim is to convince you to stop whatever it is you are doing and immediately pick up this book.

Dr Susan Fitch is a woman of schedule and order. As the chief of surgery, Dr Fitch has complete control over everything in her life to ensure her work life is never interrupted or disturbed. So when she decides to 'procreate' (not 'have a child'), she cannot leave anything to chance. With a list of prerequisites to ensure the resulting child is physically and mentally flawless, Dr Fitch picks the perfect donor and creates Elizabeth Fitch, 'pleasant yet not quite sufficiently beautiful' with an IQ of 210. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Elizabeth's life is structured and scheduled. Incapable of love, Dr Fitch believes she is providing the best possible future for her child. Elizabeth wears the clothes her mother chooses, she eats the food her mother's dietician approves, she studies the courses her mother selects, and she lives the life her mother dictates. At this point, I wanted to give Elizabeth a great big hug...



This carries on for years until one night, when Elizabeth is 16, everything changes. After an argument with her mother, Elizabeth drives to the mall (outrageous--her first rebellious act is a simple drive to the mall) to stock up on unsanctioned clothing and makeup. There, Elizabeth bumps into classmate Julie, and a plan is thrown together for Elizabeth to prepare them both fake IDs for a night of underage clubbing. Appropriate outfits are purchased and Elizabeth works hard overnight to get the identification ready. Her skills are wide and varied and though her mother has preselected medicine as Elizabeth's future career, her dream is to become a forensic computer technician and master hacker for an agency such as the FBI. The IDs are a hit and Elizabeth (now known as Liz) and Julie hit the hottest club in town. It doesn't take long for two handsome men to start dancing with the girls, and for the first time in her life, Liz is having real fun. Little does she know that the night will take a turn for the deadly and change her life forever.

Years later, Abigail Lowery is living a quiet and secluded life in a little town tucked into the Ozarks. The townspeople regard her as peculiar and reclusive, and this is how Abigail prefers it. With a state of the art security system that she designed and installed herself, her gigantic dog Bert, and a various array of firearms, Abigail feels safe. Safe, finally, from the demons of her past. To a certain extent, Abigail resembles Dr Finch in that her life is ordered and controlled, and her social interactions are stilted and awkward. Abigail speaks like a robot and sounds like a walking encyclopedia when communicating with others. She speaks without emotion or interest and her ability to relate to others is highly limited. Her seclusion peculiar personality catch the interest of Chief of Police Brooks Gleason, who slowly begins to pursue a relationship with Abigail.

In typical Nora Roberts fashion, the romance element plays out alongside the thriller/suspense element. The romance between Abigail and Brooks felt less nauseating than many of Roberts' recent couples, and Brooks' interest and enthusiasm (coupled with Abigail's extreme hesitation) felt genuine and realistic. I did feel slightly let down by the climax of the suspense plot, and felt that it wasn't as hard-hitting as readers might expect it or want it to be. The first 200-odd pages sets the scene perfectly and solidifies Roberts' position as an expert storyteller. I only feel like Abigail deserved a more fierce showdown with her enemies than she received.

Nonetheless, The Witness is an enjoyable and thrilling read. Roberts' ability to build characters and relationships is second to none and you'll be cheering for Abigail as she attempts to put her enemies to rest once and for all. ( )

I listened to the audiobook instead of actually reading The Witness. It was my first Nora Roberts book and I loved it. Elizabeth's personality was so seriously intense. I loved her. My only complaint is, when the female tried to do a male's voice, I couldn't take it seriously because she sounded sooooo funny. :) ( )

Good read from Nora Roberts. Long and full-developed, it follows the life of a witness to horrible murder and explains how she survives without being discovered. Enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially the main character. She was complicated and a genius and following her reasoning and her ideas was fascinating. Highly recommended. ( )