Friction

Fiction
Brown, Sandra
Friction: A Novel
Grand Central Publishing
978-1-4555-8116-0, hardcover, 410 pgs., $26.00
August 18, 2015

FRICTION is the latest thriller from the prolific Sandra Brown, who has more than 70 books to her name, 68 of which are New York Times best sellers. Friction follows the tried-and-true formula that is so well established. Set in deep East Texas, Friction has all of the patented Sandra Brown elements: political intrigue, family drama, romantic entanglement, numerous plot twists; Friction also has Texas Rangers, organized crime, and fracking.

Texas Ranger Crawford Hunt is in the witness box in Judge Holly Spencer’s courtroom for a custody hearing that will determine whether he regains custody of his daughter, show more Georgia, from her maternal grandparents, when a gunman bursts through the doors. Hunt throws himself atop the judge to protect her and then pursues the gunman when he flees the courtroom. Hunt confronts a man on the roof holding a gun, and SWAT takes him out. As the investigation proceeds, doubts about the identity and motivation of the suspect arise and Ranger Hunt’s past comes back to threaten him and those he loves in the present.

Friction is peopled with a diverse cast of characters, from judges and law enforcement to campaign managers, crime bosses (those are not the same thing), strip club operators, and veterans. Ranger Hunt and Judge Spencer are given complex and believable backstories. Unfortunately, Judge Spencer either doesn’t stay in character or has multiple personalities. She morphs from an ethical, by-the-book, no-nonsense dispenser of justice into a quivering mass of ethically challenged hormones who allows herself to be frog-marched about by Ranger Hunt. I had hoped we were past the repressed, buttoned-up career woman who needs a real man’s man to free her essential femininity trope.

Friction is sometimes funny: “The qualities that made William Moore a good lawyer worked against him as a likeable human being.” And: “Marilyn [campaign manager] seemed to drain those around her of their vitality, then absorb it, giving her a surplus.” Brown tugs at our heartstrings in scenes between Ranger Hunt and his daughter, a Shirley Temple lookalike, which are genuinely sweet. These scenes provide some relief from the bodice-ripper–style sex scenes in which Ranger Hunt (frequently “growling”) is “claiming her mouth with his…wild and willful tongue.” Brown’s word choices are too often stilted, leading me to suspect a well-thumbed thesaurus. No one uses the words “culprit” or “derring-do” in conversation and no one “accesses” their phone apps.

Friction’s strengths are an intricate, well-constructed plot, nonstop action, and enough plot twists to produce whiplash and keep you guessing. It is entertaining but ordinary. So if those are the qualities you most value in your reading, then you’ll love Friction. However, if you prefer your thrillers to also incorporate imagery, nuanced characterization, and thoughtful language, then look elsewhere. And don’t tell me that no thriller contains all of those elements. It’s rare, this is true — but it happens. Feel free to contact me for suggestions.

Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life. show less

This is going on my favorites shelf! Friction is a well crafted story with a hard-nosed Texas Ranger as its leading man. Crawford Hunt is as tough as they come. He runs toward danger, doing whatever it takes to get the bad guys and protect the innocent.

Life has been difficult for Crawford since his wife died. He's put himself back together, learned to cope with the grief. Now that the day of his daughter's custody hearing is finally here, he's hoping for a ruling in his favor...for another chance to be with the daughter he loves more than life itself. No one expected a masked gunman, or an assassination attempt, or that Crawford Hunt would become embroiled in a dangerous case...or a forbidden romance that could send his world spinning show more off its axis

There's a lot to like in this story. I really enjoyed watching Crawford work this case. He's quick witted and a pro at verbal sparing. He usually gets in the last word, having left his opponent so furious they can't think clearly. Some of his lines are pretty amusing! The only time we see his softer side is when he's with his daughter. These scenes between father and daughter have a genuine feel to them and ooze tenderness. It's adorable to watch this little girl wrap such a rough and tough lawman around her innocent little finger. Crawford's dedication and sacrificial love for his daughter completley melted my heart. Completely. I really need more of this guy! Can we get another book? Please?

As much as I enjoyed Crawford and Holly, I didn't get a good grasp on who Holly is when she's not Judge Spencer. I did like her patience. She has a solid sense of self, and knows her own moral boundaries, especially when it comes to protecting children. I also liked her confidence and no nonsense air of authority. That serves her well and helps take the rough edges off Crawford when his temper is up. I think because a lot of the plot focuses on Crawford and his past, there wasn't time to delve into her background, except for a casual mention here or there. Did it affect my enjoyment of the book? Not a single bit.

Friction is a fast paced, action packed thriller that lopes steadily to an explosive and emotional ending that will leave you breathless! This is Sandra Brown at her best! show less

I liked this book quite a bit. As a long time fan of Sandra Brown, I am always excited anytime a new book is released. I can't think of another writer of romantic suspense that can even compare to Sandra Brown. This book really grabbed a hold of me from the very beginning and I could not wait to see how everything would come together in the end. This wasn't my favorite Sandra Brown novel but it is a very entertaining and solid story.

Crawford Hunt is in court in an attempt to regain custody of his daughter when the unthinkable happens...a gunman enters the courtroom and opens fire. Crawford immediately jumps into action protecting the judge and chasing the suspect. He soon finds himself in the middle of an investigation where every one show more of his actions is met with suspicion and criticism.

Holly is the judge that was hearing Crawford's case when the gunman entered the courtroom. She is grateful to Crawford for protecting her during the ordeal. Holly is in middle of a campaign in the hopes of holding onto her position as judge. She knows that she should stay away from Crawford but keeps finding herself being pulled to him and the search for the gunman.

As I have come to expect in a Sandra Brown novel, this book was fast paced with a lot of action. The book opens with a bang and the excitement only increased from there. I thought the second half of the book was very strong and the ending was wonderfully executed. The characters in this book were colorful and interesting, with a couple of individuals that meant to be hated. I didn't really feel the chemistry between Crawford and Holly at first but by the end of the story I was won over.

I really had some trouble understanding why everyone in this story had so many issues with Crawford's actions. Yes, he chased the gunman to the roof of the building. What was he supposed to do? Let him get away? It seemed like he couldn't do anything right. If he hadn't chased the gunman, he would have been criticized for that decision. I just don't like the parts of the book that focused on tearing his actions apart.

I did like Holly and Crawford together by the end of the book but this was a couple that I had some trouble with at the beginning. Holly was very focused on maintaining her ethical code so I find it a bit of a jump that she would get involved with Crawford in the first place. I really didn't feel that much chemistry between the pair in the beginning of the story either.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense. Sandra Brown is an author that is not to be missed and I cannot wait to read more of her work.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review. show less

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review
This a good story about Crawford Hunt, a Texas Ranger who is desperately trying to get his daughter Georgia back. After his wife dies in a tragic accident, Crawford starts to drink and his life begins to unravel .

The custody of his daughter is given to the grandparents who feel Crawford can't take care of himself and certainly not his daughter. The custody disputes come to a head one morning in court. Crawford is determined to show the court he has changed and wants full custody .

Just as Judge Holly Spencer is about to render a decision, chaos breaks out in the courtroom. A lone gunman starts shooting. Who is the gunman's target? The story zips along at a face pace with show more action and a mystery of who the gunman is. Will Crawford discover the true identity of the gunman?

I liked the character development , but it did seem that the relationship between the Judge and Crawford was a little rushed. Overall the book was well written and had just the right amount of action to keep fans of Sandra Brown satisfied with another great book that holds your attention. show less

Widowed Texas Ranger Crawford Hunt is in family court, seeking to regain custody of his little girl, Georgia. While he freely admits that he was not able to care for the child when his wife, Beth, died in an accident he blamed himself for, over the past four years he has “cleaned up his act” and complied with the court requests. Now he wants to bring five-year-old Georgia home. Naturally, her grandparents, who have raised her since their daughter’s death, want to retain custody.

In the midst of Crawford’s testimony, a gunman enters the courtroom and begins shooting. Crawford protects the judge, then takes the fallen bailiff’s gun and goes after the shooter.

But there are those who believe Crawford is behind the shooting and show more they relish the opportunity to go after the hotshot Ranger who is not above a little rule-bending and a lot of reckless grandstanding to bring the culprit to justice.

As the investigation proceeds, there are more questions than answers. Who was the gunman’s intended target? What was the real reason for the shooting? Will Crawford find the answers before more people die? Even as he risks his life to save others, will his often-reckless impulsiveness force the court to deny him custody of little Georgia?

When focused on the relationship between Crawford and Georgia, this is a can’t-miss page-turner at its shining-bright best: touching, heartfelt, complex, emotional, and real.

While the story is populated with some realistically flawed but larger-than-life characters who are a bit over the top and who don’t necessarily make the best choices, readers who are willing to suspend disbelief and go with the story will find more than enough action and plot twists to fuel the dramatic events surrounding the courtroom shooting and the subsequent investigation.

Although astute readers will be able to figure out the who, if not the why, long before the final reveal, this fast-paced story ultimately satisfies.

Recommended. show less

4.5 "Who Done It?" Stars for the story and narration.

Every year I eagerly await Sandra Brown's romantic suspense release. Over the years Ms. Brown has proved again and again what a dominant force she is in the romantic suspense arena. And I am happy to report that once again Ms. Brown has managed to come up with a completely new and original set of circumstances where she takes her readers and listeners on an adventurous ride of action/suspense and passion/love amidst the most dangerous, threatening of circumstances. In that regard, Ms. Brown has a knack, shared by few writers, for putting together characters, who at first blush you might think would never attract, but then has them go through a uniquely, dangerous and bond building, show more adrenaline filled journey where the two characters come together to survive and find an indestructible, love bond in the process.

Moreover in Friction, as is the case with many of Ms. Brown's other romantic suspense titles, Ms. Brown manages to weave several smaller sub-plots together to keep her audience entertained along the way. And just when you think everything is unrelated, Ms. Brown always manages to find a way to wrap it all together in the end. I will add one caution of note though for the die-hard romance fans, who like their suspense secondary to the romance, this is definitely a book that leads with the suspense, so if that is not your cup of tea, then please be forewarned.

Crawford Hunt, a Texas Ranger, is ready to take back custody of his five-year old daughter. After the death of his wife, he relinquished custody to his in-laws, while he coped with the bitter loss, a loss for which he still blames himself. However, now that he is ready to assume his role as a father, his in-laws have decided to oppose his petition.

It is during a hearing to determine Crawford's daughter's custody, in the chambers of the Honorable, Judge Holly Spencer, that he is forced to put his possible future with his daughter on hold again as his Texas Ranger instincts kick in and he pursues a masked gunman who breaks into the courtroom. Crawford may be convinced that a woman like Judge Spencer would never give a man like him back custody of his daughter, but he can't just watch her be gunned down.

But nothing is what it seems, and soon the investigation turns on him. With Judge Spencer possibly being the key to identifying the true gunman, Crawford can't seem to stay away from her, even when the heat of the moment leads to an awkward reunion. But the more Judge Spencer gets to know Crawford, the more she realizes she just may be the safest in his arms. However, with a reelection campaign underway, following her gut may just cost her what she has been planning in her future. Will this unlikely duo of allies be able to work together long enough to apprehend the gunman and, if they do, will they be able to do the "right thing" once its time go their separate ways to pursue their future goals?

This was my first time listening to Stephan Lang. Interestingly, while Mr. Lang might not be the obvious choice to narrate a romance (with his deep, action drama styled voice), he fit the bill perfectly for this title. A more believable Crawford, I could not imagine. He sounded exactly how I would expect an independent, shoot from the hip, Texas ranger to sound. Moreover, Mr. Lang nailed the alpha nature of Crawford.

Mr. Lang also delivered a believable female voice for Judge Spencer. Heightening the tone of his voice just enough, to convincingly portray Judge Spencer as a confident, mediator, who has a talent for diffusing charged situations by brokering compromises.

Furthermore, Mr. Lang also did a great job of pacing his delivery to match the mood of the scene. From the action-packed sequences, to the slower more suspense-filled ones, and then of course the explosive passionate ones, I highly enjoyed Mr. Lang's rendition of this addictive story.

All in all, Friction is another hit for Sandra Brown. I will once again wait on pins and needles for her next release, and now I also have a new narrator to look forward to listening more of in the future!

Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review. show less

Couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Things just kept going from bad to worse for our poor protagonist. Crawford was a well developed character. You saw him being badass,being sexy with the heroine and loving towards his daughter. There was a lot of action which was all explained well so you never lost track of what was going on. There were characters to hate (I'm talking about you, Neal and Joe) and characters to love. The book took place over less than a week but that is normal for this sort of a story. So obviously there was some insta lust at the very least but it was well done enough that I was willing to buy into it. SB just writes some good stuff now that she's doing mystery/romantic suspense. I liked the heroine too but the main show more focus of the story was on Crawford which worked well for me. The epilogue was great. I'm glad SB didn't wimp out on the Joe story. show less