Shades of Twilight
by Linda Howard
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Passion, wealth, and murder come together in this unputdownable thriller from the New York Times bestselling "queen of romantic suspense" (Booklist) Linda Howard.Roanna Davenport grew up a wealthy orphan on her grandmother's magnificent estate, Davencourt. There, she wanted for nothingâ??except to be loved by her cousin Webb. When he marries another, Roanna is devastated but life at Davencourt takes an even darker turn when Webb's new wife is found bludgeoned to death.
After the shocking show more murder, Webb leaves for Arizona, abandoning the privileged life that he had once believed was all he wanted. Years later, a grown-up Roanna walks back into his life to bring him home. He's shocked that the mischievous sprite he had known in childhood has disappeared. Gone, too, is her passionate fire; in its place is ice that melted at his touch but Webb can't help but be drawn back to Davencourt, to Roanna, and to the killer that once destroyed his life and waits only for the chance to finish the job.
With Linda Howard's signature "fast-paced, intricately detailed romantic suspense" (Fresh Fiction), Shades of Twilight will keep you riveted until the last pa show less
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A big, bad train-wreck of a novel, I cringe inwardly because it is set in Alabama and there's so much incest that your eyes start burning with the overall grossness. As a person born and raised in Mississippi who somehow managed to trot across the state line to live in Birmingham, AL, I would just like to tell the rest of the world that Southern people generally do not bang their fathers, first cousins, and second cousins. It is just as degenerate here as it is everywhere else. Besides, Southern girls really have a thing for accents that are not altogether Southern. Our family trees do tend to branch out a bit more than, say, the royal families of Europe.
This stereotypical piece of trash, however, is an okay read for someone who on a show more yearly basis tries to find the dumbest, trashiest, worst (usually romance) novel she can find. I've picked out five books for the Worst-Read-a-thon of 2012, and while it was a contender, believe it or not, it's not the worst. It was entertaining. It was god-awful nasty in certain places, but I tolerated it okay. show less
This stereotypical piece of trash, however, is an okay read for someone who on a show more yearly basis tries to find the dumbest, trashiest, worst (usually romance) novel she can find. I've picked out five books for the Worst-Read-a-thon of 2012, and while it was a contender, believe it or not, it's not the worst. It was entertaining. It was god-awful nasty in certain places, but I tolerated it okay. show less
I loved this book. I am very fond of romances that start when the hero and heroine are children and we get to see their story over time. This was different and interesting. If you only like one type of story and get squeeked out when the plot has some unsavory elements, you might not like it. I pretty much have a cast iron stomach when it comes to that sort of thing. It's fiction and not only that, the stuff that people object to in this book i.e., incest (not the hero or heroine!) it happens therefore it's fair game in a fiction book, IMO. I liked how her character developed and how she learned to contain her feelings because she saw how wearing her heart on her sleeve had led to disaster. I have a tendency to like a cool collected show more heroine anyway and I like it when the hero doesn't really know how she feels and has to work to earn her love. If you liked Dallas and Falcon Crest back in the day, you should love this. show less
Roanna and Webb are distant second cousins. 7 year old Roanna is left orphaned when her parents die in a car accident. She comes to live with her grandmother at Davencourt, her families rich estate. She does not feel welcome by her family, they treat her as if she is not wanted, but only Webb is there to protect her and make her feel safe. Roanna grows up developing a huge crush on Webb and practically worships him. She tries out her burgeoning feelings for him in a kiss that sets of a cataclysim of events. Webb and his wife Jessie, Roanna's other cousin, have a fight and threaten each other with divorce. That very night,Jessie ends up dead.
This one is dated, which is why the heroine lacks a real backbone. But overall, it is a show more passionate love story/mystery. You will be surprised when the killer is revealed. show less
This one is dated, which is why the heroine lacks a real backbone. But overall, it is a show more passionate love story/mystery. You will be surprised when the killer is revealed. show less
I love early Linda Howard-- alph-hole Heroes, dishrag heroines, angst in buckets. Re-reading this book after a couple decades, I was flabbergasted by the poor structure, Southern Gothic villains, and bizarrely implausible plot.
Shades of Twilight is for Linda Howard re-readers, who bounce between points of emotional intensity, with little concern for the plot.
The first third of the book provides 2 generations of back-story, which makes it difficult to engage with the current generation of Hero and heroine.
The defloration of the heroine made me cringe with revulsion. H/h have an Old-Skool Big Misunderstanding which causes each to doubt the feelings of the other. The villain appears deus ex machina to wreak havoc, and there is a show more melodramatic revelation of who actually murdered the first Mrs. Davenport.
Good points: small town Southern atmosphere & culture are lovingly portrayed. The Hero respects the heroine and they meet as intellectual equals. Sex scenes are well written and hot, although the anatomical terminology is coy. show less
Shades of Twilight is for Linda Howard re-readers, who bounce between points of emotional intensity, with little concern for the plot.
The first third of the book provides 2 generations of back-story, which makes it difficult to engage with the current generation of Hero and heroine.
The defloration of the heroine made me cringe with revulsion. H/h have an Old-Skool Big Misunderstanding which causes each to doubt the feelings of the other. The villain appears deus ex machina to wreak havoc, and there is a show more melodramatic revelation of who actually murdered the first Mrs. Davenport.
Good points: small town Southern atmosphere & culture are lovingly portrayed. The Hero respects the heroine and they meet as intellectual equals. Sex scenes are well written and hot, although the anatomical terminology is coy. show less
Romantic suspense among the wealthy landed of the deep south.
Orphaned Roanna Davenport idolizes her older cousin Webb. Unfortunately, although he loves his little cousin, he has eyes only for cousin Jessie. Illegitimate Jessie is wildly jealous of Roanna's legitimacy, even though her own looks, grace, and (slightly) malicious charm have made her the spoiled darling of the family. When the nasty triangle explodes and Jessie is murdered, Webb strikes out on his own, finding success in ranching out west. Ten years pass, and Roanna strikes a deal with the devil to get Webb home. But unfortunately for the Davenport family, Webb's return is nothing more than a match to the powder keg their family has become.
Earlier Howard -- she's tempered show more her sex scenes some in more recent novels. The intimate scenes here are pretty graphic, as is some of the language. Still, I've re-read this one a few times, and will probably drag it out again when I'm in the mood. show less
Orphaned Roanna Davenport idolizes her older cousin Webb. Unfortunately, although he loves his little cousin, he has eyes only for cousin Jessie. Illegitimate Jessie is wildly jealous of Roanna's legitimacy, even though her own looks, grace, and (slightly) malicious charm have made her the spoiled darling of the family. When the nasty triangle explodes and Jessie is murdered, Webb strikes out on his own, finding success in ranching out west. Ten years pass, and Roanna strikes a deal with the devil to get Webb home. But unfortunately for the Davenport family, Webb's return is nothing more than a match to the powder keg their family has become.
Earlier Howard -- she's tempered show more her sex scenes some in more recent novels. The intimate scenes here are pretty graphic, as is some of the language. Still, I've re-read this one a few times, and will probably drag it out again when I'm in the mood. show less
Well it was boring for the most part in the beginning but as u read on it gets interesting and there are the few spots of the steamy areas of the book but only adds more to the story and u will not put down the book even tho it switches from one persons side of the story to another's view of the story it isn't hard to follow along and not get lost as to what they are talking about. I love how Linda holds the suspense above your head making u think whats going to happen next. I love a love story mixed into drama and a murder scene. I really do believe ive found one of my favorite authors!!! Im going to be reading more of her work!!!!
A very absorbing story invoking many emotions with a surprising who-done-it plot but midway action slowed with too many people ruminating and I didn't completely sympathize with heroines extremes. Orphaned Roanna feels like a misfit in her wealthy family and cousin Webb does his best to help her.
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Linda Howard was born on August 3, 1950. She went on to a small community college, as the only journalism major, but soon dropped out to work at a trucking company as a secretary. She sold her first book to Silhouette Books in 1980. She has written over 50 books including Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To show more Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, Dying to Please, Open Season, All the Queen's Men, Kill and Tell, Mr. Perfect, Son of the Morning, Troublemaker, and The Woman Left Behind. She has received several awards including the Romance Writers of America's RITA, the Silver Pen for Affaire de Coeur as well as the Romantic Time's Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Sensual Romance, the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award for Series, and the W.I.S.H. Award for her character Joe Mackenzie. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Shades of Twilight
- Original publication date
- 1996-07
- People/Characters
- Roanna Davenport; Webb Davenport
- Important places
- Davencourt, Alabama, USA; Nogales, Arizona, USA
- Dedication
- To
Beverly Beaver, a wonderful woman and dearly loved friend, for all the years of camaraderie and support, as well as taking the time to escort me around Tuscumbia and Florence, tell me who is sleeping with who... (show all)m, and show me where all the bodies are buried. (Just joking folks ... you hope.)
And to Joyce B. R. Farley, sister extraordinaire. Here's to dolls, both blond and redheaded; tricycles with no brakes; attack roosters; graveyards for socks; hair rollers and bonfires; makeup and Molotov cocktails. You're the only other person I know who understands the reason behind wearing a Groucho mask and a tiara in public--and the only other person I know who's done it.
(For the curious if you wear a Groucho mask and a tiara, people will figure you're either important, or crazy. Either way, they'll leave you alone. Try it some day when you're feeling grouchy and don't want to be bothered.) - First words
- Prologue
She heard her own soft cries, but the pleasure exploding in her body make everything else seem unreal, distanced somehow from the hot magic of what he was doing to her. - Original language
- English
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- 31,963
- Reviews
- 16
- Rating
- (3.90)
- Languages
- Czech, English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 22
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 5
