The Target

I usually enjoy reading novels by Catherine Coulter. This was definitely not one of them. The plot had potential. Unfortunately, the characters and dialogue were laughable. During the entire novel, all I could think about was how ludicrous "The Target" was. Even though this is a fictional story, I expected the characters to be somewhat believable. This was anything but believable. If you're looking for an enjoyable thriller/fiction, keep on looking.

I usually enjoy reading novels by Catherine Coulter. This was definitely not one of them. The plot had potential. Unfortunately, the characters and dialogue were laughable. During the entire novel, all I could think about was how ludicrous "The Target" was. Even though this is a fictional story, I expected the characters to be somewhat believable. This was anything but believable. If you're looking for an enjoyable thriller/fiction, keep on looking.

District Court Judge Ramsey Hunt has retreated to a cabin high in the Rockies to get away from the publicity and paparazzi who have haunted him since he took down killers in his courtroom when they attacked. Things are quiet until he finds an unconscious young girl in the woods near his cabin. She has been assaulted and raped and is mute. Ramsey is determined to protect her, which includes keeping her away from cops and reporters. Over the course of a few days, they bond and she begins to trust him.

But the bad guys are still on her trail. When they come pretending to be drunk, Ramsey defeats them, chases them off with gunshot wounds, and is shot in the thigh himself. While he is still recovering, they are found by the little girl's show more mother Molly Santera who first believes that Ramsey was the kidnapper.

The two adults are determined to protect young Emma even if it means taking her to Molly's crime lord father. But the attacks keep coming and Molly's ex-husband rock star Louey Santera is a victim when a car meant for Ramsey, Molly and Emma explodes.

The problem is that none of them know who is behind these attempts on Molly. Ramsey and Molly's father both have enough enemies to provide lots of possibilities. Ramsey asks his friend Dillon Savich for some help and she shows up with his new wife Sherlock.

The story had lots of twists and turns and was filled with action. I liked that Ramsey and Molly fell in love despite all the other things going on around them. Emma was a real sweetheart and I enjoyed reading about her.

Sharon Williams did a great job with the voices and with the pacing of the story. show less

Judge Ramsey Hunt is at his cabin in the woods when he discovers a little girl who’s been abused. But who’s after her and why? Eventually Molly, her mother finds them… but so do the bad guys. This one was a game of cat and mouse as the trio was on the run the majority of the book, escaping one bad situation after the other. Then they have to figure out who is after them, and why. Quite a page-turner! These first few books feature different characters, as opposed to later books in the series, where Savich and Sherlock become the main players, but they still make a brief appearance in this one. An exciting read!

Trigger Warnings: rape of a child, sexual assault, kidnapping

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen show more reader. show less

District Court Judge Ramsey Hunt has retreated to a cabin high in the Rockies to get away from the publicity and paparazzi who have haunted him since he took down killers in his courtroom when they attacked. Things are quiet until he finds an unconscious young girl in the woods near his cabin. She has been assaulted and raped and is mute. Ramsey is determined to protect her, which includes keeping her away from cops and reporters. Over the course of a few days, they bond and she begins to trust him.

But the bad guys are still on her trail. When they come pretending to be drunk, Ramsey defeats them, chases them off with gunshot wounds, and is shot in the thigh himself. While he is still recovering, they are found by the little girl's show more mother Molly Santera who first believes that Ramsey was the kidnapper.

The two adults are determined to protect young Emma even if it means taking her to Molly's crime lord father. But the attacks keep coming and Molly's ex-husband rock star Louey Santera is a victim when a car meant for Ramsey, Molly and Emma explodes.

The problem is that none of them know who is behind these attempts on Molly. Ramsey and Molly's father both have enough enemies to provide lots of possibilities. Ramsey asks his friend Dillon Savich for some help and she shows up with his new wife Sherlock.

The story had lots of twists and turns and was filled with action. I liked that Ramsey and Molly fell in love despite all the other things going on around them. Emma was a real sweetheart and I enjoyed reading about her.

Sharon Williams did a great job with the voices and with the pacing of the story. show less

Synopsis: 'Ramsey Hunt escapes unwanted media attention after a notorious incident by retreating to a cabin high in the Rockies. But his solitude is shattered when he finds a small girl unconscious and hurt in the forest. When strangers suddenly come into his private meadow with the intent to kill, the found girl offers up no clues. She's mute.
Molly Santera, the little girl's mother, catches up with Ramsey and her daughter, mistaking him for the kidnapper. When she discovers that he instead saved her daughter, there is little time for thanks. The three of them are pursued by men who want them badly. Eventually, they go for sanctuary to the Chicago compound of Molly's father, crime boss Mason Lord. Even there, however, safety is fleeting show more as their pursuers prove as relentless as their motives are baffling.
With an unexpected assist from FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock (last seen in The Maze), Molly and Ramsey begin to unravel the clues, and in the process make an astonishing discovery as to the true center of the target.'
Review: While the story is good, it's basically a redo of a romance novel with a bit mystery thrown in, show less

Enjoyable. Fast paced. A different feel from CC's historicals or 80s romances.