Hot Rocks

In my opinion, "Hot Rocks" was one of Nora Roberts' better novels. The plot was intriguing, with interesting characters, and a well described setting.
The plot follows the exploits of Laine Tavish aka Laine O'Hara, an antiques dealer who is attempting to keep her life on the straight and narrow. Her father, Jack O'Hara, is a grifter who has been out of her life since childhood. Jack finds himself over his head in his latest get rich quick scheme. With his partner in crime dead, Jack tries to keep himself and his estranged daughter from harm. Will the new man in Laine's life be able to save them?

Living her own life, her own way was really all Laine Tavish wanted. When a stranger was hit by a car in front of her store, she found it was the man she used to call Uncle Willy. After his death she was confused by seeing him as much as by as she was by his final words to her. Arriving in Angel Gap Maryland too late to talk to Willy, Max Gannon had to figure out why he was there as well as what he had done with this portion of the $28 million in diamonds that he, Big Jack and Alex Crew had stolen. Trusting an investigator (Max) was just as risky for her father (Jack) as talking with the police might be. She would tell Max about her father, her past and the words Uncle Willy had said, but only if he let her help find the diamonds and show more that he not turn Jack in, if he showed up.

Found out that this is a pre to a Eve Dallas (Big Jack (In Death 17.5) by JD Robb ) story. What an interesting crossover. I read this one as a stand alone, really fun. Enjoyed the character interaction with Laine and her friends in the town, they had a few really fun moments. While Max was enjoyable, he wasn’t always what you might expect of a Nora Roberts hero - still a good read. Now I just have to read a few more of the In Death series before I can read Big Jack. show less

Hot Rocks
4 Stars

When a man is run down outside her antiques store, Laine Tavish realizes that the past has finally caught up with her. Together with Max Gannon, a mysterious stranger with his own agenda, Laine must discover why she has become a target before she becomes the next victim.

Note: This book is paired with Big Jack from the In Death series and should be read first as it provides the background necessary for truly appreciating the Robb book.

Hot Rocks is one of Nora Roberts' older books that reminded me of my early passion for her stories. While the romance and mystery are predictable (especially for readers very familiar with Nora's work), they are both, nevertheless, very satisfying.

Max and Laine are engaging characters and show more their romance is sweet and spicy. Laine is intelligent and resourceful, and the occasional glimpse at her reckless side makes her all the more human and appealing. Max is scrumptious and the secret keeping is thankfully kept to a minimum and resolved without too much angst and drama.

The case is fast paced and keeps the pages turning. The villain is suitably malicious and threatening, and the climax and resolution are exciting.

All in all, an enjoyable romantic suspense recommended for all Nora fans. show less

A serviceable romantic suspense that was mostly enjoyable to read. I liked the characters a lot. They were witty and fun. And we get a Heroine who basically saves herself. The biggest problem with the story was Laine and Max's insta-love on speed. They went from meeting each other to engaged in, literally, three days. Errr...

Still, though I continually scoffed at their declarations of love and excitement over their engagement, I still bought their relationship more than some other authors try to sell me even though the characters have known each other for a lifetime. So there's something to be said for the quality of storytelling (well, that at least it's better than others).

The only other issue I had with the book was this plan they show more had at the end that had certain characters traveling all over the northeast and I felt they were all being stupid because the easiest plan was right in front of them. It's not a big deal, really, but it's one of those things that's so dumb I get stuck on it because the characters are smarter than that.

3.5 stars. show less

Laine Tavish, proprietor of the antique shop Remember When, sees an acquaintance hit by a car in front of the shop and recognizes him as Uncle Willy, someone she knew when she was a child. Shortly thereafter, an investigator arrives in Angel Gap, Maryland, but he’s too late to talk to the now-deceased Willy. He’s trying to find the diamonds that Willy, Big Jack O’Hara, and Alex Crew stole.

This novella began life as part one of the two-part story in “Remember When.” It’s a solid mystery with relatable characters, romance, and suspense. Since this is a lead-in to the second part of “Remember When,” there are some unresolved plot points held over for the second story.

Recommended for fans of Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb as show more the story will conclude some fifty years following these events as an “In Death” narrative.

Recommended. show less

HOT ROCKS is the first book in a two book series that covers aspects of the same crime but set 50 years apart. The first book, HOT ROCKS, is written by Nora Roberts and the second, BIG JACK, is written by her alter-ego J.D. Robb. The two books originally appeared under one title, ‘Remember When,’ and this is clearly written on the front cover of this volume.

HOT ROCKS is romantic mystery and is set in a small town called Angel Gap in Maryland. Laine Tavish runs an antique store called ‘Remember When.’ The story opens with a man entering her busy shop, pressing his business card in her hand, and insisting she call him later when she says she is too busy to chat with him. As he leaves her shop he is hit by a car, and Laine feeling show more guilty runs out to comfort the now dying man. He sings her a tune and she realises he is Uncle Willy, an old family friend; his last words to her are "keep the pooch."

Laine is worried her past is about to be revealed after working so hard to start a new life. The daughter of a scam artist, Laine was well on the way of becoming one herself until her mother took her away when she was ten and Laine finally found out that there was more to life than hustling people. It doesn’t take long for her to find out why her Uncle Willy came to town. Diamonds! Max Gannon appears in her life soon after, he is an insurance investigator. There has been a twenty-eight million dollar diamond heist and he believes that it was done by big time criminal Alex Crew, aided and abetted by Laine’s father, Willy and a third man. While Max is prepared for Laine to be ‘the fence’ for the diamonds, what he isn’t prepared for is the instant attraction he feels for her. He is very relieved to find out she is not part of the plot, and the two of them join forces to find the diamonds, give them back to the owners to get her father off the hook and receive the 5% finders fee. The main criminal, Alex Crew, is a total nutcase – his plan was always to get his hands on all the diamonds by killing the other gang members, two are already dead now he just needs to kill Laine’s father – and to do that he needs to get his hands on Laine and lure him in.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful mystery romance; Laine makes a very strong feminine protagonist. While author Nora Roberts does strong female characters very well, this wasn’t her best work. It was still very readable and good way to spend a Sunday afternoon. show less

Hot Rocks
by Nora Roberts

This is a prequel to Roberts' (writing as J.D. Robb) book, Big Jack. In Big Jack, Samantha Gannon is an author who writes a novel about her great grandfather, Big Jack O'Hara, and his life as a con-artist and jewel thief. Her grandparents are Max and Laine Gannon, the protagonists in this book.

Laine Tavish owns an antique shop in the little town of Angel Gap, Maryland. After a childhood of being raised by a big-hearted but unapologetic career criminal, she just wants to hide away and live a life that is normal. A dowdy little man comes into her store on a rainy day and nervously hands her a business card and asks her to call him about something important, then proceeds to step outside her door into the street and show more get hit by a car. As he lay dying, she realizes that she knows him. He is her father's best friend, the man she knew as a child as Uncle Willy. He whispers incoherently to her with his last breaths, and it is not until later that she figures out what he meant by, "He knows where you are now" and "Hide the pooch".

Shortly after, another gentleman, Max Gannon, enters her store and ends up charming her into a dinner date to close a sale. Their attraction is immediate and after a few days, they already realize they love each other. Although it is insta-love, it is handled well and works. They are both intelligent, successful people and they have a similar sense of humor and understanding of the other.

Although she learns that he is not exactly as he appears to be, they quickly move past that bump in the road and team up to capture a "business" partner of Big Jack's who is responsible for more than one death, and in doing so, help protect Big Jack from being pinned with the crime of a jewel heist worth over $28 million. show less