Sandy M’s review of Mind Games by Nora Roberts
Paranormal Romantic Suspense published by St. Martin’s Press 21 May 24
Nora Roberts’ romantic suspense stories over the last number of years have been outstanding, and when she adds that paranormal aspect too, you get one hell of a book from an author whose writing gets better every year, and that’s saying something, because Ms. Roberts has been writing for a lot of years now. For me, she’s one of the best out there, and I hope we get stories from her for years to come.
This book follows the life of Thea and her brother Rem, beginning when they are not yet teens. When tragedy unexpectedly blows their lives apart, they have their grandmother in Kentucky who will keep them safe and loved. This is where Thea begins a cat-and-mouse game with the killer who changed everything for them. And it truly is cat and mouse. The man has the same talent Thea does, knowing what others are thinking and seeing visions of warnings, and thinks he has the upper hand to win their game.
But Thea has that edge of safety and love, especially as she gradually discovers the love of a remarkable man and his child, as well as her keen mind that designs and develops video games, all of which leave that psycho in the dust when it counts most. I love those scenes when Thea uses her abilities to put him through the wringer in one of her games, all played out in her head. Talk about vengeance. Of course, he’s able to do the same to her, giving her a scare there and there, but nothing on the scale of her talent.
I also enjoyed the slow but intense romance between Thea and Tyler Brennan, her teenage crush when he toured the world in a rock band. Their meeting at just the right time is cleverly done, and the addition of his son claims the heart in an instant. The relationship with Thea and Rem’s grandmother is also so endearing. Grammie has the same abilities as Thea, so their bond is cemented with no way in the world to ever break it.
As usual, Ms. Roberts writes the family dynamic, the romance, and the suspense perfectly. I always try to slow down my reading of one of her books, but she’s the master of the readers’ “I have to know what happens next!” syndrome. Thank goodness she’s also a master at writing two or three novels a year. I don’t think her fans would survive otherwise. I know I wouldn’t.
Grade: A
Summary:
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.
Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.
The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse—because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them—and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…
No excerpt available.
