Genre:

Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems—and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail’s reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something—and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

Review

The Witness by Nora Roberts is a fantastically written story with great characters and an intriguing plot.

Elizabeth is a complicated character (and that’s putting it mildly). She is socially awkward and overwhelmed by the expectations set forth by her mother. She is a genius and is attending Harvard Medical School at the young age of sixteen. In her one act of rebellion she colors and cuts her hair, buys new clothes, and goes out for a night on the town with a new friend. This one simple act changes her entire life when she witnesses a terrible crime.

I was really drawn to Elizabeth/Abigail. She is such a strong character, but still so flawed and vulnerable. She takes protecting and hiding to an extreme. She is able to change her appearance in an instant and keeps a stash of fake IDs in case she needs to run. Her home is in the middle of nowhere and still she carries a weapon with her when walking her dog.  Because of her childhood and an unloving mother she doesn’t know how to forge bonds with people and thinks that she is incapable of love or any other type of romantic attachment. She’s sees sex as something that is only done for release and pleasure with no emotional element. She is completely thrown by Brooks and the feelings he brings out in her. I loved the scene where she finally admits her love for him. That moment is a huge tipping point in the story and the beginning of Abigail’s happily ever after. 

Brooks is a fantastic hero for Elizabeth/Abigail. He is strong and sensitive. Brooks knows when to push Abigail and when to stop pushing. He is immediately there for her and although he knows she has secrets he believes in her without knowing what might have happened in her past. He is the perfect man for her.

The Witness is fantastically written. When reading it I kept thinking that it had the same feel as some older Nora Roberts books, especially Private Scandals (my favorite NR book). There is enough drama to keep the reader interested from beginning to end. I had to know what was going to happen to Elizabeth. I was very invested in Elizabeth/Abigail from the beginning and Brooks once he was introduced.

The Witness will be going on my keeper shelf.

Reviewed by Carrie

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