Product Description

Reece Gilmore has come a long way to see the stunning view below her. As the sole survivor of a brutal crime back East, she has been on the run, desperately fighting the nightmares and panic attacks that haunt her. Reece settles in Angel's Fist, Wyoming - temporarily, at least-and takes a job at a local diner. And now she's hiked this mountain all by herself. It was glorious, she thought, as she peered through her binoculars at the Snake River churning below.

Then Reece saw the man and woman on the opposite bank. Arguing. Fighting. And suddenly, the man was on top of the woman, his hands around her throat . . .

Enjoying a moment of solitude a bit farther down the trail is a gruff loner named Brody. But by the time Reece reaches him and brings him to the scene, the pair has vanished. When authorities comb the area where she saw the attack, they find nothing.No signs of struggle. No freshly turned earth. Not even a tire track.

And no one in Angel's Fist seems to believe her. After all, she's a newcomer in town, with a reputation for being jumpy and jittery-maybe even a little fragile. Maybe it's time to run again, to move on . . .

Reece Gilmore knows there's a killer in Angel's Fist, even if Brody, despite his seeming impatience and desire to keep her at arm's length, is the only one willing to believe her. When a series of menacing events makes it clear that someone wants her out of the way, Reece must put her trust in Brody-and herself-to find out if there is a killer in Angel's Fist before it's too late.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #426057 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Roberts's latest novel of romantic suspense is a cunningly calibrated portrait of a young chef's recovery from violent trauma. While driving in the Grand Tetons, displaced Bostonian Reece Gilmore stops in the small town of Angel's Fist, near Jackson Hole, Wyo., and considers the "Cook Wanted" sign in Joanie's, a local diner. Still rattled by a shooting spree at her Boston restaurant that left her wounded and the only survivor among 12 co-workers, Reece is easily spooked, as noted by her plainspoken new boss, Joanie, and the locals who frequent the restaurant. Among them is a wary, unattached mystery novelist, Brody. Indeed, when Reece claims to have witnessed a murder while hiking along Snake River, few except Brody are inclined to believe the skittish new resident: Sheriff Rick Mardson hasn't found any clear evidence of a woman struck down near the river; Doc Wallace is suspicious of Reece's fragile mental state; and Joanie isn't about to cut Reece any slack while running a busy kitchen. Roberts cleverly casts suspicions on the locals while developing the romance between the two feisty protagonists. A slow-burn start combusts in a satisfying denouement; Roberts's legions of fans will be enthralled. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
Chef Reece Gilmore has taken to the road to escape her demons. When her car breaks down in small Angel's Fist, Reece finds employment and decides to stay for a while. Reece is just beginning to put down roots when she witnesses a possible murder. A reporter turned mystery writer named Brody helps her investigate when the police find no evidence--not even a body. Is Reece losing her grip on reality, or is there actually something sinister going on? Roberts's hallmarks are seamless narratives and powerful characterizations, and Joyce Bean takes full advantage. Her portrayal of Reece is beautifully understated, as are Reece's crusty but kindly boss, a gossipy diner waitress, and sundry curmudgeonly locals, including Brody. C.E.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
After suffering a horrific shock, Reece Gilmore is slowly starting to put her life back together. Leaving her home in Boston, Reece travels around the country, but when she arrives in Angel's Fist, Wyoming, her car refuses to go any further. Planning on staying only until she earns enough money to fix her car, Reece takes a job as a cook in the Angel Food Cafe. Then, as she gets to know her new boss, her co-workers, and the other residents of the little town, including Brody, an annoyingly stubborn yet mysteriously sexy writer, she starts to believe that for the first time in a very long time, she may have found a place she might actually want to call home. Reece's hard-won happiness and sense of security is threatened, however, when she becomes not only the sole witness to a murder but also the next target of the killer, who is determined to drive her crazy. Once again, the best-selling, prolific, and endlessly imaginative Roberts deftly imbues a deliciously subtle sense of menace into a chilling and thrilling plot, thus creating yet another of her many irresistible and terrifically satisfying novels of romantic suspense. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

4.5 stars. Good story. Very enjoyable.
This is my third Nora Robert's book. The first two I read were written in 1995 and 1998 and I didn't like them much. Because this is more recent, 2006, I'm wondering if her later work is better than her earlier work. I may try another of her more recent novels. This book "Angels Fall" is about a talented woman chef who has been terribly wounded by surviving a gunshot massacre. She moves away, is in the process of healing and witnesses another murder. It's a good murder mystery. The story also has an interesting romance developing between the chef and a writer who helps her. I enjoyed reading about these two characters. I also enjoyed a supporting character, Joanie, owner of the diner. There were some good lines. I'm extracting parts of three of them here briefly, but they are better within the context of the story. Page 211, after he said her eyes looked tired, she thought "He would always be brutally honest with her. Tough as it might be on the ego, it was better than platitudes and soft lies." Page 266 "a man puts his hands around a woman's throat once, he could do it again." Page 279 "what selfishness you have seems awfully healthy from where I stand."

Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: four. Setting: current day Wyoming. Copyright: 2006. Genre: romantic mystery.

To date I've read the following Nora Roberts books.
4.5 stars. Angels Fall. Copyrt 2006. Review Date 6/30/08.
3 stars. Spellbound. Copyrt 1998. Review Date 1/22/07.
Born in series:
5 stars. Born in Fire. Copyrt 1994. Review Date 7/04/08.
2 stars. Born in Ice. Copyrt 1995. Review Date 6/30/08.
3.5 stars. Born in Shame. Copyrt 1996. Review Date 7/04/08.

Mystery written by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts):
2 stars. Naked in Death. Copyrt 1995. Review Date 7/05/08.

Like Chocolate on a BAD Day...
I have over a dozen favorite authors, in all genres, but NR is definitely on the list. First off, I'm amazed that she has been such a prolific writer, while continuing to crank out the level of entertainment she provides. Yeah, much of her work is frequently described as formulaic, but when I need a relaxing, comfort read, I turn to NR. Nora and a little piece of chocolate and I'm healed.

I loved this read! It was like a brief vacation, with Nora's ability to so perfectly describe the environment. I could almost smell the fresh, crisp air of the Grand Tetons and sense the critters hiding in the mountains and swimming in the streams. It made me wish to pitch a tent and stay a while.

Then here comes Reece, sputtering into town in her overheated Chevy Cavalier, battling severe PTSD, with mistrust of everyone, including herself. She hasn't been able to land and stay anywhere very long. She's been on an aimless journey, running from herself and her own emotions, after a near death experience. Her car trouble grounds her long enough, that she begins to realize she can't change anything about her past, except her reactions to it. She learns she needs to fortify her backbone. Some of it---the hard way.

The secondary characters are very entertaining, particularly Brody who shows guarded interest in Reece. She's cute, but he's just not that interested, until he is involuntarily dragged into what may have been a murder scene, witnessed by Reece. Or, is Reece just a little unreliable, considering her traumatic event? Many would say she has the right to have some brief, reactive psychotic episodes, considering her past. She does come off a little quirky, sometimes. Time will tell.

The Cafe patrons', where Reece lands a job, are fun to visit with and you feel like you're sitting at the counter, sipping a cup of coffee, while eavesdropping. The cantankerous Cafe owner is a hoot. She is...and isn't, what she appears to be, on many levels. I found her a delightful dichotomy between Drill Sergeant and nurturer, in a crusty, believable way.

If you're a NR fan, I'm quite sure you will find much to love with this read. And, if you're not, you probably still will, too. It's a great reminder that women have internal strength that can pull us through almost anything---if we just remember to make it our mission to connect with it---regularly. Also, that women need to stand up and mentor other women in crisis. We are one!

I didn't want the book to end...
I'm a great fan of NR and I was not disappointed. I've liked everything about this book, and wanted to remain as long as possible with Reece, Brody, Joanie, Linda-gail et co. Sorry to see it end, since I've spent so many pleasurable hours reading it.