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324th out of 826 books
—
1,074 voters
Blue Smoke and Murder (St. Kilda Consulting #4)
by
Elizabeth Lowell (Goodreads Author)
Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in...more
Hardcover, First, 404 pages
Published
May 27th 2008
by William Morrow
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Elizabeth Lowell is one of my auto-buy romantic suspense authors. I can never wait for the paperbacks either, so I just grin and shell out the $ for the hardcovers 'cause I know she'll provide a few hours of good reading now and I'll re-read it at least once every couple of years when I'm in need of a Lowell 'fix'! "Blue Smoke and Murder" is her latest and it's a headrush of action and tension from start to finish.
The entire events of the book take place over a little less than two months...BUT,...more
The entire events of the book take place over a little less than two months...BUT,...more
A cut above the typical thriller, this one is entrenched in the world of art and art auctions. Jill Breck descends from a family of very strong, independent women who were raised in the Mormon culture, where women were not credited for anything other than procreation and subservience to the men in the community. Before Jill's great aunt Modesty dies under suspicious circumstances, she warns Jill, in a letter, of potential danger ahead and, at the same time informs her of her inheritance-- 12 stu...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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There’s just something about listening to a story read aloud. Especially when you find a magic combination between author and performer. And I’ve found that in Elizabeth Lowell’s Blue Smoke & Murder, performed by Carol Monda.
I’ve never read Elizabeth Lowell before. I was heading out on a 4 day road trip and I wanted something to listen to. A friend suggested Elizabeth Lowell, so I grabbed the first book on cd I found on the shelf.
And off I went – into the high stakes world of Western Art and...more
I’ve never read Elizabeth Lowell before. I was heading out on a 4 day road trip and I wanted something to listen to. A friend suggested Elizabeth Lowell, so I grabbed the first book on cd I found on the shelf.
And off I went – into the high stakes world of Western Art and...more
I remember liking EL years ago; now I find her tough-guy writing style so annoying I want to throw the book across the room. She uses very short, abrupt sentences to create drama and urgency and a "snappy" delivery for all her one-dimensional characters in the EL world. She's not as witty as she thinks. For example, all her characters used the word "craptastic" at one time or another. Really irritating.
And now more than ever, she's got an underlying feminist agenda, attributing the unnamed "she"...more
And now more than ever, she's got an underlying feminist agenda, attributing the unnamed "she"...more
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"Not quite as fun as the Donovan books, but quite enjoyable. I liked explanation of what can bring value in the art world, as well as the less ethical reasons for confirming or denying authenticity.[return][return]I didn't enjoy the writing structure that much - I think I would have preferred to be as surprised by events as the main characters, rather than having some chapters narrated from the POV of the antagonists (hired and otherwise).[return][return]Both main characters were well-rounded, w...more
My thoughts:
1. This was my first time to read a suspense novel and it wasn't too suspenseful, really. When I started to read this book, I immediately put it down. It took me several months to finally continue reading it.
2. At first, I thought it was boring but I still continue reading it until I discovered that it's getting interesting and interesting and boom, suddenly decreasing intensity.
3. I don't like much the characters especially the two main characters when they're thinking of somethin...more
1. This was my first time to read a suspense novel and it wasn't too suspenseful, really. When I started to read this book, I immediately put it down. It took me several months to finally continue reading it.
2. At first, I thought it was boring but I still continue reading it until I discovered that it's getting interesting and interesting and boom, suddenly decreasing intensity.
3. I don't like much the characters especially the two main characters when they're thinking of somethin...more
4.5 stars for this solid read. EL always gives me a great read and this was no exception. Loved the balance between suspense and romance. Unlike the past couple of hers, this one doesn't get as bogged down with the heroines 'expertise'.
Great all round read
Great all round read
Jan 21, 2009
Peggy
added it
The story line of this book is great--there is a lot of action and suspense. There is some bad language but not a large amount. It is the story of a young lady who inherits western art work from her aunt who dies in a fire--the mystery revolves around the fire and the art work. There is good information on western art and the art world. The author is a strong advocate for strong women--perhaps somewhat carried away at times. There were negative comments about the Church and suppression of women...more
Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.
I'd give this book a 3.5 if it were possible. It's well written and contains some nice insights into the world of ar...more
I'd give this book a 3.5 if it were possible. It's well written and contains some nice insights into the world of ar...more
This is the first novel I’ve read of Ms. Lowell’s and I was very pleasantly surprised. She puts together an intriguing look at an old Colorado pioneer family – strong women who forged their way despite the animosity of other residents. Jill Breck must fight the preconceived notions of the town to prove her aunt was murdered to keep an important secret hidden. The novels moves quickly, yet carefully paints a picture of a female led family in a man’s world of the old West, and how old prejudices d...more
blah. Don't waste your time on this one. The middle of this book was SO BORING. I loved the cover of this book and I really really tried to like the book - but hey - if I have to try that hard, it's not good!
I did like the ending of the book (I'm not trying to be funny here). The ending was faster paced and fresh. But, it wasn't worth the 400 pages I had to read to get there.
AND, the author very poorly describes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in this book. She must've done her r...more
I did like the ending of the book (I'm not trying to be funny here). The ending was faster paced and fresh. But, it wasn't worth the 400 pages I had to read to get there.
AND, the author very poorly describes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in this book. She must've done her r...more
I'm a fraction through one of the first suspense books that I've read. I think the book has a really interesting, attention-grabbing start, but towards the middle it got quite boring for me. I don't know - maybe suspense isn't my genre.
I was also constantly irked by the way the author Lowell kept referring to the discrimination of her female characters; all the way from the rowing incident, to Jill's aunt, to the sheriff, to the taunting way DeeDee was described, to Jill's conversation with Zach...more
I was also constantly irked by the way the author Lowell kept referring to the discrimination of her female characters; all the way from the rowing incident, to Jill's aunt, to the sheriff, to the taunting way DeeDee was described, to Jill's conversation with Zach...more
I bought this book, because it was downmarked to 1/4th of the normal price; I thought I had read something ok from the same author (it turned out I mistook Heather Lowell for Elizabeth Lowell...); and last because of the rather good 3.72 rating on goodreads.
Well, as my rating shows I do not share the enthusiasm of previous readers.
The book is structured with extremely short chapters (from less than 2 to max 10 pages), with info à la 24 TV series beforehand; hence 94 chapters, all starting with "...more
Well, as my rating shows I do not share the enthusiasm of previous readers.
The book is structured with extremely short chapters (from less than 2 to max 10 pages), with info à la 24 TV series beforehand; hence 94 chapters, all starting with "...more
Book #9 of 2013
Whenever I drive to Mansfield, we pass this place called Salamanca in NY. It is usually late at night and maybe it is the perfect spot on the highway because we often stop to fill up the gas tank or to grab a road snack. It also happens to have a casino, always lit up just off the highway (and I think is owned by an Indian/Native American tribe?) Anyway, it might be the combination of the casino scenes in this book (where the casino seems to also be in the middle of nowhere) and t...more
Whenever I drive to Mansfield, we pass this place called Salamanca in NY. It is usually late at night and maybe it is the perfect spot on the highway because we often stop to fill up the gas tank or to grab a road snack. It also happens to have a casino, always lit up just off the highway (and I think is owned by an Indian/Native American tribe?) Anyway, it might be the combination of the casino scenes in this book (where the casino seems to also be in the middle of nowhere) and t...more
I found Blue Smoke and Murder, by Elizabeth Lowell remarkable. Elizabeth Lowell is a New York Times bestseller of such titles: Innocent as Sin, Forget Me Not, Amber Beach, The Wrong Hostage, Midnight in Ruby Bayou, A Woman Without Lies, and Only Love. She resides in Arizona with her husband, with whom she writes mystery novels under a pseudonym.
When Jill Breck saved the life of Lane Faroe she thought she was just doing her job as a river guide. She didn’t think she’d ever need to take up his f...more
When Jill Breck saved the life of Lane Faroe she thought she was just doing her job as a river guide. She didn’t think she’d ever need to take up his f...more
Another mass market paperback that gives you what you would expect from a mass market paperback. I listened to this on CD, but found it very predictable. I did like the information about the Western art world but I lost interest in this book about halfway through it. At that point, the story didn't really leave any mysteries for the reader as I had already figured out the rest of the book. Instead, I felt like I was waiting for Lowell to get on with it so I could go to my next book.
An extremely suspenseful and engaging plot combined with steamy romance and fascinating characters make this fourth volume involving St. Kilda a must-read!
Jill has inherited some paintings from her great aunt that someone would kill to either steal or destroy. Fortunately, she recently saved the life of the son of some top St Kilda operatives and has been assigned some help in the form of the handsome and skillful Zach. As they race around the southwest trying to stay ahead of the bad guys and p...more
Jill has inherited some paintings from her great aunt that someone would kill to either steal or destroy. Fortunately, she recently saved the life of the son of some top St Kilda operatives and has been assigned some help in the form of the handsome and skillful Zach. As they race around the southwest trying to stay ahead of the bad guys and p...more
This is definitely a fluff read with little to no substance, but I loved it. Sometimes I just need an escape from the realities of day to day life and this served that purpose well. While the writing is cheesy, as I expected, it is far better than a lot of other suspense novels I have come across. The author must have an interest in art, or did some serious research, which added an extra oomph to the story. My one gripe is the same that I have with MANY fluff crime novels with female lead charac...more
Apr 07, 2009
Judy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone wanting a quick thriller
Recommended to Judy by:
have read her books before
While nursing bronchitis, I had time to indulge in just some extra pleasure reading. This book is another of the St Kilda stories (I have read one other one so far) and goes quickly. A contemporary murder/romance on the order of Catherine Coulter's FBI series. Very similar. The art world was interesting and it was set in northern Arizona. Strong female lead, but not overbearing.
Typical "thriller". Strong woman in trouble meets strong man to help, of course they become involved go through horrendous life threatening events, kill the bad guys, get even with other bad guys and come out of it stronger because of it.
Great before bed read to unwind.
The events surrounding Western Art and treatment of women in the West kept it interesting.
I read it to the end just to see if I was right about the ending.
Glad I borrowed it and did not buy:)
Great before bed read to unwind.
The events surrounding Western Art and treatment of women in the West kept it interesting.
I read it to the end just to see if I was right about the ending.
Glad I borrowed it and did not buy:)
While acting as a river guide, when Jill Breck saves the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St., Kilda Consulting's operators, she doesn't realize that she will soon need the firm working to protect her. The story takes us into the high priced art world, where just about anything goes in the name of money. This was a good story with interesting characters.
Feb 15, 2011
Sue
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Susan, Andrew
Recommended to Sue by:
Gram
Shelves:
guilty-pleasures
I've never ready any of Lowell's books before, but this was definitely a good, quick read. The language gets a little cheesy in places (often the last sentence in each chapter), but it suits the genre. If you like authors like John Sanford, Patricia Cornwell, etc., you'll like this. I'll probalby go back and read the others in this series.
I really enjoyed reading this book, but weeks afterward, the details are merging with other similar books I've read.
The setup is somewhat implausible, but I can deal with that. I think that events flow fairly reasonably once you accept it. Elizabeth Lowell is good at the thriller side of the story.
She's also good at the characters, which is (to me) the most important aspect of a romance novel. I enjoyed the different aspects of Jill's personality-- her career and the aspects of her personality t...more
The setup is somewhat implausible, but I can deal with that. I think that events flow fairly reasonably once you accept it. Elizabeth Lowell is good at the thriller side of the story.
She's also good at the characters, which is (to me) the most important aspect of a romance novel. I enjoyed the different aspects of Jill's personality-- her career and the aspects of her personality t...more
A quick-paced suspense novel with a predictable outcome, but a twist on the who-done-it at the end. Jill is a river guide with a degree in art and an unusual inheritance. When said inheritance brings out the bad guys with death threats and violence, she calls on St. Kilda to get her out of a jam. Adventure and romance ensue.
Liked the art angles; liked that the good guys had the upper hand for the most part; liked the characters okay. The feminist aspect of the story struck me as a little too blatant and stereotyped to be really powerful, and the questions raised there weren't resolved well enough for me.
Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events--including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings--culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.
Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information f...more
Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information f...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Sep 26, 2009
Rebecca
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries,
bookcrossing-release
While I don't hold trade paperback mysteries to the standards of great literature, I do want a good mystery. This one starts well, but the anti-climactic and obvious ending made the last several pages rather dull. Lowell does get credit, however, for a female protagonist that is strong and independent, but doesn't have to be a man-hater. While a bit typecast as the "outdoorsy" woman, river guide Jill Breck is fun to read as she struggles with her intuition vs. her intellect.
I don't like Elizabeth Lowell's newer books as well as her older ones, but she is and has always been a meticulous researcher about the topics she puts in her books (western landscape art in this one) and that adds a layer of enjoyment to the reading.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Blue Smoke and Murder/Elizabeth Lowell | 2 | 7 | 24. Dezember, 04:15 Uhr |
Individually and with co-author/husband Evan, Ann Maxwell has written over 60 novels and one non-fiction book. There are 30 million copies of these books in print, as well as reprints in 30 foreign languages. The novels range from science fiction to historical fiction, from romance to mystery to suspense.
In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous p...more
More about Elizabeth Lowell...
In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous p...more
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