The Ruby

by Ann Maxwell

Danger At Every Turn When an exquisitely crafted, authentic imperial Faberge egg mysteriously shows up at Laurel Swann's home studio, she knows it can only be from one person -- her father, who has drifted in and out of her life for as long as she can remember. But this time Jamie Swann leaves her something too many people will kill for.

Out of her league and desperate, Laurel is forced to accept help from the very man who is trying to ensnare her father in his own web of double crosses. Cruz Rowan can help her stay alive, but will he do the same for her father?

Elizabeth Lowell, writing as Ann Maxwell, deftly combines the nonstop action of a spy thriller with the heart-pounding excitement of true love and adventure.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1994

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance author

aka Lowell Charters, Elizabeth Lowell, A.E. Maxwell individually and with co-author/husband Evan Maxwell and Annalise Sun.

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.

Writing as Ann Maxwell, she began her career in 1975 with a science fiction novel, Change. Since then, seven of her nine science fiction novels have been recommended for the Science Fiction Writers of America Nebula Award; A Dead God Dancing was nominated for what was then called TABA (The American Book Award).

In 1976 Ann and Evan (as A. E. Maxwell) collaborated with a Norwegian hunter and photographer, Ivar Ruud, on The Year-Long Day, a nonfiction work that was condensed in Reader's Digest and published in four foreign editions and three book club editions. In 1985, the first A. E. Maxwell crime novel featuring a couple called Fiddler and Fiora was published by Doubleday. The Frog and the Scorpion, received a creative writing award from the University of California. The fourth book in the series, Just Enough Light to Kill, was named by Time magazine as one of the best crime novels of 1988.

Ann and Evan (writing as Ann Maxwell) have published four suspense novels, the most recent of which is Shadows and Silk. These novels appeared on nation-wide bestseller lists.

In 1982, Ann began publishing romances as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994). Since July of 1992, she has had 30 novels on the New York Times list. Her most recent book is BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER.

Reviews

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it would have been a much better book without the adult scenes which made the book crude and somewhat idiotic in my opinion. It wasn't bad as a romance or a spy thriller but I was grimacing in distaste at the author's adult scenes. And it was an awfully long book for what often seemed like little content. In fact, I was going to give it a 2 rating but then I liked the ending so was generous and gave it a 3.
The story line basically is that a Faberge Imperial Egg has gone missing from a shipment of Russian art destined for an exhibit in Los Angeles. An organization called Risk Limited is hired by the Russians to find the missing egg. In the meantime, a man mails his daughter a package. When she opens it, she finds the Faberge Egg. Shortly thereafter her father shows up, takes the egg and says you never saw it, forget about it. But she can't. She worries about her father, an agent of Risk Limited shows up at her house, then assassins show up at her house. Add in the billionare who built the museum which will exhibit the Russian art and you have the 'whirlpool' of characters and action that make up the story.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, I read this book as part of the My TBR List monthly voting meme (see links below).  But I couldn't finish it in time for so many reasons--one of those reasons being that I just couldn't really get into the book.

Elizabeth Lowell is an author I have read before--there were a few of her books I enjoyed.  Her Romantic Suspenses are exciting and constantly forward-moving, which helps to keep the reader in the game even if said reader has no idea exactly what's going on.  Because Elizabeth Lowell DOES also have the tendency to scatter the focus of her books.  Sometimes there are so many story tangents and characters that you have a hard time figuring out what the story is actually about.

When it comes to Whirlpool, I was actually quite satisfied with the story progression, story outline, and the story concept, in general.  The execution wasn't terrible.  I knew where the book was taking me, and I knew what the main conflict was.  In contrast, it was actually the characters that made the book unbearable for me.  Because when you insert two alpha-jackass heroes and one doormat heroine... it really makes for some rage reading.

I have so many issues with our main couple, and the heroine's father.

Laurel really is a bonafide Category Romance heroine.  To be honest, I didn't have as big a problem with her as I had with how she handles the situation between her father and her lover.  Both men are nothing but jackasses to her.  But she lets them use her, and then lets them turn around and continue shoving her around.  They keep talking (and monologue-ing) about how much they care about her and how they have her best interests at heart; but they act like they don't care one way or another if she gets hurt in the process.

Despite what Cruz kept saying about Laurel--that she's the innocent who got dragged into the mess her father created; that her father is just using her; that he never really wanted to hurt her--he still went and did those exact same things.  And it doesn't help that Laurel doesn't even blame him or get angry or upset.  She just allows him do whatever he wants.  Then she wants to go and blame herself if two testosterone-fueled men end up killing each other.

And it's the same way with her father, too.  Although, to be honest, I dislike her father much more than any other character in this book.  Because with as much experience in the dark, twisted world of government politics, and private mercenary dangers as Jamie Swann has, I refuse to believe that he DIDN'T know the kind of danger he was putting his daughter into the moment he sent the stolen Fabergé to her address.  From that moment forward, he already put a target on her back, and it matters not a whit that he figured he'd just disappear and Laurel could go on with her life.

I'm not entirely sure whether to blame the character himself, or poor planning on the author's part.  Because Laurel's father--who keeps claiming over and over again that if Laurel just stays out of the entire business then she'll be safe--keeps making other stupid decisions and saying other stupid things that lead killers and assassins right to Laurel's door.  I have a hard time believing that someone as highly trained and experienced as him wouldn't have figured that out.

I'm just a common layperson reading a book, and I figured it out.

If he had intended to keep his daughter safe, he should have never contacted her in the first place or done anything to draw her attention to the bad guys... (a relative term considering the fact that I'm not even sure that old man Swann was a good guy himself).

And then the things he says to Laurel when he finds out that she's working with Cruz... highly crass and inappropriate.  He does not get to say things like that to his own daughter, especially since he spends a lot of time trying to convince her that he's got her best interests at heart... when obvious actions seem to say otherwise.  Also, I figure he kind of forfeited his right to be judgmental about his own daughter when he wasn't exactly a pillar of fucking morality himself.  And when he's the one who brought all this trouble down into her life in the first place.

Jackass AND stupid.

But anyway...

Romance-wise, the feelings and love development was way too insta and way too abrupt.  I have a hard time accepting stories wherein a strange man breaks into the heroine's home, but the heroine still manages to immediately feel the stirrings of attraction, and immediately decides that she trusts him not to do bad things to her.  The continued antagonistic development of Laurel and Cruz's relationship was also hard to accept because of everything going on between them.  And especially when Cruz continually broods over the fact that Laurel is protective over her father.

I mean, what did Cruz expect?  That Laurel, who has always loved her father despite how he's treated her her entire life, would suddenly turn around and go, "Oh.  Okay.  I'll help you track down my father, capture and arrest him, or possibly get him killed!"


Anyway, basically this book was just chock full of romantic clichés and frustrating people.

At least the suspense part of the story wasn't too bad, even if the random forays into our villain's heads was a little disturbing.


***

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[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I need to stop reading this genre for awhile. I've gotten pissed off at the last few I've read. I've gotten to the point I can't brush off the stupid tropes like I used to.

For example, why do these things only ever happen to the Sexiest People Alive? I don't even think there were ANY average looking people presented in this book. Don't normal looking people ever experience crime?

Ugh. The characters. There were cringe worthy stereotypes and our leading man would sprout off sexist comments/thoughts out of literally nowhere. It was like having the brakes slammed on whenever it happened, because it was out of nowhere. Some of the descriptions of people made me feel gross, and the sex scenes literally made my skin crawl. I've been reading these since I was thirteen, and not once has a sex scene made me feel so icky. I spent the whole time hoping the dad would get shot- talk about toxic. 'A pretty rock is more important than my daughter's life!', and I think the book wanted us to condemn him, but then at the end when you have our hero having pity for him, and I'm not sure. If we're supposed to feel sorry for him, then ugh.

Also, fuck me that was the most ridiculous relationship I've ever read in any of these, and I've read a lot. How the hell did Lowell think that was remotely sane or believable? It made NO sense for it to go that way.

On a side note that I'm not blaming on the author but whoever wrote up the blurb on the back. The back cover lied. It says that the female lead's father and male lead are enemies of some kind. They'd never even really heard of each other besides a few news snippets until they do some research. The hell?

One point I have to give in favour of this book is that they used a Faberge egg as a main plot device. I've never seen that before. Props on originality.

[Maida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when it came out as The Ruby by Ann Maxwell in the mid-90s and liked the fast-paced action and intrigue. I still like those things but now cringe at the less-than-progressive language and characterization of minorities and marginalized people.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've posted before about my affection for Elizabeth Lowell's books, formulaic though they are. Whirlpool is no exception, though it's an earlier example of a formula she's used to better effect in more recent books: i.e., an independently operating agency out to recover a Valuable Shiny Thing, a hero who's a Reluctant Operative of the Agency and who is assigned over his protests to look out for the heroine, and of course a Heroine Who Has the Shiny Thing, and who must be protected from the Bad Guys Who Want the Shiny Thing. In this particular case, the Agency is Risk Limited; the hero, Cruz Rowan; the heroine, Laurel Swann; and the Shiny Thing, a Faberge egg that her father has foisted off on Laurel, an egg with a priceless treasure hidden inside of it. A treasure which, naturally, the Bad Guys are desperate to get hold of.

Here, however, is where the book falls down for me. I had to specifically remind myself of what this book was about, as I remembered very little of it except for the overuse of a particularly annoying trope: i.e., the Bad Guys being signified as the Bad Guys because they're the ones having lots of kinky sex. This is emphasized almost more than the primary bad guy being obsessed with medical treatments keeping him looking far younger than his actual age, though that was played up a lot too. Overall, though, it was annoying. And there wasn't much substance in the characterization of the Home Team to balance these problems out.

Lowell's done better, so if you'd like to see her in better form, there are plenty of other options. For this one, two stars.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

About what you'd expect from an Elizabeth Lowell mystery story. Lots of guns and running. A little romance. Laurel Swann, a jewelry artist, is caught up in a web of deceit when her father, a con man who is assumed to be dead, sends her a Faberge egg. People start coming out of the woodwork to find the egg, most of them trying to kill her. Luckily, one of the men is Cruz Rowan. He realizes that she is innocent and immediately sets about protecting her. Of course, they fall in love and good conquers all.

[Dollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been trying to read my physical books (bookcases and boxes full of them) so I grabbed this one. It was about a woman who’s torn between the man she’s just fallen in love with and her father. Her father has stolen what is thought to be a Fabergé egg, which has a very valuable surprise inside. Everyone seems to be after this egg and Laurel doesn’t know who to believe. It ended predictably. I wished there’d been more mystery and less romance. The best thing I can say about this book is that now I can get it out of my house.

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmm..thr was nothing solid in the book, even Hudson killing and running around for the egg was too flimsy.

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Exhibit A as to why I avoid the romance genres. It is because their very name is a lie. This so-called romance novel has not one shred of romance in its 431 pages. All that the author has done is ruin a perfectly good spy novel by drenching it in crude sex scenes and other such tawdry bits. The majority of these scenes are so ridiculously out of place that I was almost laughing as I slogged through them.

I’ll give you two examples from the early parts of the book. One scene is about a man being held at gun point by a woman he just woke up, so she’s wearing somewhat reveling PJs. Instead of the focus of the scene being on the fact that his life is in danger or why he’s there, the focus is on how hot they both find each other. Maybe I could buy the man doing that since this isn’t his first time in that kind of situation, but this is supposedly the first time the woman had held a person at gun point. You really expect me to believe that she’s focusing on how pretty his eyes are?

Then we have an even more over-the-top scene where two art thieves are looking at their latest stolen object. Instead of focusing on their plan and the object itself, they use the thing as a freaking foreplay toy. It was as repulsive as it was funny and these type of scenes are all through this book. They serve no purpose beyond cheapening what would have otherwise been a fun read.

I should acknowledge that, technically, two people supposedly fall in love during the plot, but they have as much chemistry as oil and water. The entire basis of their romance is the intense, physical attraction between them and nothing else. A romance based purely off of carnal lust is a cheap writing tool that requires the author to spend no energy developing the characters in order to convince the audience that they’re falling in love because their love supposedly goes beyond silly things like compatibility.

Oh, did I mention that the whole story plays out over three days? Because it does and the romantic leads know each other for less than two days before they’re exchanging pet names and vows of undying devotion. That timeline can work if a lot of effort is put into developing the relationship, but it’s not. All of their interactions are about how hot they find each other or the art heist that’s trying to be solved. Not one scenes is dedicated to them just talking about their lives or anything that makes me believe this connection goes beyond the bedroom.

This is especially insulting to the female lead. Her involvement in the plot is because of her father’s involvement in the art theft. Over the course of the story, she has to pick between her new lover and her dad. I remind you, she knows next to nothing about this guy, yet she is blindly trusting him and his organization. It makes her come across as either a complete idiot or intensely naive. I don’t know about you, but I really hope I’d never find myself torn by having to choose between a man I just met and my own father.

Clearly I’m not a fan of this one, which is a shame because the plot is solid, if a tad underdeveloped. If Lowell had removed all the poorly executed sex scenes and unbelievable romance, then replaced them with plot development, this would easily have been a four-star read. In its current state, though, I can’t recommend this to anyone. The negative elements dominate the tale to the point of overshadowing all of the good stuff.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for WHIRLPOOL, originally published in 1994 as THE RUBY, retitled Whirlpool in 2004 and an old favorite of mine. This was an audio “read” for me (this time), well narrated by Carrington MacDuffle.

MY RATING GUIDE: 1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I LIKED IT A LOT; 5= I LOVE THIS; it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).

The Ruby Surprise, the last created Russian Imperial Faberge egg, generally previously unknown to the public, and one the most important artifacts to survive the Bolshevik era is slotted to be included in a wealthy businessman’s upcoming Russian art exhibit at his private gallery. But the Faberge egg disappears and all h** breaks loose.

After years of service FBI HRT field agent Cruz Rowan/MMC was both publicly discredited (wrongly) and badly injured on a past federal job. Before the dust settled he quit. Rowan is both a amateur geologist, in his private time, and for the past few years an independent contractor employed by Risk Lmt (a clandestine private enterprise that accepts difficult jobs demanding quick resolutions without a lot of questions asked). The various mysteries within the science of geology feeds Cruz’s soul, the business jobs he accepts and complete pays his bills and keep his mind and body sharp. Cruz is digging in the desert, nearly off grid, searching for possible earth fault lines near CA’s Santa Rosa Mts when he receives an urgent call from his boss, Cassandra Redpath. Someone in the wide and vast world of power requires immediate assistance.

Laurel Swan/FMC is a small business owner and jewelry designer with her own shop and a gradually growing customer base. She is working on several new designs when a special delivery arrives containing a priceless Russian heirloom that she guesses was shipped to her by her father. His type of employment and long absences have been a constant strain on her family in the past. Laurel has no idea of his present whereabouts but she is pretty certain that trouble will soon call at her door.

Not long after the mysterious package arrives, Laurel’s business is broken into, threats are made, and shots fired. Once it is known that Laurel received a diverted shipping package she can no longer simply return to her own business even if she wanted to. Her father is deeply involved and other unknown individuals arrive pointing guns. Laurel is caught in the middle and she has no idea who to trust. She is way over her head and may not survive long. One man, Cruz Rowan, asks her to trust him. What if she shouldn’t?

WHIRLPOOL is a fast moving Action-Thriller standalone novel with detailed setting descriptions, Bad Guys and Good guys, steamy scenes and a fair amount of violence (PG-13/R).

READER CAUTIONS - Not recommended to readers who prefer Clean fiction or YA readers.
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language and insulting slurs are stated by various characters (the latter particularly by the antagonist).
VIOLENCE - Yes. This is an espionage thriller. People are threatened & die.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - Yes. Rather detailed & open door intimacy scenes are present.

[Night Runner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars for me!

My rating range of this story... 2.5 - 3.5 Stars
If significant, why?

Main Character Ratings...
H = 7/10
h = 5/10

Narrator Rating(s)
M = n/a
F = 7/10
If below 5/10,why?

Was cheating involved? No
Any major triggers to be aware of? No

If Comedy... Type? n/a
Genuinely Funny
Cringe Inducing
Just No!

Angst Level? Light to Moderate
Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop


Scenes with heat... Yes
What point does it start? 25%
How much of the story? 5%
Anything beyond M/F? No
If yes, explained

Heat Rating... 7/10
Clean or Fade to Black - 1 or 2
Normal to Descriptive 3-5
Detailed Descriptive Sex - 6-7
Um, Wow, Beyond Descriptive Sex - 8 or above

Was there so much sex or unrealistic sex that you rolled your eyes and/or skipped forward? No

The back story... Too much to list but the blurb is good.

The Romance... The MCs start with instant attraction and then fall in love over the next week or so.

The drama explosion... The bad guys zero in on what they are looking for.
Did it feel Real, OK or contrived? A bit contrived
Was it OTT? Yes
Separation involved? No
Was it resolved properly or rushed? Ok

Final Notes... I think that this book must have been written in the late 1980s or early 1990s based the character styling, Soviets and lots of newspapers.

Nipples is the most common word in the story.
There is a bit of gay-bashing (one character who is a bad guy of whom is a pedophile). I don't think it was meant to insult the Gay Community and believe that it was to paint the bad guy as a horrible person.

The h is TSTL most of the time.


HEA or HFN? Who knows!

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

An entertaining audio book and well read.

This was a Romance/Thriller type book.

Laurel Swann is an artist who makes jewelry. Her father, Jamie Swann, has some mysterious job that has kept them apart for most of her life and resulted in her parents being divorced.

Jamie Swann, send Laurel a mysterious package that turns out to contain a Faberge Egg. Apparently, this Egg was supposed to be in an exhibition but Jamie stole it. The story unfolds from that.

There are various elements of society, including Russians, who are searching for the Egg, which reportedly contains a ruby beyond price. The Russians bring in Risk, Inc to help them locate the Egg, especially the Ruby. One of the operatives, Cruz Rowan is assigned to protect Laurel.

Of course, Cruz and Laurel fall in love. A lot of the plot is very familiar but the ending is good.

As other readers have noted, the sex scenes didn't need to be that explicit and didn't really add to the story.

Otherwise, the main plot, and especially the ending, was enough to keep me interested through several exercise sessions and bike rides!

[Margo Allore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast read and fast moving. It has the main character Laurel Swann who makes jewellry. Her father is a 'shadow' person - CIA or whatever - not really known. There has a robbery of a Faberge Egg - The Ruby. The Ruby was coming from Russia and it was to be displayed a major event sponsored by a Billionaire. Lots of intertwining of people - the billionaire, the gorgeous journalist, the Russians, Rowan Cray (???) former of FBI but now hired by a very high end security outfit, and Laura Swann. Not quite realistic but fun to read.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is what happens when the audio books you really want are not available for check out so you go with something that is.

Lowell has written some really good romance/suspense novels. This isn't one of them. Or maybe I'm just tired of the formula. She always has good "romantic" sex scenes. I wasn't too thrilled with those of the antagonists--just too crude. As a result, I really only "read" about 1/2 of the book.

However, I will say that the narrator, Carrington McDuffie, does a great job.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are an Elizabeth Lowell fan you will love this book. Laurel Swann barely knew her father and when she receives a mysterious package she knows its from him. When he shows up to collect the package, which turns out to be a Faberge egg, her orderly world is turned upside down. To add to the fun is ex FBI agent Cruz Rowan. Not only is the action fast paced but so is the attraction between Laurel and Cruz

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an enjoyable read. Chaotic plot.. actually rather exhausting.
Best parts were factual descriptions and technology bits....
Usually I like this writing technique that switches each chapter to different characters and action but it didn’t work for me in this book. Tom Clancy does it well.

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars is a bit short, but three would be too much....
Anyway, this book was somewhat interesting, but not too much.
It didn't really hold my interest and the love connection was simplistic at best.
It appeared to me that the whole story was way too contrived and forced in one direction.

[Susan Clair Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Risk Ltd.

I love her writings as Elizabeth Lowell, didn't know for a long while she's also Ann Maxwell. Whirlpool is a mysterious romance. The good guys win and the guy gets the girl.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not yet best

I have read a large number of A Powell's books, in fact Moving Target is one of my favourite books. Unfortunately this one did not live up to her usual standard. It isn't terrible, just not great.

[Laura de Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh. Am I just getting too old for this kind of book?

Beautiful woman. Strong, emotionally closed off man. Scary people are after her. (Throwing her father into the mix was a non-standard twist). Run. Fight. The ending you would expect (does that count as a spoiler?).

[Zina Timoney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent plot, so-so writing with a bad romance in the mix. 3 stars for the plot

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
More gritty than usual for Elizabeth Lowell, but the falling in love after one sexual encounter business is so not how life actually happens.

[Dawn Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok but I wouldn’t reread it.

[Elaine Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good Easter egg hunt book

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book. Lots of action and excitement, intrigue, and a bit of romance mixed in as well.

[Cyndi Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok story line but very crude and distastefull. Made it to the end but it was diificult.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth Lowell can produce so much better than this crude and nonsensical work product. I almost quit reading it several times but managed to finish it. Very disappointing.

[Jacqueline SG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing spectacular. Some bits seem forced together but overall passable.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book "tawdry" bits and all. Sometimes I just want a little bit of adulting where I know there will be a happy ending and a little bit of fun along the way.

[Carol Ruth Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, but it ended abruptly, leaving me unsatisfied.