No Escape

by Anna Jones Buttimore

Hoping to escape his grief over the loss of his beautiful wife Heather, Michael Boyd leaves behind his New York precinct and his gun to embark on a police-exchange program. As a police officer in rural North Wales, he is struck by the tenacity and resourcefulness of Catrin Pritchard, a single mother with a frightening past. It appears that her brother Seth is involved in drug dealing and something much bigger.

After Seth's sudden death, Michael is forced to overcome Catrin's hostility and her wariness to trust anyone, especially a man. Michael vows to protect her and her young daughter from the unknown assailants trying to silence them, and he and Catrin must decipher the meaning of the mysterious code etched on the back of a valuable oil painting.

As the threats and terror escalate, Michael finds himself betrayed by those closest to him even the Heather he remembers and realizes Catrin was right not to trust anyone. But when they find themselves trapped in an underground cave with the tide rising, one of those people is their only hope for escape.

Genres: Suspense

262 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2011

About the author

Anna Jones Buttimore was born and brought up in the South of England, but educated in Wales where she lived for the next 20 years. She is now living back in the village where she grew up with her daughters Gwenllian, Angharad and Ceridwen, and husband Roderic. Anna serves as Seminary teacher in her ward.

Anna works part time from home for a legal charity, and has always loved writing in her spare time. She is the author of five novels, Haven and A World Away under the name Anna Jones, Easterfield, Honeymoon Heist and No Escape. Anna enjoys rock music, her computer, cross-stitch, swimming, and science fiction. She is determined to get into scrapbooking and family history one day when she can find the time.

Reviews

[Lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Escape is a very unique read within the "romantic suspense" genre. The main characters are atypical of the romance genre and the suspense is very subtle. Instead, Anna uses her trademark descriptive style to slowly but steadily build up the action and introduce the characters.

The real highlight of this book is the descriptive details of both the setting and the characters. I loved the description of Wales and the juxtaposition between Wales and the US. I have never been out of the US so I love to learn about different countries and their unique cultures. And it sounds like Wales is full of character! I would love to visit it!

The characters in the book are definitely unique. Catrin is very distrusting of others because of her abusive father, negligent ex-boyfriend, and shady brother. She keeps her distance from everyone but her daughter and has a difficult time revealing her emotions. However, her past has also made her very grounded and brave. I think this is what first attracts Michael to her. His background has also made him wary of opening his heart again but once he sees past Catrin's emotional walls, he realize that she is exactly what has been missing in his life.

I also appreciated the hopeful feel of the ending. Both Catrin and Michael have come from bleak and difficult backgrounds. However, through their mutual association and shared experiences, the future starts to look promising for them both.

No Escape is a thoughtful romance accompanied by mystery and woven with idyllic elements. (A perfect read for a rainy Welsh day! :)

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was nicely written, I enjoyed it throughly. Never having been to England, the details that describe where she lived and where they visited as tourists was wonderful, made me feel like I was walking beside, not something that is easily done by writers. Cartin was a very believeable character whom stayed constant throughout the storyline she didn't falter and become the damsal in distress, she stayed the constant brave young woman that was set in motion in the begining of the novel. She did show her emotions from time to time as would any human in her circumstances, but not to the point of being weak and needing to be rescued, which was refreshing. The romance that had slowly been tossed in was very pleasing, it didn't overshadow the real climax of the book and it wasn't smutty either, it was very sweet and charming actually. There were a few other surprises placed here and there in the book that took you a little off track and made you think, "what, really?" But not in a bad way, the only slow part of the book may have been the begining but otherwise was a rather quick and enjoyable read. This will be something I read again! Being that I'm not from England there were a few words where a pronounciation guide or perhaps placed in parenthesis the word spelled out phonetically, it would have been helpful, that's probably the only qualm I have with the book. :-)

[Tamera Westhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on Wales, so it could stand to have a pronunciation guide on the frequently used words. Otherwise I thought it was great! Catrin is tough, whether she realized it or not and Michael was absolutely the right guy to help her with her trust issues! I loved how the mystery was thrown in, plus all of the extra conflict that came out of nowhere! Wow! I really liked it. It was clean and was more mystery/suspense than romance. The romance was very subtle.

[Betty Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me on my toes! Suspenseful, intense in places, and also fun to read. I enjoyed how the story flowed, and the interesting tidbits about Wales. I can see this story being made into a fun movie, if the producer didn't
change much of the storyline. Maybe someday? And it wasn't predictable!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, as did my daughter. A policeman from New York goes to Wales to be a policeman there after his wife dies. He gets involved in a case that almost costs him his life, along with the sister of one of the suspects.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the detail about Wales since we have family from there. Story was a nice read, sometimes the language was a little too overdone...and it had some editing problems.

[Rebecca Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good description of landscape and beautiful setting for book. I thought the mystery was well done.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy "mystery" vacation read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Police officer Michael, from New York, and Catrin, from Wales, will save each other as their lives intertwine because of her stepbrother's drug activities. Suspenseful danger, interesting international police details, and beautiful landscapes. Any story that takes place in Wales, has to be good.

[Shanda]

I enjoyed Easterfield written by this author, so I looked forward to reading No Escape. Easterfield is a regency-style story, a very different genre than No Escape, which may partly explain my frustration.

When reading a mystery-suspense, I expect to be pulled into the story right away. In No Escape there is a lot of info dumping (detail and history) right up front. The author did a great job of describing the little home and area in Wales where the character lived, but it made for a slow start for the book. I was excited when they went to arrest a drug dealer but ended up knowing more about what the house they were entering looked like (including detailed evaluations of a painting, the furniture, walls, floor, doors, latches on the doors and specific decor) than I did about the main character. When the main character supposedly didn't take notice of the young woman standing behind the door then continued (in a very long paragraph) to describe her "chain-store jeans," skin tone, reflect on the effect make up would have on her face and evaluate and agree with her decision not to wear any make up, all while sneaking up on the suspect, I lost interest and put the book down. I don't know any guy who would evaluate a woman's decision to wear make up or notice where she bought her jeans during an arrest, especially a New York cop.

Others have enjoyed the story and the mystery, and since I only read the first 25 pages, I didn't make it far enough into the book to evaluate the mystery-suspense aspect. If a lot of detail and a slow beginning don't bother you, then you may well enjoy No Escape.

If Anna writes another regency-style historical novel where a slower pace and her amazing talent at detailing character and setting are more expected, I will happily pick it up to read. Unfortunately, No Escape just didn't grab me enough to continue.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michael Boyd comes to Wales on a police swap for six months, hoping to get away from his grief over losing his wife. He meets Catrin, a single mother trying to make her way on her own after a hard childhood. Catrin's brother Seth is accused of dealing drugs and then dies suddenly. People start to threaten Catrin, and she doesn't understand why. Michael is determined to protect her and gradually comes to care for her too.

The book had a decent mystery to it. There were some parts I didn't like though. The whole storyline with Michael's brother just felt wrong. Absolutely every bit of it. It didn't fit the rest of the story, and I keep wondering why it was even put in. I also thought Catrin's back story was overdone. While it was an OK read the first time, it's not one I'd be recommending.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm.
Upside:
I enjoyed the setting of Wales. I have read other books set in Wales and I enjoy the portrayal of the people, language, and place.
I liked reading the quirky language differences, although I felt Michael didn't always speak as "American" as he should have.
I liked that this was a type of story I don't usually read.
Downside:
The characters were not endearing. Shrewish? What a way to describe Catrin. What a terrible little interlude at home in New York. I really need to feel more of a connection with the characters.
I liked the book more in the beginning than I did from about the halfway mark.
I liked it OK but I really wouldn't generally recommend it to others (that is what a 3-star book is for me).

[Sarah Beggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Escape is a story filled with hope and escalating mystery. Various characters introduced at just the right moment add to the excitement and ‘who has done it’ experience. Michael Boyd is a cop from New York who has left on an exchange program to live in beautiful Wales. He meets Catrin who trusts nothing and no one—especially men. She’s done one of the hardest things imaginable—she’s snitched on her dope slinging brother Seth. Random attacks, cops with questionable attitudes, and family betrayals add to the storyline bringing the end to a satisfying finish. If you like stories that make you feel good while you keep turning pages; No Escape is the book for you.

[Ian Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a romantic thriller with a lovely setting and characters that draw you in, making you care about what happens to them. There are some effective twists too and it becomes a real page turner in the closing chapters. The romance is never cloying and there is a sense of reality about the situations in which the characters find themselves. I found it a refreshing change that the main characters didn't simply jump into bed with each other. It is well written and diverting.

[Annissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was unique with the setting of modern day Wales. I enjoyed learning more about the Welsh people and back ground and their slower pace of life. The only complaint would be the narrative descriptions of the setting at the begin of each chapter. I thought it was rather distracting and took away from the story line.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a little bit to get into this book. There is a lot of information on describing the area of Bangor and the welch culture. The grieving widow who goes on a police exchange is a clever idea. I liked how Catrin and Michael were able to help each other to heal after their traumatic pasts.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pacing in No Escape started out a bit slow, but I enjoyed it a lot, overall.