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Capitol Chronicles #3
More Than Gold
Shirley Hailstock is one of the most highly acclaimed and popular authors on the Arabesque roster. She has been part of the Arabesque program almost from its beginning in 1994, winning awards and accolades from readers and reviewers along the way."More Than Gold", the seventh novel from this talented author features a striking and innovative package.
Hailstock tells the story of Morgan Kirkwood, an Olympic gold-medalist who has been in hiding ever since she helped a Korean political prisoner escape with critical government secrets. But when her cover is blown, she is forced on the run with CIA agent Jack Temple -- and soon finds him endangering her heart's deepest secrets.
Hailstock tells the story of Morgan Kirkwood, an Olympic gold-medalist who has been in hiding ever since she helped a Korean political prisoner escape with critical government secrets. But when her cover is blown, she is forced on the run with CIA agent Jack Temple -- and soon finds him endangering her heart's deepest secrets.
- GenresAfrican American Romance
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
About the author
Shirley Hailstock
92 books133 followersShirley Hailstock loves reading. She'd like nothing better than to find a corner in the library and get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see. Now as an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories.
A past president of Romance Writers of America, Shirley began her writing career on a dare. Taking a year to complete her first manuscript, the writing bug bit her and she discovered telling stories of love and adventure was what she wanted to spend her life doing.
A past president of Romance Writers of America, Shirley began her writing career on a dare. Taking a year to complete her first manuscript, the writing bug bit her and she discovered telling stories of love and adventure was what she wanted to spend her life doing.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 22, 2019
Has potential but too many distracting issues
I read 21% of the book before I stopped. There are several reasons why I decided not to continue. First, the abundance of figurative language, instead of conveying powerful emotions, was becoming silly and melodramatic. Unfortunate word choice also makes it difficult to take the characters’ emotions seriously given the sexual tension between them (like a bush on fire, a spewing fountain). The dialog is also unnaturally wordy at times. In addition to a lack of straightforward language, flashbacks interrupt the plot so often, the book probably needs to start in Seoul. In addition, head-scratching plot gaps are frequent. The protagonist knows way too many weird things and has a home with 007 style security. How can she afford it? She also seems to be a wanna-be ninja but makes dumb decisions, like staying to confront a home invader instead of using her escape plan. She also seems weirdly detached from the death of a character early on; she just wants some baked potatoes. What I liked about the story is the gist of it: a talented gymnast is used to extract a prisoner held in foreign country, and she falls for her CIA handler. I just wish the writing style and delivery had more editing, especially comma use and word use (for example, pummeling, not plummeting).
I read 21% of the book before I stopped. There are several reasons why I decided not to continue. First, the abundance of figurative language, instead of conveying powerful emotions, was becoming silly and melodramatic. Unfortunate word choice also makes it difficult to take the characters’ emotions seriously given the sexual tension between them (like a bush on fire, a spewing fountain). The dialog is also unnaturally wordy at times. In addition to a lack of straightforward language, flashbacks interrupt the plot so often, the book probably needs to start in Seoul. In addition, head-scratching plot gaps are frequent. The protagonist knows way too many weird things and has a home with 007 style security. How can she afford it? She also seems to be a wanna-be ninja but makes dumb decisions, like staying to confront a home invader instead of using her escape plan. She also seems weirdly detached from the death of a character early on; she just wants some baked potatoes. What I liked about the story is the gist of it: a talented gymnast is used to extract a prisoner held in foreign country, and she falls for her CIA handler. I just wish the writing style and delivery had more editing, especially comma use and word use (for example, pummeling, not plummeting).
September 16, 2015
I enjoyed reading the first two books of this series, but this one had too many loose end, unanswered questions, and too many inner dialogues and ramblings.
Morgan's character was hardly developed:
Why did she love on the streets after her mother's death? No relatives, no foster homes?
What did she do after the Olympics? She went to college, but what then?
How did she earn her living?
Loose ends and unanswered questions:
What about her friend/neighbour who brought back the tupper bowl and got shot? Why did she own a big house hundreds of miles away, but with a fully stocked refrigerator?
Why couldn't Jack summon help from headquarters?
Who was the man in the Asian style decorated house?
How did the candidate's wife find out about her?
Twelve years ago he was a CIA agent freed from a Korean prison, in the meantime he became senator and is now running for president? How plausible is that?
Why did the assassins always find them and the good ones were oblivious?
When I read an extract I liked the plot and was hooked by the first chapters. But than the questions above started in my head and I just kept reading to find answers. I was thouroughly disappointed.
Morgan's character was hardly developed:
Why did she love on the streets after her mother's death? No relatives, no foster homes?
What did she do after the Olympics? She went to college, but what then?
How did she earn her living?
Loose ends and unanswered questions:
What about her friend/neighbour who brought back the tupper bowl and got shot? Why did she own a big house hundreds of miles away, but with a fully stocked refrigerator?
Why couldn't Jack summon help from headquarters?
Who was the man in the Asian style decorated house?
How did the candidate's wife find out about her?
Twelve years ago he was a CIA agent freed from a Korean prison, in the meantime he became senator and is now running for president? How plausible is that?
Why did the assassins always find them and the good ones were oblivious?
When I read an extract I liked the plot and was hooked by the first chapters. But than the questions above started in my head and I just kept reading to find answers. I was thouroughly disappointed.
September 10, 2009
This book was a surprise. I've had it on my TBR list for ages and I don't even remember who recommended it (someone on an Amazon forum, I think). Turns out it is romantic suspense, written by an African American ABOUT African Americans. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything, really (although an interracial relationship is included in the plot, the races themselves are not an issue). It's first and foremost a beautiful love story between a man and a woman who overcome time and multiple obstacles in pursuit of their HEA. Do they make it? It's worth reading to find out.
August 3, 2014
Good read. Author has a sense for both reality and the romantic!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews