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Sharpe & Donovan #9
Rival's Break
A deadly poisoning, a stolen painting and a criminal mastermind challenge the skills of FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan as never before in their latest high-stakes case. New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers has crafted a gripping novel of international intrigue and suspense not to be missed.
Emma Sharpe is recovering from a shattering loss while her husband, Colin Donovan, is deep into his latest undercover mission. So they’re grateful to enjoy a peaceful autumn weekend together on the southern Maine coast to celebrate Colin’s brother Andy’s wedding.
But the peace is short-lived when Kevin Donovan, a marine patrol officer, receives a call to check on suspected food poisoning at a party aboard a yacht. Colin decides to tag along. He is surprised to recognize one of the victims as an undercover British intelligence officer, and it quickly becomes evident they’re dealing with something very sinister. At the same time a valuable painting by Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne—a friend of Emma and Colin’s—is missing from the yacht, and the connections make the investigation international and extremely personal.
Emma and Colin discover they are up against a deadly foe who plans to strike again. With the help of HIT, their small, elite Boston-based FBI team, they must foil an attack that will have devastating effects. It’s a case that will alter their lives beyond anything they’ve ever imagined…
Emma Sharpe is recovering from a shattering loss while her husband, Colin Donovan, is deep into his latest undercover mission. So they’re grateful to enjoy a peaceful autumn weekend together on the southern Maine coast to celebrate Colin’s brother Andy’s wedding.
But the peace is short-lived when Kevin Donovan, a marine patrol officer, receives a call to check on suspected food poisoning at a party aboard a yacht. Colin decides to tag along. He is surprised to recognize one of the victims as an undercover British intelligence officer, and it quickly becomes evident they’re dealing with something very sinister. At the same time a valuable painting by Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne—a friend of Emma and Colin’s—is missing from the yacht, and the connections make the investigation international and extremely personal.
Emma and Colin discover they are up against a deadly foe who plans to strike again. With the help of HIT, their small, elite Boston-based FBI team, they must foil an attack that will have devastating effects. It’s a case that will alter their lives beyond anything they’ve ever imagined…
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2019
365 people are currently reading
381 people want to read
About the author
Carla Neggers
143 books1,609 followersCarla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series featuring Boston-based FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, and the popular Swift River Valley series set in the small, fictional New England town of Knights Bridge. With many bestsellers to her credit, Carla loves to write now as much as she did when she climbed a tree at age eleven with a pad and pen and spun stories perched on her favorite branch.
A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland.
Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.
A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland.
Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
September 14, 2019
I'm new to the Sharpe & Donovan series and this author and jumped in with both feet when offered the opportunity to read an arc of book #9 in the series. What a terrific opportunity to spend some time on the Maine coast in the fall!
I enjoyed the characters, the setting--both in Maine and Ireland--and found the mystery intriguing. The story, however, is not easily read as a standalone mystery. There's a lot going on here, not only with the plot but with the characters, several of whom are FBI or MI5 agents, and share a great deal of personal history that the first-time reader needs to catch up on. It might be best to visit the author's website, CarlaNeggers.com for more information on the series, as she suggests in her author's note.
I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and I thank them for the opportunity.
I enjoyed the characters, the setting--both in Maine and Ireland--and found the mystery intriguing. The story, however, is not easily read as a standalone mystery. There's a lot going on here, not only with the plot but with the characters, several of whom are FBI or MI5 agents, and share a great deal of personal history that the first-time reader needs to catch up on. It might be best to visit the author's website, CarlaNeggers.com for more information on the series, as she suggests in her author's note.
I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and I thank them for the opportunity.
March 17, 2021
As the Sharpe & Donovan Series draws to a close we have yet another case of stolen art for Emma and Colin to solve. It also is a case of sickening and deadly mushrooms. And, as with the other cases they have been involved with, this one involves Emma's international intrigue. A lot of characters from past books in the series make appearances and the plot is slow to move along. A lot of these characters have some serious decisions to make for the future. I listened to the audio book and my 9 and 11 year old granddaughters were so taken with the tale that they wouldn't let me listen without them. Ah, budding readers, makes a Grammy's heart glad.
Emma Sharpe's father died suddenly and she is trying to come to terms with that. Colin Donovan has been working undercover and it has been hard on the newlywed couple. The are finally together in Rockport, Maine for the wedding of Colin's brother, Andy. At the tail end of the wedding celebration Colin's brother Kevin, a marine patrol office, is called to the scene of a luxury yacht where the guests have come down with food poisoning. Colin tags along and among the victims is a friend of Colin's, a British intelligence officer, who is undercover. More puzzling is that a valuable painting has also gone missing.
As a coincidence, a former British Intelligence officer and her former art thief boyfriend just happen to show up in Rockport. Still more coincidence, the painting's artist is Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne, an intimate friend of Father Finn Bracken. Roads not taken and all that. As Colin and Emma tackle the case of the mass poisoning and the stolen painting, a whole host of people and complications is what they encounter.
Emma Sharpe's father died suddenly and she is trying to come to terms with that. Colin Donovan has been working undercover and it has been hard on the newlywed couple. The are finally together in Rockport, Maine for the wedding of Colin's brother, Andy. At the tail end of the wedding celebration Colin's brother Kevin, a marine patrol office, is called to the scene of a luxury yacht where the guests have come down with food poisoning. Colin tags along and among the victims is a friend of Colin's, a British intelligence officer, who is undercover. More puzzling is that a valuable painting has also gone missing.
As a coincidence, a former British Intelligence officer and her former art thief boyfriend just happen to show up in Rockport. Still more coincidence, the painting's artist is Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne, an intimate friend of Father Finn Bracken. Roads not taken and all that. As Colin and Emma tackle the case of the mass poisoning and the stolen painting, a whole host of people and complications is what they encounter.
August 24, 2019
This is the ninth book in the Sharpe & Donovan series and I have only read one other. Having said that, for the most part, this story is fine being read as a standalone, but I want to go back and read them from the beginning. I was sometimes a bit confused about relationships and some of the backstory.
This story has a lot happening. There is a stolen painting, a yacht full of sick people, a poisoning by mushrooms, and some espionage. The FBI and British Intelligence are both involved as well as parts of the story being in the US and part in the British Isles. I was a bit confused at the beginning of this story, but about 1/3 of the way in, the story took off and held my interest. The characters are charming, family oriented, smart and loyal. There is some romance but that is not the major storyline at all. The story was well-written and plotted besides the slow beginning. If you like an enjoyable, suspenseful story this might just be for you. I will go back and start at the beginning.
I listened to the audiobook of this story provided by the publisher, Harlequin Audio. Narrator, Carol Monda, is a new narrator to me. I found the voices were well done and gave distinctive characteristics to several of the characters which I liked. The problem I has was that I thought the narration was too slow and the pauses were a bit too long. Before I make a final judgement about this narrator, I would need to listen to more books she performs.
This story has a lot happening. There is a stolen painting, a yacht full of sick people, a poisoning by mushrooms, and some espionage. The FBI and British Intelligence are both involved as well as parts of the story being in the US and part in the British Isles. I was a bit confused at the beginning of this story, but about 1/3 of the way in, the story took off and held my interest. The characters are charming, family oriented, smart and loyal. There is some romance but that is not the major storyline at all. The story was well-written and plotted besides the slow beginning. If you like an enjoyable, suspenseful story this might just be for you. I will go back and start at the beginning.
I listened to the audiobook of this story provided by the publisher, Harlequin Audio. Narrator, Carol Monda, is a new narrator to me. I found the voices were well done and gave distinctive characteristics to several of the characters which I liked. The problem I has was that I thought the narration was too slow and the pauses were a bit too long. Before I make a final judgement about this narrator, I would need to listen to more books she performs.
August 27, 2019
Rival's Break is the ninth book in the Sharp Donovan series (I think), but it's the first one I've read. I was confused. There are numerous characters immediately thrown at you, and many important twists and turns are happening. I didn't know which way was up! The story premise is good, and it's a well written sharp and intelligent story. It's engrossing once(if) you get past the initial what is going on stage. Although still confused, I did gradually get a better sense of who was who and what they were doing and why. The story is thrilling and moves quickly through numerous twists and turns all the way to the end. I enjoyed this one overall, but reading the series in order would be best. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2019
I expected more of a thriller/suspense - and to me, this book was not that, which was fine! Instead, we are drawn into the Donovan and Sharpe families along with their friends. The book takes place in Maine and Ireland - and I liked both settings a lot - they fit the mood of the book, which was ... contemplative? This isn't a book where a bloody body-count stacks up - instead, it focuses on friend and family relationships - and there is also a good mystery.
In the midst of a wedding, the Donovans are called to investigate a potential poisoning on a yacht. It just looks like a case of food poisoning, but Colin recognizes one of the stricken passengers as a fellow agent. There are lots of secrets, some dealing with loss, and I read much later than I'd planned to see the resolution.
This is the first book I read in the series - I could tell there is a lot of backstory I missed - that didn't detract from the story, but it did make me want to go back and read previous books. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.
In the midst of a wedding, the Donovans are called to investigate a potential poisoning on a yacht. It just looks like a case of food poisoning, but Colin recognizes one of the stricken passengers as a fellow agent. There are lots of secrets, some dealing with loss, and I read much later than I'd planned to see the resolution.
This is the first book I read in the series - I could tell there is a lot of backstory I missed - that didn't detract from the story, but it did make me want to go back and read previous books. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.
December 28, 2019
Another great mystery in this series. I really have enjoyed each book and I feel like I've gotten to know all of the characters as this series has progressed. I look forward to the next one.
September 13, 2020
Rival’s Break
Carla Neggers
Neggers brings fans another intense FBI thriller starring her fabulous married duo of Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan plus a fabulous cast of costars, a few specific to this story but most are series regulars. The plot is interesting and steady paced, the backdrops both on the wild coast of Maine and in Ireland are breathtaking and while she’s keeping readers up to date on her series character’s goings on Carla will dangle her clues for her audience and keep readers guessing whodunit until she decides to reveal. It’s not necessary to read this series in order as the mystery is unique to this novel and Carla does a good job filling in backstory musts but for readers who like the whole picture reading in order is the way to go.
Narration:
Susan Boyce does a good job with the narration, her voice is bell clear and she skillfully plays both male and female parts and although her British and Irish accents weren’t perfect they weren’t shabby either.
Emma Sharpe and her husband Colin Donovan were hoping for a short break at home in Maine from their demanding FBI jobs plus Emma is still mourning the death of her father and Colin needs a much needed respite from his latest undercover assignment. Unfortunately their break is short lived when a yacht full of people get sick from apparent food poisoning and one of the passengers is not the art expert he’s pretending to be but a British Intelligence officer. Then a valuble painting goes missing and something is definitely fishy and too coincidental when two friends from across pond one MI5 agent and one former art thief show up saying they came to town for a visit. Not Likely!
Carla Neggers
Neggers brings fans another intense FBI thriller starring her fabulous married duo of Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan plus a fabulous cast of costars, a few specific to this story but most are series regulars. The plot is interesting and steady paced, the backdrops both on the wild coast of Maine and in Ireland are breathtaking and while she’s keeping readers up to date on her series character’s goings on Carla will dangle her clues for her audience and keep readers guessing whodunit until she decides to reveal. It’s not necessary to read this series in order as the mystery is unique to this novel and Carla does a good job filling in backstory musts but for readers who like the whole picture reading in order is the way to go.
Narration:
Susan Boyce does a good job with the narration, her voice is bell clear and she skillfully plays both male and female parts and although her British and Irish accents weren’t perfect they weren’t shabby either.
Emma Sharpe and her husband Colin Donovan were hoping for a short break at home in Maine from their demanding FBI jobs plus Emma is still mourning the death of her father and Colin needs a much needed respite from his latest undercover assignment. Unfortunately their break is short lived when a yacht full of people get sick from apparent food poisoning and one of the passengers is not the art expert he’s pretending to be but a British Intelligence officer. Then a valuble painting goes missing and something is definitely fishy and too coincidental when two friends from across pond one MI5 agent and one former art thief show up saying they came to town for a visit. Not Likely!
September 12, 2019
I would give this book 4&1/2 stars if I could. I really enjoy this series by Carla Neggers. This is the 9th book in the Emma Sharpe/Colin Donovan romantic suspense series. The characters are what make these books so enjoyable and most of them make an appearance in this story. The mystery takes backstage to all the characters' various on-going storylines. The reader gets to know Colin's youngest brother, Kevin, better and Finian's struggles continue. There is a mystery and it is resolved to the reader's satisfaction. I would highly recommend these books. They should be read in order to get the most out of them.
August 18, 2019
I received this ARC from NetGally and the Publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.
I have read several books from this series but not all of them, having said that this book can definitely be read as a stand alone one. I love the Donovan brothers and enjoy them having recurring roles in the books. There is alot of espionage and intrigue in this book, never know what is going to happen next. As always Neggar's books are very well written, and draw you in. I would certainly recommend this book to others.
I have read several books from this series but not all of them, having said that this book can definitely be read as a stand alone one. I love the Donovan brothers and enjoy them having recurring roles in the books. There is alot of espionage and intrigue in this book, never know what is going to happen next. As always Neggar's books are very well written, and draw you in. I would certainly recommend this book to others.
August 27, 2019
This is the ninth book in this series. Emma Sharp and Colin Donovan just want to finally spend some alone time together but that gets cuts short quick when people with food poisoning about a yacht pull them back into action. This has nice twists and turns. The scenery and feel of Ireland I loved as much as the action.
Dawnny-BookGypsy
August 19, 2019
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book
poisoned mushrooms
stolen painting
yacht filled with people sick
all adds to an interesting story, with a vicar whose past is haunted with tragedy and several donovans that are in security
loads of names to get your head around but once you get into the story and can follow who is who its not bad...
poisoned mushrooms
stolen painting
yacht filled with people sick
all adds to an interesting story, with a vicar whose past is haunted with tragedy and several donovans that are in security
loads of names to get your head around but once you get into the story and can follow who is who its not bad...
July 30, 2021
Rival's Break was another amazing addition to the Sharpe & Donovan series.
Emma Sharpe has been working through the loss of her father while her husband, Colin Donovan, is away on his latest undercover mission. After so much time apart, the pair are happy to spend a weekend together to celebrate Colin’s brother Andy’s wedding. But when Colin's brother Kevin Donovan, a marine patrol officer, is called for a suspected poisoning on a yacht, Colin decides to tag along. When Colin recognizes one of the victims as an undercover British intelligence officer, it becomes clear something more may be going on. After a valuable painting by Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne is reported missing from the yacht, Emma and Colin begin their investigation. When it becomes clear the poisoning won't be the last attack, Emma and Colin are in a race to find the culprit before the case turns deadly.
The poisoning proved to be quite an interesting mystery, particularly after the revelation that an expensive painting is missing. Was the poisoning a cover to steal the paining, was it a crime of opportunity, or something else? The fact the painting was one done by a friend of Emma and Colin's made for an interesting connection and I liked how that tied in the Ireland based characters to the story. The whereabouts of the painting when revealed was a bit of a surprise but I thought it was interesting how it was found. Due to the involvement of a British intelligence officer, Oliver and Henrietta ended up part of the investigation. Ultimately I thought the resolution to the poisoning plot was interesting and not at all what I expected. The ending was suspenseful and overall well done.
Emma and Colin's relationship continues to be fantastic. These two have some a long way from their first meeting in Saint's Gate which is something they both reminisce about quite a bit in this book. These two have grown a lot over the course of nine books and I love how much more open they've become due to their relationship. Their working relationship continues to fantastic and the pair's differing investigative styles complement each other so well. This book ends with some interesting developments in terms of Colin's undercover work and how that may change going forward. I'm curious to see what those changes would entail and how it might benefit their relationship.
Overall Rival's Break was a fantastic read and I hope there will be more books in this series in the future. I highly recommend this series if you're looking for some great romantic suspense.
Emma Sharpe has been working through the loss of her father while her husband, Colin Donovan, is away on his latest undercover mission. After so much time apart, the pair are happy to spend a weekend together to celebrate Colin’s brother Andy’s wedding. But when Colin's brother Kevin Donovan, a marine patrol officer, is called for a suspected poisoning on a yacht, Colin decides to tag along. When Colin recognizes one of the victims as an undercover British intelligence officer, it becomes clear something more may be going on. After a valuable painting by Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne is reported missing from the yacht, Emma and Colin begin their investigation. When it becomes clear the poisoning won't be the last attack, Emma and Colin are in a race to find the culprit before the case turns deadly.
The poisoning proved to be quite an interesting mystery, particularly after the revelation that an expensive painting is missing. Was the poisoning a cover to steal the paining, was it a crime of opportunity, or something else? The fact the painting was one done by a friend of Emma and Colin's made for an interesting connection and I liked how that tied in the Ireland based characters to the story. The whereabouts of the painting when revealed was a bit of a surprise but I thought it was interesting how it was found. Due to the involvement of a British intelligence officer, Oliver and Henrietta ended up part of the investigation. Ultimately I thought the resolution to the poisoning plot was interesting and not at all what I expected. The ending was suspenseful and overall well done.
Emma and Colin's relationship continues to be fantastic. These two have some a long way from their first meeting in Saint's Gate which is something they both reminisce about quite a bit in this book. These two have grown a lot over the course of nine books and I love how much more open they've become due to their relationship. Their working relationship continues to fantastic and the pair's differing investigative styles complement each other so well. This book ends with some interesting developments in terms of Colin's undercover work and how that may change going forward. I'm curious to see what those changes would entail and how it might benefit their relationship.
Overall Rival's Break was a fantastic read and I hope there will be more books in this series in the future. I highly recommend this series if you're looking for some great romantic suspense.
August 19, 2019
3.75 Stars
This is the ninth book in the Sharpe & Donovan series by Carla Neggers. Carla is a must buy for me but I have to say this wasn’t my favorite of the series. Above average, of course because it is Neggers, but not what I was expecting.
I really felt like there was almost too much backstory in the beginning. I felt lost amidst that and the actual poisoning/missing painting storyline. I didn’t know where to really focus at the start. I don’t think I caught my reading groove in this until I was over halfway though. Then it flew and the real point of the story started coming more to the surface. I was relieved.
Basic premise: A bunch of people get poisoned on a yacht owned by a rich dude. Donovan spies a known British intelligence agent and suspects that this poisoning is much more than it seems. To top it off, there is the theft of a painting to uncover as well. Then you add in all the espionage stuff and things get heated pretty quickly.
I think part of my problem with this is that I haven’t read a book in this series in a long time and my Sharpe and Donovan radar is a bit clouded and rusty. I should have read a book or two back and then picked this one up afterward. I think I needed more lead in instead of just being deluged with the backstory at the start which was more telling me stuff than showing me stuff. I get more invested when I can connect with the characters and that didn’t happen until later in the book.
Above average suspense, espionage thriller but I felt like it lacked something I can’t really put my finger on. But don’t take my word for it. Pick it up and judge for yourself.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
This is the ninth book in the Sharpe & Donovan series by Carla Neggers. Carla is a must buy for me but I have to say this wasn’t my favorite of the series. Above average, of course because it is Neggers, but not what I was expecting.
I really felt like there was almost too much backstory in the beginning. I felt lost amidst that and the actual poisoning/missing painting storyline. I didn’t know where to really focus at the start. I don’t think I caught my reading groove in this until I was over halfway though. Then it flew and the real point of the story started coming more to the surface. I was relieved.
Basic premise: A bunch of people get poisoned on a yacht owned by a rich dude. Donovan spies a known British intelligence agent and suspects that this poisoning is much more than it seems. To top it off, there is the theft of a painting to uncover as well. Then you add in all the espionage stuff and things get heated pretty quickly.
I think part of my problem with this is that I haven’t read a book in this series in a long time and my Sharpe and Donovan radar is a bit clouded and rusty. I should have read a book or two back and then picked this one up afterward. I think I needed more lead in instead of just being deluged with the backstory at the start which was more telling me stuff than showing me stuff. I get more invested when I can connect with the characters and that didn’t happen until later in the book.
Above average suspense, espionage thriller but I felt like it lacked something I can’t really put my finger on. But don’t take my word for it. Pick it up and judge for yourself.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
July 14, 2019
Rival's Break (Sharpe & Donovan #9) by author Carla Neggers opens with the Emma, Donovan brothers and extended family attending Andy's wedding reception. Kevin, a marine patrol officer, is called away and brother Colin goes along. When they reach the marina and board a yacht where more than a dozen partiers are down with what appears to be a sudden onset of food poisoning. Could there possibly be a sinister biological poison at play on the yacht? The case of 'food poisoning' becomes more suspect when Colin recognizes Jeremy Pearson, an MI5 British undercover officer who is posing as an art consultant. During the confusion of getting the sick transported to medical care, a painting owned by Georgina Masterson goes missing from the yacht. This sets off a search for answers which will touch the lives of family and friendships. I have enjoyed this series about the Sharpes and Donovans through all of the books. Even though it is a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone book with no problems.
Publication Date: August 27, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Publication Date: August 27, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 19, 2019
My first book by author Carla Neggers, though ninth in the series, the book was difficult to understand since I had not read the first 8. But I treated it as a lone murder mystery and I could enjoy the story.
The murder mystery had its own intrigue, and the husband and wife duo were great investigators. Not only they had a murderer to seek, they also had to investigate the mystery of disappearing art. The stakes were raised by the author's writing.
The characters were interesting, and the plot fast paced. The action scenes did make me giddy with excitement. Overall, a great read.
The murder mystery had its own intrigue, and the husband and wife duo were great investigators. Not only they had a murderer to seek, they also had to investigate the mystery of disappearing art. The stakes were raised by the author's writing.
The characters were interesting, and the plot fast paced. The action scenes did make me giddy with excitement. Overall, a great read.
December 16, 2019
I try to read widely, even genres that I haven't previously enjoyed. This novel may be perfect for someone who loves romance (I don't) and enjoys long series (#9 I found out as I plunged in).
Read as a stand-alone, the story doesn't work. There's too much backstory and too many names to keep straight. That' wasn't the deal-breaker for me though. The deal-breaker was the constant reference to physical attributes in place of character development. Perhaps by book #9 one doesn't need character development, but if that's the case, do you really need to know all those romance-physical-tropes either?
So, not the book for me. I didn't finish it.
That said, I'm sure someone who loves series and romances would be all over this one as it's got the ingredients for that readership.
Read as a stand-alone, the story doesn't work. There's too much backstory and too many names to keep straight. That' wasn't the deal-breaker for me though. The deal-breaker was the constant reference to physical attributes in place of character development. Perhaps by book #9 one doesn't need character development, but if that's the case, do you really need to know all those romance-physical-tropes either?
So, not the book for me. I didn't finish it.
That said, I'm sure someone who loves series and romances would be all over this one as it's got the ingredients for that readership.
November 4, 2020
I had not read any of this series before and it's really fun--while still a solid, intriguing thriller with a pair of FBI agents, one of whom is an art forgery expert--because there's an entire network of friends and family, each with their own history and goals. Though it might make you a bit nervous the next time you have a catered meal.
September 30, 2019
Another good installment in the Sharpe and Donovan series. Almost seemed like an ending for the series. Am wondering if she is considering finishing it or changing its direction.
April 26, 2020
The only reason I finished reading this book is because of Covid 19. The library is closed and I'm running out of books. I found this book about as exciting as looking for a lost sock.
September 2, 2019
Heavily character-driven mystery series in which many of the characters have multiple names or multiple relatives with similar names in similar fields. While this may have developed organically over the course of the series, as a backstory in this book read as a stand-alone, it is all a bit eye-crossing. Everyone is somehow Irish but really American from Maine, or not, they are British MI6 but work regularly with undercover FBI. Those details aside, the mystery is almost a cozy, again, just not quite. I realize there are devoted fans for this series but I should have started reading earlier in it. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
September 3, 2019
After reading Rival's Break, I think it's safe to say this is not exactly a standalone story. The mystery, such as it is, could probably stand on its own, but the number of characters who pop in and out and have little to absolutely nothing to do with the case is way over the top. And it's not just that those characters are mentioned. Oh no, we get what I felt was a ridiculous number of points of view. I could have safely skipped a number of chapters and not missed a single thing to do with the case, and I felt like I needed to sift through to find the 'gripping novel of international intrigue and suspense' that is promised in the blurb. In the end, I didn't find any of that and was quite underwhelmed with this one. I don't know if this is Carla Neggers' style or if the many points of view used here is something new, so I remain undecided on whether I'll try another book. I'm sure that fans of the series will enjoy this one more than I did, but it clearly wasn't a good fit for me.
December 30, 2020
This is my first book in the Sharpe & Donovan series. I would encourage anyone who jumps in at this point to take heed of the author's note. Go to her website to gain some foundation information about the series; otherwise it will difficult to read as a stand-alone mystery. I loved the settings of Maine and Ireland. It has some interesting characters, four intelligence officers, a priest, an art thief, etc. Once I sorted the characters' relationships to each other, I settled in to a good story. I'll go back to the first book and catch up to the series. Thank you to Net Galley, and MIRA books for the advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 28, 2019
I’ll start this review off by saying that if you’re a big fan of Carla Neggers’ Sharpe/Donovan series, you’re probably going to love this. All but a very few characters have previously appeared and played significant roles in earlier books, so it’ll be like catching up with a group of old friends and seeing what’s going on with their lives.
If, like me, you haven’t read any of the previous books, you’ll be wondering ‘who are all these people and why do I care about the mundane details of their lives being thrown in this supposedly suspenseful read?’
There are far, far too many point of view characters in this story and the points of view of several of them are completely and utterly irrelevant. I’m going to list them here and explain what I mean:
PoV 1: Emma Sharpe. FBI agent. We start off in her PoV and return to it periodically, but she’s never more than a passive observer to events, except on one occasion where she acts as a vehicle for the reader to learn about poisonous mushrooms when getting some information about them.
PoV 2: Colin Donovan, Emma’s husband, also an FBI agent who helps his brother out investigating the case of food poisoning which turns sinister. Colin at least gets to actually Do Stuff.
PoV 3: Parish priest Father Finian. Utterly irrelevant to the case. His house acted as a temporary base for some of the principal actors.
PoV 4: Former art thief turned MI5 asset Oliver. Irrelevant as he was never more than an observer.
PoV 5: Emma’s brother Lucas Sharpe, wandering around the Irish hills with their grandfather and doing… nothing related to the case.
PoV 6: Georgina, a chef whose father is poisoned and who MAY be responsible for the food poisoning which kicks off the mystery. She’s actually the only person here who I got to care about in the slightest, because she’s the only one who had something at stake - her father’s life and her career. And guess whose point of view we only visited maybe four times in the whole book? That’s right. We spent just as much time in Father Finian’s head, or Lucas’, and neither of them had anything to do with the case. Just when things were getting interesting for Georgina, we’d switch back to Lucas wandering around the hills in Ireland castigating himself for eating too much bread (yes, seriously).
The high stakes referred to in the book’s blurb turn out to be a damp squib. There’s one death in the book and it’s off-screen, a character we only ever see on the page filtered through the PoV of others as they talk about him. And for a mystery suspense, this is missing the crucial element of having clues to the identity of the villain planted early in the story. I’d narrowed it down to four possible characters by process of elimination - everyone else was a ‘known friendly’ - but the villain’s eventual dramatic self-reveal just fell utterly flat because there’d been no foreshadowing. Instead, we were told after the (fairly pathetic) climactic scene what the villain’s motivations were, and it was made clear that they had no hope of carrying out their plan anyway. A massive letdown followed by a tour of everyone’s point of view as they reacted by deciding to do utterly mundane and boring things.
I haven’t read a Carla Neggers book in some time, but I remember them as being a lot better than this. An absolute bore-fest which needed a solid content edit to clean out all the mundane nonsense, cut all the extraneous points of view and add in some actual suspense, mystery and stakes. Oh, and add some diversity, because this is yet another read in which everyone is white, straight and abled. And I don’t know if you’d noticed, but the world really isn’t like that. Making Georgina a queer woman of color, for example, would have added a WHOLE ‘nother layer of nuance and tension as she negotiated the situation in a very white Maine coastal town and the Irish Catholic law enforcement officers on the case.
Two stars, for a mystery suspense which failed to be either mysterious or suspenseful.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
If, like me, you haven’t read any of the previous books, you’ll be wondering ‘who are all these people and why do I care about the mundane details of their lives being thrown in this supposedly suspenseful read?’
There are far, far too many point of view characters in this story and the points of view of several of them are completely and utterly irrelevant. I’m going to list them here and explain what I mean:
PoV 1: Emma Sharpe. FBI agent. We start off in her PoV and return to it periodically, but she’s never more than a passive observer to events, except on one occasion where she acts as a vehicle for the reader to learn about poisonous mushrooms when getting some information about them.
PoV 2: Colin Donovan, Emma’s husband, also an FBI agent who helps his brother out investigating the case of food poisoning which turns sinister. Colin at least gets to actually Do Stuff.
PoV 3: Parish priest Father Finian. Utterly irrelevant to the case. His house acted as a temporary base for some of the principal actors.
PoV 4: Former art thief turned MI5 asset Oliver. Irrelevant as he was never more than an observer.
PoV 5: Emma’s brother Lucas Sharpe, wandering around the Irish hills with their grandfather and doing… nothing related to the case.
PoV 6: Georgina, a chef whose father is poisoned and who MAY be responsible for the food poisoning which kicks off the mystery. She’s actually the only person here who I got to care about in the slightest, because she’s the only one who had something at stake - her father’s life and her career. And guess whose point of view we only visited maybe four times in the whole book? That’s right. We spent just as much time in Father Finian’s head, or Lucas’, and neither of them had anything to do with the case. Just when things were getting interesting for Georgina, we’d switch back to Lucas wandering around the hills in Ireland castigating himself for eating too much bread (yes, seriously).
The high stakes referred to in the book’s blurb turn out to be a damp squib. There’s one death in the book and it’s off-screen, a character we only ever see on the page filtered through the PoV of others as they talk about him. And for a mystery suspense, this is missing the crucial element of having clues to the identity of the villain planted early in the story. I’d narrowed it down to four possible characters by process of elimination - everyone else was a ‘known friendly’ - but the villain’s eventual dramatic self-reveal just fell utterly flat because there’d been no foreshadowing. Instead, we were told after the (fairly pathetic) climactic scene what the villain’s motivations were, and it was made clear that they had no hope of carrying out their plan anyway. A massive letdown followed by a tour of everyone’s point of view as they reacted by deciding to do utterly mundane and boring things.
I haven’t read a Carla Neggers book in some time, but I remember them as being a lot better than this. An absolute bore-fest which needed a solid content edit to clean out all the mundane nonsense, cut all the extraneous points of view and add in some actual suspense, mystery and stakes. Oh, and add some diversity, because this is yet another read in which everyone is white, straight and abled. And I don’t know if you’d noticed, but the world really isn’t like that. Making Georgina a queer woman of color, for example, would have added a WHOLE ‘nother layer of nuance and tension as she negotiated the situation in a very white Maine coastal town and the Irish Catholic law enforcement officers on the case.
Two stars, for a mystery suspense which failed to be either mysterious or suspenseful.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
August 26, 2019
Take a neuroscientist and his chef daughter, four intelligence officers (with one undercover), an artist, a former art thief, and a priest then add in a deadly poisoning, missing artwork, and a yacht party that ends with suspected food poisoning and you have the making of a great crime fiction novel. This is what you can expect in Rival’s Break, the ninth book in the Sharpe and Donovan series, by Carla Neggers which will draw you in from the beginning and leave you doing a little detective work to solve the case before anyone else does.
While Emma Sharpe is still dealing with the loss of her father and Colin Donovan, her husband, who is finally back in town after a recent undercover job, the two are looking forward to enjoying a rare weekend together celebrating a wedding in the small town of Rock Pointe. When a call of possible food poisoning comes in from the local police department it leaves them all wondering how it happened and if maybe it's more complicated than it seems. All signs “unofficially” point to the yacht chef, Georgina, but she, along with many others, aren’t entirely convinced she is the one responsible. Adding to her confusion, when a painting of hers weirdly goes missing and she then finds out that her father was poisoned she’s more convinced than ever that something sinister may be going on. Georgina isn’t the only one with suspicions, and when Emma and Colin realize two “friends” have unexpectedly shown up in town and they recognize an undercover agent who was a victim of food poisoning on the yacht, they realized this won’t be quite the quiet weekend they had originally hoped for.
While I haven’t ready any of the other Sharpe and Donovan books by Carla Neggers, I really didn’t feel entirely lost with this one and think it could be read as a stand alone book. I was a bit confused at the beginning with so many characters and hints to their backstories so maybe if I had read previous books, it may have helped but I don’t think it’s a must before diving into this book. As the story moved forward, it quickly came together and I was able to jump right in and become a little bit of a detective myself. I quickly realized I’m not very good at detective work as I didn’t actually figure out what was going on until the very end when it all came full circle. However, I enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen next and think Neggers did a great job of completing the story but also leaving some open ends for more books to follow. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good crime fiction story and I know l’d love to read more of the Sharpe and Donovan series.
While Emma Sharpe is still dealing with the loss of her father and Colin Donovan, her husband, who is finally back in town after a recent undercover job, the two are looking forward to enjoying a rare weekend together celebrating a wedding in the small town of Rock Pointe. When a call of possible food poisoning comes in from the local police department it leaves them all wondering how it happened and if maybe it's more complicated than it seems. All signs “unofficially” point to the yacht chef, Georgina, but she, along with many others, aren’t entirely convinced she is the one responsible. Adding to her confusion, when a painting of hers weirdly goes missing and she then finds out that her father was poisoned she’s more convinced than ever that something sinister may be going on. Georgina isn’t the only one with suspicions, and when Emma and Colin realize two “friends” have unexpectedly shown up in town and they recognize an undercover agent who was a victim of food poisoning on the yacht, they realized this won’t be quite the quiet weekend they had originally hoped for.
While I haven’t ready any of the other Sharpe and Donovan books by Carla Neggers, I really didn’t feel entirely lost with this one and think it could be read as a stand alone book. I was a bit confused at the beginning with so many characters and hints to their backstories so maybe if I had read previous books, it may have helped but I don’t think it’s a must before diving into this book. As the story moved forward, it quickly came together and I was able to jump right in and become a little bit of a detective myself. I quickly realized I’m not very good at detective work as I didn’t actually figure out what was going on until the very end when it all came full circle. However, I enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen next and think Neggers did a great job of completing the story but also leaving some open ends for more books to follow. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good crime fiction story and I know l’d love to read more of the Sharpe and Donovan series.
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August 27, 2019Right away, author Carla Neggers hurries about introducing you to the characters in her book – by paragraph four, you’ve met five – and you begin to feel like you’ve arrived late to a party. If you’re new to the Sharpe & Donovan series as I was, you have. The party has been going on since 2011 with the publication of Saint’s Gate where we lose a nun right off the bat.
This time we start off with a bad case of mass food poisoning on a private yacht off the coast of Rock Pointe, Maine, but nobody dies. Is there such a thing as a psychopath who just wants to make people throw up?
In Rivals’ Break (MIRA), 10th in the Sharpe & Donovan series, sweethearts and undercover agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are newly married. (He still carries her up the stairs to the bedroom.) Emma spent her girlhood in a convent and the Donovan brothers are a toss of law enforcement, the military, and lobster fishing; but a small town makes for strange bedfellows. The Sharpe family business specializes in lost and stolen art. The collection of friends and family, thieves, Brits, spies, and Irishmen and a priest continues to commit and solve crimes on two continents.
The story improbably weaves together mushrooms and honeymoons, dahlias, bean hole suppers, apple pie, Irish whiskey and the irresistible landscape paintings of a beautiful artist with the legendary name of Aoife. (It’s pronounced Ee-fah. I had to look it up.) While the Donovan brothers create their own brands of romance, the plot circles and attacks: a valuable painting disappears, someone dies – far away and alone, curious memories resurface and poor Georgina the chef is racked with guilt.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/08/a-romant...
This time we start off with a bad case of mass food poisoning on a private yacht off the coast of Rock Pointe, Maine, but nobody dies. Is there such a thing as a psychopath who just wants to make people throw up?
In Rivals’ Break (MIRA), 10th in the Sharpe & Donovan series, sweethearts and undercover agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are newly married. (He still carries her up the stairs to the bedroom.) Emma spent her girlhood in a convent and the Donovan brothers are a toss of law enforcement, the military, and lobster fishing; but a small town makes for strange bedfellows. The Sharpe family business specializes in lost and stolen art. The collection of friends and family, thieves, Brits, spies, and Irishmen and a priest continues to commit and solve crimes on two continents.
The story improbably weaves together mushrooms and honeymoons, dahlias, bean hole suppers, apple pie, Irish whiskey and the irresistible landscape paintings of a beautiful artist with the legendary name of Aoife. (It’s pronounced Ee-fah. I had to look it up.) While the Donovan brothers create their own brands of romance, the plot circles and attacks: a valuable painting disappears, someone dies – far away and alone, curious memories resurface and poor Georgina the chef is racked with guilt.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/08/a-romant...
August 30, 2019
Rival's Break is #9 in the Sharpe/Donavon series and I hadn't read the previous books. Of course I prefer to read a series from the beginning but sometimes a later book just invites! There are quite a few characters to take in straight away. However Carla Neggers deftly gives enough information about each of them so that I can enjoy the story.
The setting is delightful - I have a weakness for books set in Maine and we also visit Ireland and its beautiful west coast. The characters themselves are a mixture of Maine and Irish and they mingle very well!
The book has a fun cast, art thief detectives, FBI, MI5 and MI6, an art thief (reformed) and a priest to name a few of the varied roles. Many of them are either related to each other or married into a family. And half the time they seem to be trying to figure out what the other knows and is up to!
We start out with a stolen painting, a mysterious food poisoning on a yacht and links to some of the characters, makes for a mystery that soon has my brain whirling and wondering and desperately endeavouring to stay away from the back pages to peek! (I refrain - barely!) I did have one person in mind and it turned out I was on the right track, although I didn't know the motivation.
I liked this story mostly for the characters, who are so varied and loveable. The mystery was interesting. I would have liked a little more action as the book tended to rely on a lot of dialogue rather than fast action. However I think it reads like a cosy mystery.
Would I read more in this series after my first foray into it? Yes I would because I'd want to find out more about the characters and what they have done and will do next.
The setting is delightful - I have a weakness for books set in Maine and we also visit Ireland and its beautiful west coast. The characters themselves are a mixture of Maine and Irish and they mingle very well!
The book has a fun cast, art thief detectives, FBI, MI5 and MI6, an art thief (reformed) and a priest to name a few of the varied roles. Many of them are either related to each other or married into a family. And half the time they seem to be trying to figure out what the other knows and is up to!
We start out with a stolen painting, a mysterious food poisoning on a yacht and links to some of the characters, makes for a mystery that soon has my brain whirling and wondering and desperately endeavouring to stay away from the back pages to peek! (I refrain - barely!) I did have one person in mind and it turned out I was on the right track, although I didn't know the motivation.
I liked this story mostly for the characters, who are so varied and loveable. The mystery was interesting. I would have liked a little more action as the book tended to rely on a lot of dialogue rather than fast action. However I think it reads like a cosy mystery.
Would I read more in this series after my first foray into it? Yes I would because I'd want to find out more about the characters and what they have done and will do next.
September 2, 2019
Emma Sharpe is recovering from a shattering loss while her husband, Colin Donovan, is deep into his latest undercover mission. So they’re grateful to enjoy a peaceful autumn weekend together on the southern Maine coast to celebrate Colin’s brother Andy’s wedding. But the peace is short-lived when Kevin Donovan, a marine patrol officer, receives a call to check on suspected food poisoning at a party aboard a yacht. Colin decides to tag along. He is surprised to recognize one of the victims as an undercover British intelligence officer, and it quickly becomes evident they’re dealing with something very sinister. At the same time a valuable painting by Irish artist Aoife O’Byrne—a friend of Emma and Colin’s—is missing from the yacht, and the connections make the investigation international and extremely personal. Emma and Colin discover they are up against a deadly foe who plans to strike again. With the help of HIT, their small, elite Boston-based FBI team, they must foil an attack that will have devastating effects. It’s a case that will alter their lives beyond anything they’ve ever imagined.
This was the first time I got a chance to really read a book by this author and I’ve wanted to for a long time, always seeing her name on the shelves every time I’m at a bookstore (yes, they do still exist). This book didn’t disappoint. I do wish I had started at the beginning though as I was a little confused trying to figure out everyone in the beginning. It didn’t deter from the great writing as I delved into the story. I can’t wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
This was the first time I got a chance to really read a book by this author and I’ve wanted to for a long time, always seeing her name on the shelves every time I’m at a bookstore (yes, they do still exist). This book didn’t disappoint. I do wish I had started at the beginning though as I was a little confused trying to figure out everyone in the beginning. It didn’t deter from the great writing as I delved into the story. I can’t wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
January 3, 2021
I love the slow, simmering, intensity of the books in this series. In this one, it struck me that not only were we trying to solve the mystery but also to figure out what the mystery was! There are so many incidents or events that the reader--along with Sharpe & Donovan--have to figure out what is accidental, coincidental, or intentional. Do occurrences seem suspicious just because they happen while FBI or MI5 agents are nearby, or are they purposefully, ill-intentioned acts? I also think Neggers does an amazing job of seamlessly blending the action between Maine and Ireland, without it ever feeling jarring or awkward. And finally, she slips a hint of romance into these novels and continues an ongoing story arc of not just Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan's relationship, but the relationships of the friends and family members around them. This book starts with the wedding of Andy (one of Colin's brothers) and Julianne, while we saw them figure out their relationship in a previous book. We also see friends Oliver York and Henrietta Balfour as a couple in this one (we've seen them in previous books but their relationship is obviously moving forward). And perhaps my favorite is the ongoing angst of Father Finn Bracken and Irish artist Aoife O'Byrne. We see them in almost every story, but never together. Neggers continues to keep readers on pins and needles as to how their unrequited and seemingly impossible love will ever be resolved. The only thing I don't like about this series is having to wait for the next one!
July 28, 2019
I really enjoy the Sharpe and Donovan series about the art theft expert/FBI agent and her FBI undercover agent husband. I don’t know that you need to have read the previous books since there is a little background reminder given for each character. That was helpful for me, but I suspect that it would still be confusing for someone coming to this novel without having read any of the earlier books. There are too many characters and references to earlier plotlines.
It’s always necessary to suspend disbelief about how many crimes, particularly art-related crimes can take place in the small Maine community where Sharpe and Donovan live, but just go with it.
The mystery starts out with food poisoning sickening the people on a yacht that had stopped at that town. It then becomes clear that there is something more going on when we learn that there is an MI5 agent undercover on the yacht. There’s a lot of back and forth about what might be going on and the mystery sucks you in. I found the reveal to be pretty unsatisfying, but maybe that is because I prefer mysteries where there are clues within the novel leading up to the resolution rather than outside information thrown in right at the end. But I still will snap up any Neggers novel and then stay up all night finishing it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.
It’s always necessary to suspend disbelief about how many crimes, particularly art-related crimes can take place in the small Maine community where Sharpe and Donovan live, but just go with it.
The mystery starts out with food poisoning sickening the people on a yacht that had stopped at that town. It then becomes clear that there is something more going on when we learn that there is an MI5 agent undercover on the yacht. There’s a lot of back and forth about what might be going on and the mystery sucks you in. I found the reveal to be pretty unsatisfying, but maybe that is because I prefer mysteries where there are clues within the novel leading up to the resolution rather than outside information thrown in right at the end. But I still will snap up any Neggers novel and then stay up all night finishing it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.
September 14, 2021
Colin and Emma are at his brother Andy's wedding reception when Kevin Donovan gets a call to check on a food poisoning incident at a yacht in the harbor. Colin decides to tag along and is there when he discovers an old friend Jeremy Pearson - MI5 - undercover as an art consultant is one of the victims.
The chef, who might have accidentally included a poisonous mushroom in the canapes, is Georgina Masterson. Her father is a scientist who specializes in neurotoxins and is a colleague of Jeremy's. Georgina's father is in critical condition after ingesting a poisonous mushroom. He's in London. Jeremy has come to Maine to bring Georgina a painting by Aiofe O'Byrne that was a gift from her father and to check up on her.
Now the painting is missing and Georgina isn't sure if she accidentally put the wrong mushrooms in the canapes. And Henrietta and Oliver have arrived at Father Bracken's to add more complications to the story. Oliver had met with Georgina's father in London because the father wanted to know more about poisons in mythology. Henrietta, who works for Jeremy, is wondering if her boss has gone rogue.
The investigation is a little different for Colin and Emma since their specialties - art crimes and arms dealing - need to give way to an investigation of chemical weapons. They do great anyway.
Lots of futures are decided in this one, too, as many of the characters are asking what comes next in their lives and careers.
The chef, who might have accidentally included a poisonous mushroom in the canapes, is Georgina Masterson. Her father is a scientist who specializes in neurotoxins and is a colleague of Jeremy's. Georgina's father is in critical condition after ingesting a poisonous mushroom. He's in London. Jeremy has come to Maine to bring Georgina a painting by Aiofe O'Byrne that was a gift from her father and to check up on her.
Now the painting is missing and Georgina isn't sure if she accidentally put the wrong mushrooms in the canapes. And Henrietta and Oliver have arrived at Father Bracken's to add more complications to the story. Oliver had met with Georgina's father in London because the father wanted to know more about poisons in mythology. Henrietta, who works for Jeremy, is wondering if her boss has gone rogue.
The investigation is a little different for Colin and Emma since their specialties - art crimes and arms dealing - need to give way to an investigation of chemical weapons. They do great anyway.
Lots of futures are decided in this one, too, as many of the characters are asking what comes next in their lives and careers.
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