Book Review: Carolina Moon

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Carolina Moon     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Nora Roberts
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Romantic Suspense
Putnam, Mar 2000, $24.95, 448 pp.

The daughter of an abusive father and an indifferent mother, Tory Bodeen is a loner until she meets Hope Lavelle. The two little girls become close friends until the fatal night they were supposed to meet each other in the nearby swamp. Tory fails to make their rendezvous because her father beat her to the point of leaving her incapacitated. However, she psychically links to Hope as someone rapes and murders her only friend. The next day, Tory leads the authorities to Hope’s mutilated body.

Years later, an adult Tory still graphically remembers Hope and the incident. Desperate for closure, Tory finally returns to her South Carolina hometown where she meets Hope’s older brother Cade. Like Tory, Cade hungers for love and affection. As the pair tries to distance themselves from their nightmarish past to forge a dream future, Hope’s killer lurks in the background, waiting to strike again.

Nora Roberts’ mantel must contains every known romance writer’s award and a few other genre trophies as well. To readers, the word Nora means exceptional romantic suspense. Yet her latest work, CAROLINA MOON, is probably the pinnacle of this hall of fame writer’s career. The suspense is filled with action and never slows down until the climax is reached. The lead characters are a wonderful duo linked by tragedy and love. Their romance serves as a counterpoint to the travesties caused by various villains including the killer. At the end of the twenty-first century, Ms. Roberts is a sure shot, perhaps the only romance genre representative, in a top hundred list of twentieth century authors.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner