I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Cross Roads
by
Fern Michaels
It is part of the Sisterhood #18 series and is a romantic suspense in a paperback edition that was published by Zebra on October 1, 2010 and has 384 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Hide and Seek, Weekend Warriors, Vendetta, The Jury, Sweet Revenge, Lethal Justice, Free Fall, Hokus Pokus, Fast Track, Collateral Damage, Final Justice, Under the Radar, Razor Sharp, Vanishing Act, Deadly Deals, Game Over, Déjà Vu, Home Free
Eighteenth in the Sisterhood vengeance-suspense series revolving around a core team of seven women seeking justice for those denied it.
My Take
Never discount the bond of friendship amongst women. And that’s just what Jellicoe has done. Global Securities is preventing any of the ladies or their men from contacting each other. For eighteen months. If this group is so smart, how come it took them so long to figure this out?
Myra is complaining to Charles that nobody needs her because they aren’t calling her. So? Get out there and find something of your own. Why does Myra need someone to present an objective to her on a platter?? Why hasn’t Charles figured out something is wrong? As for Annie, for a woman with her wealth, how can she be so stupid? What?? She doesn’t believe that the cocktail waitresses at the Babylon might have some clue as to why they get great tips? She just ups and fires people for spurious reasons?
In Game Over, 17, they all seemed to think Jellicoe’s offer was good. Good money. And a good idea to get out of town for awhile with all the glare of publicity on the pardoned vigilantes. So WTF are the women doing going off on the guys for making that decision? It all seemed on the up and up at the time. I didn’t hear the ladies complaining then. In 18 months no one took a vacation to see one another? Then they start to get their act together and what do they do? They slam their men and keep them out of the planning. The men are good enough to use for the dirty work but not enough for planning? These women will turn on you on a dime. Sure, they can be nice and they’re certainly charitable. As long as you’re not in love with them. Michaels must really hate men. Between how she has her female characters treat their own men and the viciousness of their attacks on the bad guys…whoa. Dang it, I gotta be fair, Michaels has the girls ripping on the bad girls as well…
I’ll agree that Charles may be a bit blind about Hank, but they have been friends for a long time and his track record would support Charles’ position so why Myra and the girls are being such bitches to him…egads.
Just how has Jellicoe “screwed up Myra’s life so that she was virtually a prisoner here at the farm”? From what I’ve read, Myra has done this to herself waiting for someone knock on her door and give her a job or an interest.
Slowly, slowly, the wheels turn and the background checks go deeper and further back revealing a wealth of information on Jellicoe and the truth behind the plot to kill the President.
These women will drive me nuts with their “we’re women so we’re the best” bitching. If they’re so good, why do they always have to turn to Avery Snowden and his people to ensure they keep their butts out of the sling?
Oh, please. The guy is a former Assistant District Attorney with a black belt and he tells another guy that he’s being “a big silly”??? Oh. My. God. Where does Michaels come up with this lousy dialog??? Although, I did enjoy how she had Bert, Jack, and Harry destroying the CIA team’s egos. It was pretty funny. The big sillies…
Speaking of dialog…I mentioned in an earlier review on this series that Michaels seems to have her characters on speed talking 80 miles a minute in choppy sentences. This initial exchange between Maggie and Emma Doty is an example of this. It’s also an information dump and almost sounds like a spiel to extort money.
‘Well, I read your paper online every day. I lived for many years in the Chesapeake area. When my husband passed away…We were childhood sweethearts. I’m disabled and housebound these days, so my life is pretty much my computer. Don’t you go feeling sorry for me, now; my children take real good care of me.’
Why do Snowden and the boys have such an adversarial relationship? Is it supposed to be a guys’ thing? ‘Cause it sure seems hostile to me.
I do like Kathryn’s relationships with the other truckers, and then there’s Espinosa’s glee as he snaps shots of the captives…oh man…
The Story
The girls are either angry or bored. The guys are itchy and getting really suspicious. Nothing is turning out as they expected. It’s makework of the worst kind, and it’s Ted and Joe who start putting the pieces together and start the avalanche by resigning from Global Securities. Their heads-up to Maggie sends her sprinting to Myra and Annie to relay their concerns. In the meantime, Harry and Yoko have returned to D.C. Seems the training Global Securities set up with the Israelis was totally unwanted and discounted by them and with Yoko’s miscarriages, Harry has resigned from Global as well.
Luckily for Jack, his secretary is late to the office, and he finds the faxes for Joe, Ted, and Harry’s resignations, and he contacts Bert, resulting in their resigning. Which sets off the summit meeting at 30,000 feet with the heads of MI5, the Sûreté, Mossad, Interpol, and Scotland Yard. And Hank Jellicoe. Seems theirs was a plot to keep the vigilantes out of the way while Jellicoe finds out who is behind the plot to kill the president.
The Characters
Myra and Charles Martin are back at the farmhouse in Virginia and Myra is bored out of her tiny mind. Annie is kicking slot machines in Vegas and glad to see the back of Little Fish. Maggie Spritzer and Ted Robinson are still engaged, and Alexis Thorne and Joe Espinosa are very happy, but Joe and Ted are off running around the world doing busy-work newsletters for Global Securities. Harry and Yoko Wong are married and working in Israel; Yoko has had two miscarriages. Bert Navarro and Kathryn Lucas and Jack and Nikki Emery are working abroad and both couples are arguing and about to split up, the girls are so angry over Global’s machinations. Isabelle Flanders is practically held prisoner by Stu Franklin in Paraguay and has been plotting her escape for months. Cosmo Cricket and Lizzie Fox have a baby boy, Little Jack. Nellie and Elias Cummings have settled into a boring retirement mostly due to Nellie’s two hip replacements.
President Martine Connor hasn’t heard from Hank Jellicoe since the night he proposed to her.
Abner Tookus is a computer whiz and a very good friend of Maggie’s who can always find the goods. Avery Snowden is one of Charles’ contacts. Emma Doty is a piece of Jellicoe’s past with some very interesting information.
The Cover and Title
This cover might actually have some relevance to the story! Who knew!! Again, it has a garden theme, up close and personal of pink geraniums blooming from fat white concrete planters with a peek at blue-and-white striped patio chairs in the lower right corner.
The title is also relevant as the vigilantes are bored and angry with their current lives. They have their pardons but life is meaningless right now, what they need is some action, something with meat. The ex-vigilantes are at a Cross Roads in their lives.
