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
Déjà Vu
by
Fern Michaels
It is part of the Sisterhood #19 series and is a romantic suspense in a paperback edition that was published by Zebra on January 1, 2011 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, Cross Roads, Home Free
Nineteenth in the Sisterhood romance-suspense series about seven former fugitives and their friends and lovers.
My Take
I suspect Michaels is feeling the need to shake things up with the breakups she has engineered in this installment. Even Elias is wondering if he’s letting Nellie down. I must say it’s about time she had the boys rebel against the women’s autocracy! Unsurprisingly, the ladies are absolutely clueless as to why the boys don’t like being treated like idiots who will come when called. Sure, it’s always fun to get some role reversal, but this is just obnoxious.
The ladies are being practical this time around. Instead of disappearing to the ends of the earth and never speaking to each other, they have scheduled regular Sunday dinners where they all get together.
I still find it so tedious to read everyone’s conversations. Hasn’t Michaels ever been told that adults don’t have to act like children?? I feel like I’m reading about middle schoolers. The whole high school reaction toward Annie’s “date” with Fergus was just embarrassing. Do adult women really act like that?? Or that she could simply write thoughts instead of having everything be a conversation. And, please, get ’em off whatever speed you have on them.
Bert and Jack are unsure as to what their next career path will be as they dither about taking over Lizzie’s old offices or taking up their old positions what with the FBI making noises about Bert coming back and Jack’s old boss hoping he will return.
Would someone please explain to me why the Washington Post would suddenly start running front page articles about the Red Hat club?? Sure, they want to stir up lots of interest and get a large crowd to smoke out Jellicoe, but surely it would seem rather suspicious to a man supposedly as astute as Jellicoe that a newspaper he already suspects of being part of the Sisterhood that suddenly starts running articles about something that really belongs in a Lifestyle or Human Interest section is suddenly on the front page AND there just happens to be a Red Hat event in his neighborhood?
Oh yeah, it makes sense to me. The FBI, a DA, two reporters, and some guy are all gonna show up in some old lady’s neighborhood and question the postman about the same issue.
Why would the president go through all the hassle of showing up at Kathryn’s birthday party in Las Vegas just to say “Happy Birthday”? Why not stay at least for a piece of cake?!?
The Story
It’s having too much time on her hands that inspires President Martine Connor with her breakthrough idea for catching Hank Jellicoe. An idea that filters back to the Sisterhood through Elias after the President requests his attendance at the pivotal meeting between the FBI, the CIA, and Homeland Security.
In between plotting the downfall of Hank Jellicoe — I’m not sure if they’re intending to show up the agencies or simply ensure Jellicoe going away behind bars, the ladies are plotting to celebrate Kathryn’s birthday while steering Bert onto the right way of handling his lady of the road.
Part of the ladies’ plot to cancel Jellicoe’s free ride is the research into his background and several more important, unknown facts arise: a brilliant young reporter who suddenly disappears from the scene and discovering the whereabouts of Jellicoe’s ex-wife and daughter.
Bert and Charles know that Jellicoe will have multiple identities and safe houses, and it’s simply a matter of applying deductive reasoning as they slowly suss out each hiding place.
The Characters
Myra and Charles seem to have reconciled while Kathryn and Bert are having a troubled patch. Maggie is finding that she’s not sure she wants to be engaged to Ted anymore and Abner is looking quite attractive to her — probably because he told her to ‘eff off. Annie may have started something with Fergus Duffy from New Scotland Yard.
President Martine Connor is finally getting off her duff and giving the heads of the CIA, the FBI, and Homeland Security an ultimatum about finding Hank Jellicoe. She also adopts Cleo, a German shepherd being retired from the military canine unit. Jack and Nikki, Harry and Yoko, and Joe and Alexis seem okay. Cornelia “Nellie” and Elias Cummings provide this particular story’s kickstart. Isabella is starting up her own architect’s office; I don’t know what happened to the one she started in Lethal Justice.
Hank Jellicoe is also Professor Simon Jordan — the real professor was probably murdered by Hank; he’s also Bertha Tolliver who drives a lovely old baby blue Cadillac. Marsha Olivettie is Hank’s ex-wife and, hoo-boy, has she got a story to tell!
The head of the FBI is Yantzy; Span is the CIA head; and, Don Frank heads up Homeland Security. Virgil Anders was an up-and-coming reporter pulling together too much information on Jellicoe; now he’s a crippled hermit looking for ways to bring him down. Tim, Bart, and Stella are fellow hackers Abner taps for help in hacking into the Witness Protection Program.
Avery Snowden has a cameo appearance. Amy Blandenburg may be Ted’s new love interest.
The Cover and Title
The cover is lovely and peaceful with its boardwalk snaking along the beach from the pair of Adirondack chairs back to the house with a cool sunrise just peeking over the horizon. What it has to do with the story, I haven’t a clue.
I’m thinking that the title refers to how bored the ladies are with their legal existence and how happily they dive back into their old felonious habits. A bit of Déjà Vu all over again.
