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WILD ORCHIDS
By Jude Deveraux
I felt almost guilty when I had to go the romance section of Barnes and Noble to find this paperback bestseller. Me? I romance novel reader. Sure.
But then after reading the first half of the meaty 400 plus page book, I thought, “Romance? What romance?” This is a mystery, a thriller, a great character book. I enjoyed this (my first Jude Deveraux) completely until the last 50 pages. The book takes off into an otherworldly, almost science fiction direction that I just couldn’t follow at the end. For me, these characters had become so real that to have them immersed in something so unreal felt hollow and disappointing.
Having said that, I will definitely read Deveraux again. What a writer! This is the story of a famous writer, Ford Newcombe, who can’t find his voice or motivation to write after his wife dies. He moves from town to town looking for someone or something to write about. One day at a party where he is surrounded by busybodies who want to know what it’s like to be a famous author, he meets Jackie who becomes his assistant and nemesis and so much more.
A thumbs up with the discount of – what was she thinking with that ending? – for Jude Deveraux’s latest bestseller in paperback, Wild Orchids. On the Book Beat for KSL Newsradio 1160, I’m Amanda Dickson.
