Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed!
Review: I have really enjoyed all of Elizabeth Lowell's contemporary novels, however this one was a huge let down. As a romantic suspense (with a hint of history), the romance was a 1, the suspense a 3 and the details of illuminated manuscripts a boring 1. There was very little romantic chemistry between the lead characters and the only thing that redeemed the book was the slightly interesting (if not tidy) ending.
Rating: 
Summary: From generation to generation kind've read!
Review: Moving Target by talented writer Elizabeth Lowell is a compelling read that will have the reader swiftly turning the pages-- When the main character in the story, Serena Charters' grandmother is murdered, she inherits the cabin her grandmother was in at the time of her death, a piece of cloth, a warning to trust no one, and eight pages of a Celtic Manuscript, that may have come from a book recognized as the, 'Book of the Learned', passed down for centuries in her family, and so, the mystery begins... A book not to be missed!
Rating: 
Summary: Actually awful
Review: I haven't read much of Ms Lowells later works. When I read the early reviews of this book, I thought it would be a great merge of old and new. Don't be fooled, it is a droning story of two modern people that keep hinting about the past. I'm almost finished listening to this tape, and it's taken me more than a month. There is just no reason to keep listening.
Rating:
Summary: Audiotape version
Review: I found the audiotape version of this book to be disappointing. I enjoyed the plot of the book and the fact that it is abridged probably cut down on the highly technical details that the reviewers of the hardcover version found difficult or too involved. However, this version also leaves out any Donovan reference and no author's note that many found interesting.
Further, the narrator's style did not fit with the characters, at least not as I had envisioned them. In many ways, I felt as if she were a kindergarten teacher trying to do different voices for different characters and exaggerated too much. I will wait until the book comes out in paperback to fill in the missing pieces.
Rating: 
Summary: good because it is a bit off the normal path
Review: I'd never read any of Lowell's books before, and even though it has a few comments here or there you may not like (the romance at times seems quick) , I felt the overall story line was really quite different from the norm, kept me reading pretty fast and I thought the author's comments at the back of the book, after the story about her experience was interesting, and sounded like it fueled her writing this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very technical
Review: I love Elizabeth Lowell, but her books are getting a little too much technical details for me. I started to get bogged down in the technical aspects of 12th century illuminated manuscripts, thereby missing the plot. The basic story and the romantic suspense are great, but I don't think that the level of detail that she's been putting into her books is meant for the average, intelligent reader. I found this to be the case with other of her more recent works also.
If you can overlook all of the technical details of illuminated manuscripts and just concentrate on the plot, this is a good book. If you want to know everything about 12th century illuminated manuscripts this is a great book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Lowell's best in a while.
Review: This book had good, strong characters and a well-developed, interesting plot. Both Erik and Serena were captivating, he as a strong, quiet intellectual, she as a stubborn, self-sufficient loner. She could have been stronger, but Lowell isn't known for her brilliant heroines. SErena might well be the best since JADE ISLAND. The minor characters of Erik's bosses were well-written, adding to the plot and the humor. The plot was evenly paced, though the suspense could have been taunter. It mixed the mystical with the practical, the past with the present in such a way that it kept you guessing. The best part of the book, however, was the Author's Note at the end. Life is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Beguiling
Review: One thing I appreciate about Lowell's work is the amount of research that goes into her books. She has the ability to make a specific area of interest come alive, whether it's precious gems, or in this case, illuminated manuscripts. While I agree with some of the other reviewers that the tension between the hero and heroine could have been stronger, and I wish that some of the secondary characters had been given more play, this book was very engaging, especially with its flashbacks to previous lives. The ending wasn't a big surprise, since the mystery part of the novel could have used a red herring or two, but all in all, this is a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Book of knowledge dull
Review: I found the heroine and hero weak. I also found the subject matter confusing. No real surprises in this story.
Rating:
Summary: Merging medaeval with modern
Review: I have waited years to hear the story of Erik the Learned and Serena of Silverfells, but I didn't expect the story to be woven into a modern suspense / murder mystery. The pace was exciting, the characters familiar to Lowell fans, and the story had enough suspense to enthrall those who aren't readers of her novels about "the Learned".I was a little dismayed about the overuse (in my opinion) of some four-letter vulgarities, but they didn't distract particularly from the story. For readers who aren't familiar with her writings, she often writes about groups of characters, with those characters spanning multiple books. The characters that were obviously extended from other Lowell books were well executed, and I am encouraged me to read some of her other modern-day titles. Lowell fans will enjoy the book, expecially to "check up" on the recurring characters.
|
