Act of Betrayal

Rating:
Summary: A few problems
Review: Buchanan's Britt Montero is a tough independent woman--which is always nice to see but her relationship with her fictional partners is weird. In ACT OF BETRAYAL, the reader is never privy to why Montero and McDonald's relationship is on and off. Furthermore, the author never allows the reader to glimpse, in any depth, what goes on in Montero's brain after the unexpected meeting of the two men in her life. I noticed the same lack of depth in MARGIN OF ERROR--as far as whoever Montero's present heart throb happened to be. The romances are sort of eruptive and then dormant. In addition to a lack of depth in part of Montero's character, a lack of depth was evident in other parts of the book. For instance, I found the reason behind Reyes' perversion to be very weak and unsatisfying. I also found that the plot would ebb and flow with too much detail and then not enough. The plot would nearly stumble and then rush to finish.

Rating:
Summary: intricate plotting, great action, too much soap opera
Review: For the record, I am reviewing this book as a book on tape. The dastardly plots amongst the Cuban exile community keeps this book racing along. Unfortunately, the soap opera of Britt's erratic love life slowed the story down. Nevertheless, it is a good book and I gladly recommend it.

As for the book on tape aspect - it was very well read, including pretty good accents for the aging Cuban conspirators. Good job.

Rating:
Summary: Hurricane season in Cuban Miami
Review: Like the author once did, Britt Montero thrives as a driven, resourceful crime reporter for steamy Miami's major daily. But the car-bombing of a Cuban journalist gives her job an uncomfortably personal dimension and perhaps it's that which compels her to look into an old missing-boy case for a distraught parent. Montero's digging uncovers a disturbing pattern of similar-looking missing boys, all thought to be runaways and given short shrift by the police.

But Montero is taken off the story in order to conduct an interview with a difficult leader of the Cuban-American community. Half-Cuban herself and long feeling an empathy with her dead freedom-fighter father, Montero accepts the assignment unwillingly but finds Juan Carlos Reyes intriguing.

Unbeknownst to her, Reyes knew her parents. He claims to have a diary of her father's somewhere in storage and promises to find it for her. Montero's mother suddenly refuses to speak to her and another old Cuban, a blustery fighter still trying to mount an invasion, tells a different story about the diary, tying it into the journalist's bombing murder.

The two story lines unfold in parallel as a killer hurricane (which Montero ignores) summons strength for an attack on Miami. Buchanan brings it all together in a splintering, action-packed conclusion featuring mayhem, murder and gruesome revelation. A fast-paced story, determined, likable heroine and rich Miami setting.

Rating:
Summary: Grabs your attention and doesn't let go
Review: Loved this book as much as all of Buchanan's work. A fabulous read, full of suspense. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous as always.
Review: Loved this book as much as all of Buchanan's work. A fabulous read, full of suspense. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Grabs your attention and doesn't let go
Review: This book has it all -- murder, kidnapping, political prisoners, mother/daughter conflicts and even an Act of God. Once the action starts, it doesn't stop. I have a few small quibbles with the book (for instance, the crime that starts the book is never fully explained), but it doesn't really detract from your enjoyment. Best of all, I liked Britt. Her frustration about her story of a lifetime getting pushed to the back burner really rang true with me.