Disappointing (sneaky) ending The story was fast moving as is typical of Ms Sala. Definitely a page turner but frustraiting ending leaving heroine without resolution and very obviously a prelude to a sequel. I would read any book by this author but would like it very very much if each book was complete in and of itself so in this way this offering was dissappointing.
An inconsistent read.... I like Sharon Sala books, but I did not enjoy this one. To begin with, the synopsis on the back cover was misleading. I know sometimes editors embelish with the info on the back cover, but..... It implies that Cat is going to search for her father's killer when its really about the murder of her best friend. This left me a bit confused as I kept reading along to see when the search for her father's killer would begin. Never happened. Also, it says that she first cheated death at 13, when at the beginning of the book it says that she first cheated death at 6. PUBLISHING 101 - a book's back cover should match what is inside the book.
Another thing - in the first chapter it says that the male character has just turned 40. Later he tells Cat that he is 38. Either he is insecure and was lying to Cat about his age, or someone at the publishing house was not doing their job. My guess is its the latter.
The book is supposed to be a romantic suspense, but there was virtually no romance and even less suspense. The murderer was revealed during the actual murder and Cat knew it was him from the get go. Props to Cat though, for proving her theory so quickly. But honestly, how was the murderer able to fake a coma by "relaxing"? And did the police really buy that?
Overall, I think this book could have been compressed into some sort of prolouge for the sequel where Cat goes on the search for her father's killer (as implied at the end of the book). I was really disappointed though, I could not believe that this book was published without someone noticing that the synopsis did not match with the plot. If I handed something like this to my english professor I would get an F for sure. Too bad there is no money back guarantee....Sharon Sala dares to stay true to her character Cat After I finished reading Nine Lives by Sharon Sala, I remembered thinking how gutsy it was for this author to write about a flawed character and have the guts to stick with it, keeping true to this woman's scarred past. To do anything else would have been a cop out...kind of like watching a 60 min program and expect all the loose ends to be wrapped up tidy. Nine Lives is a sensitive portrayal of a woman with a tragic past--a tough choice for an author to make. Some readers may be partial to read about a sugar coated life. And that's okay. But it was refreshing to see such an interesting realistic view of the heroine/bounty hunter Cat Dupree.
I also liked the close relationship Cat had with Marcia Benton, her childhood friend and the murder victim in this case. Cat's pain is written with such feeling, it reminded me of all the close gal pals I've had. Thankfully, they're all still breathing.
Brava, Sharon! I can't think of anyone more capable of portraying a character who walks the line between vulnerability and toughness. Can't wait for the next book in this series.
