and i bow down to the endless genius that is

25. Hot pursuit, Suzanne Brockmann

Suzanne Brockman is amazing. She is inspirational as a writer, someone I look up to and think -- I will never be able to write like her. But want to desperately anyway. She is hands down with out a doubt my favorite author. Easy.

She never fails to deliver. Hot pursuit was a little unusual in that it was sort of an Alyssa and Sam novel. But they all ready had their novel about 6 or 7 books back. There wasn't really a new central relationship. Which was fine. It paid more attention to the thriller aspect, which was also fine.

I seriously can't even describe how good she is. She has this series called the Troubleshooters Inc., series. This was her 15th. (Apparently the next one is going to be her last for a while and I want to weep.) She's created this world of first Navy SEALs and then the best personal security force in the country. And her characterization is ridiculous. She weaves hundreds of people in and out of this series (She usually has a main relationship; but she always has multiple secondary storylines going on -- she also used to always have in some way a plotline from WWII through various means -- a memoir the main character is writing, flash backs from another's grandparents etc. -- but those have faded in the last couple and I kind of miss them.) Anyway every single charachter she brings in is well-developed and unique from every other character she's written. Yes they're mostly alpha males (I mean, they're Navy SEALs after all -- they take down pirates for god's sake! lol) but they're different. And I know I bash on Nora a bit (I really do like a lot of her books -- she even wrote one of my favorites) but she could really take lessons from Ms. Suz here.

The relationships she creates are real and powerful. She has a beautiful way of writing something to feel honest. Some writers gloss over real life, but her books feature a world that is honest (even though her situations may be fantastical -- in Kazbekestan waiting out hijackers, in an Indonesian jungle on the run from drug lords) She doesn't shy away from real life situations; people don't like each other sometimes, people make huge mistakes, people are alcoholics that relapse and sleep with their lover's ex-boyfriends. And these are her main characters. She tackles issues not normally addressed in your "typical" romance novel. Alcoholism is a major theme. One that touches the lives of many of her characters. Blatant homophobia (her son in life is gay, and it's an important topic for her -- one novel in her series the main couple is a gay couple -- which is groundbreaking for the romance genre), sexism in a mainly male-dominated job, making inter-racial relationships work in a still racist world. One of her main characters was gang-raped. Another had a situation like the "gates" thing happen to him (long before the gates thing happend). Every book has various themes and points she makes -- they have depth that makes you want to go rally for something. Usually it takes multiple books for characters to find "their happy endings" -- and along with way everything usually becomes a CLUSTERFUCK. Two characters you thought she was going to put together for like 5 novels, ended up with different people because that's where their story arcs took them. I think Sam and Alyssa (probably the favorite couple of the whole series -- and yes there are actually polls out there dealing with that question) took about 10 books to get their happy ending.

Apart from characterization, which clearly she rules at, she is a wonderful storyteller. Every novel is a page turner. All her plotlines -- man, insane. I don't even know how she comes up with them. She's genius, clearly.

Some other things: SHE MENTIONS BINGHAMTON IN THE BOOK. holy shit, I had to stop reading for like five minutes, because what are the odds?!?!?! (one of her characters went to SUNY Binghamton.) Also, she cracked me up because in the begining her heroine (sort of) gets "sistered." Now before last year I wouldn't have known what that was, but as it happened to me recently I can sympathize -- and just made me laugh so hard how relatable she makes her characters. And just to send this out there as a cosmic vibe: guys do not, under any circumstances tell a girl she reminds you of your sister ... this is not flattering in anyway. Even if she's not interested it's still obnoxious.

Anyhoo, as you can tell Suz is wonderful beyond imagination. She really is the kind of writer I want to be. I love every book she's ever written and read the vast majority of them -- though a few have gone out of print and have yet to be republished.

I can't wait til the next one -- the only thing that's bad is that I have to wait to the winter probably. (hopefully not longer)

til next time, happy readings :)