Sandra Brown and I go way back.  We started in the field of romance together, actually met at the first ever Romance Writers of America conference.  We raised our kids, saw them marry and have their own kids at roughly the same time.  Both straying from the romance genre, I entered the field of women’s fiction, while Sandra made her mark writing thrillers. Her novels are beautifully written, exquisitely plotted, and deeply sensual.

Low Pressure, her latest book, is no exception.  I had the pleasure of hunkering down this weekend to read it, and while you know that I don’t do book reviews but simply tell you what I like, I gotta say I like this one.  Where to begin?

How about the beginning.  Low Pressure grabs you on Page One and never lets go.  Just when you think you’re getting a handle on Bellamy Price or Dent Carter or one of several key secondary characters, Sandra adds a twist that has you desperate to read on to learn more.

The words.  Whether describing the sky ahead of a tornado, the panic of feeling an assailant’s blade at one’s throat, or a physical desire that approaches explosive, Sandra nails it.

The characters. Bellamy and Dent are fully-formed, rich in background and hang-ups that prevent them from getting what they most surely want — that prevent them from even seeing what they most surely want.  Ahh, but the other sees.  Where to go from there?

The dialogue.  Sandra’s ear is perfect.  The dialogue in Low Pressure is fast-paced and realistic, true to the personalities of each speaker.

The sex.  Hot.

And the ending?  Very, very satisfying.

So if you’ve never read Sandra Brown – or if you simply want something grabbing during this holiday season, try Low Pressure.  I loved it.