Book reviews

Northern Lights
Nora Roberts Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Nora Roberts Books
New book search
Nora Roberts Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Northern Lights
"

Putnam, Oct 2004, 25.95, 576 pp.
ISBN: 0399152059

Baltimore Police Officer Nate Burke is in the dumps due to the break up of his marriage so his partner Jack takes him on a night on the town. When they are ready to go home, they see a drug deal going down so they go to arrest the perpetrators, but Nate is shot and Jack is killed. Feeling guilty and unable to cope, Nate quits the force and heads to Lunacy, Alaska to become police chief.

Lunacy is a small quiet town in which Nate deals with traffic incidents and minor misdemeanors. From the first time he sees bush pilot Meg Galloway, Nate feels he has returned to the living. When a frozen male body is found inside a cave on No Name Mountain, Meg identifies the corpse as her father, who she and the townsfolk felt walked out on his family eighteen years ago. Not long afterward, newspaper publisher Max commits suicide leaving a note that he killed Meg's father. Nate thinks a second homicide is covering up a two decade old murder.

NORTHERN LIGHTS is an electrifying romantic suspense that will please the myriad of Nora Roberts' fans. The hero is a wounded warrior who runs as far away from his hometown as he just about can to bury himself in the tundra. Instead he finds a new home, a satisfying job, and a woman for some tender loving. The support cast is eccentric and likable (Nora Roberts' trademarks) with anyone and no one capable of committing murder. Thus the readers will enjoy a solid police procedural that they will want to solve (not an easy mission) alongside a strong romance heading to the New York Times bestseller list.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Northern Lights
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Kind of investigator - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards lover
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Alaska

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Northern Lights
A Perfect Cover by Maureen Tan
Family Matters by Justine Wittich
Night's Landing by Carla Neggers
Loverboy by Michele Jaffe
Fatal Embrace by Aris Whittier


Click here for more information about this book


Nora Roberts Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Amy  

SCHOLARS:
Na Ng.  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Thriller/Action books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Big vehicle disaster?

Crime Thriller

Disaster, natural or nuclear

Exploring into the wild

Horror Story?

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Religious overtones?

Spying/Terrorism Thriller

War Thriller

Water adventure

Western



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us




Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Lynn and Gilbert Morris 1:31:36 PM
Dean Koontz 12:02:10 PM
Vince Flynn 7:10:39 AM
Jean M. Auel 2:47:42 AM
Lori Wick 12:03:25 AM
Suzanne Collins 9:12:08 PM
George W. Bush 7:53:33 PM
Robert Segarra 7:11:56 PM
Dave Pelzer 7:10:38 PM
Christopher Stasheff 6:25:29 PM
Jane Juska 5:48:53 PM
Deric Longden 11:53:30 AM
Cecelia Ahern 10:53:33 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 9:30:43 PM
Donna Fletcher 9:16:54 PM
J.K. Rowling 7:40:18 PM
Lisanne Norman 7:16:47 PM
Barack Obama 7:10:39 PM
Margaret Peterson Haddix 6:23:46 PM
V.C. Andrews 2:17:47 PM

More message boards