My Book Review for Identity by Nora Roberts

My Book Review for Identity by Nora RobertsIdentity by Nora Roberts
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on May 23, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Crime, Fiction / Romance / Suspense, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 448
Format: Hardcover
Source: Amazon
five-stars

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author's terrifying next thriller about one man's ice-cold malice, and one woman's fight to reclaim her life.

Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan's job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who'd been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. "Luke" is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn't his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan's nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother's home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn't flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn't forgotten the one who got away.

My Review

Reader, in case you did not already know, I am a huge Nora Roberts fan and have been for years. I can remember reading her books in my late teen years, and now, years into adulthood, I have not stopped. I love that her stories are more than just romance and can hit some serious topics or simply fall into the fantasy realm. I received Identity for Christmas last year, and I had been holding off on picking it up until the nicer months due to the belief that this story took place then. Let me just say that this story actually takes place across all the seasons, so if you are a seasonal reader like I am, then you are all set to pick it up whenever. Let me ask you: are you a seasonal reader, or does that not matter to you? My husband giggles about it because he is not a seasonal reader and does not get my “weirdness” around it. Honestly, though, I am kind of like that with shows and movies as well. I can’t be the only one, right?

I am going to be honest here: I finished this book a week or so ago and have not stopped thinking about it since. Let me get into it, and hopefully, you will be intrigued enough to want to pick this one up because I would love to discuss it with someone. In this story, we are following a woman named Morgan Albright. She grew up moving around a lot because her father was in the military. As an adult, all Morgan wanted to do was put down roots, which was all she wanted as a kid, but being in a military family made it difficult. Morgan lives in Baltimore in a little house that she bought and drives a Prius. She has big plans for her home and her life. Unfortunately, she needs money to make that happen, so she works two jobs and saves money where she can. Morgan works for a construction-type company as the office manager and also in a bar as a bartender. She loves her jobs and the people she works for and with. I forgot to mention that she also has a roommate named Nina, who works at the garden center in town. Nina often dates, and at the time of this story, she is with a guy named Sam. They are getting pretty serious in their relationship. Morgan, however, does not date much because she has goals she wants to accomplish, which leaves no time for her to date. One night, while working at the bar, a man walks in and catches her eye. He is smooth, nicely dressed, and good-looking. He introduces himself as Luke and manages to convince Morgan to go out with him. Little does Morgan or even Nina know that this decision will change their lives forever. You see, Reader Luke is actually a guy named Gavin who also happens to be a serial killer and steals his victim’s identities. This time, his plans did not work out because he ended up killing Nina one night due to what he calls necessity and missed out on his target, which was Morgan. He manages to get away, but not before getting all of Morgan’s bank information, some jewelry, and her Prius. The loss of Nina is devastating for Morgan, but it becomes even more so once she realizes that it was not Nina who was supposed to die but Morgan herself. Life only gets worse from here for Morgan. You see, Gavin has managed to steal all of Morgan’s savings and takes out large amounts of debt under her name. There is no coming back from this, so Morgan ends up selling her home. She is not left with many options. Morgan decides to move to Vermont and live with her mom and grandmother, whom she fondly calls her ladies.

It takes time for Morgan to get her footing again after losing everything, but it turns out that Vermont might just be the best decision for her. Here, she has love and support, not to mention a beautiful home to live in and bonus, the arrangement allows her to get to know her ladies in a new light. Morgan finally has time to slow down and process everything that has happened to her. She discovers new strength in herself and finds some hobbies that interest her. She becomes part of the community, gets a great job, and meets a new guy. Things are really starting to look up for her, with the little exception of Gavin, who is still out there somewhere killing innocent women. He does not want her to forget about him or his plans for her and sends her little messages throughout the book. Creepy right? Just to keep her on her toes.

“Bet your left eye. One thing this case has taught me? Life is for living. Let’s catch this motherfucker and start living.”

Not only do we follow Morgan through this story, but we also get to know the agents who are working on the case. Nora Roberts really shows the stress that they are under to catch this killer and the frustrations that they feel when they miss. She also does a great job of fleshing out Gavin’s character. We learn so much about him throughout the story, from why he kills to how he grew up. I liked that Sam does not disappear from the story once Nina is killed. We still get to see snippets from his life as the story continues. I also really liked getting to know Morgan’s ladies and watching their relationship develop into something truly wonderful. If you are looking for a story that could bring you out of a reading slump, then I think that this might be a good choice. It is rather fast-paced, jumping between perspectives, seasons, and across the states chasing a serial killer. If you are looking for a story full of strong female characters, friendships, family, love, and rebuilding a life, this one might be for you. Like I said earlier, I finished this book a week or so ago, and I am still thinking about it. I really enjoyed it and am so glad to have read it. If you decide to pick this one up, please let me know your thoughts because I am curious. Until Next Time, Reader, Happy Reading.

Trigger Warnings:

  • Violence Against Women
  • Murder
  • Verbal Abuse
  • Parental Neglect
  • Identity Theft
  • Animal Neglect (a small scene)
  • Murder of a Parent
  • Murder of a Best Friend
  • Murder of a Child

five-stars
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