Romantic Suspense Annotation: Come Sundown

BASIC INFORMATION: 

Title: Come Sundown 

Author: Nora Roberts

Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Publication Date: 

June 2017 ISBN: 9781250123077

Number of Pages: 466 

Geographical Setting: Western Montana 

Time Period: Present Day; Flashbacks to the 1990’s mixed in

PLOT SUMMARY: Come Sundown is a standalone romantic suspense novel set on the Bodine Ranch in Western Montana. The Bodine family runs a working ranch and resort, with Bodine Longbow overseeing it all. When new hire, Callen Skinner, comes back to town, Bodine is swept off her feet by his cowboy ways and must decide if he can have her heart...and her trust. Meanwhile, terrible events are happening in their resort town: people are missing, hurt, and murdered. It is up to the Bodine family to put everyone at ease through these trying times. 

Unknown to Bodine and family, only a few miles away lives the aunt who ran away twenty plus years ago without a trace. Alice Bodine is living her own reality, one that is twisted, dangerous, and much different than the life she left behind. When their worlds collide, Bodine must face the dangerous world in which her aunt lived and decide if her love for her home, her family, and Callen Skinner are enough to help her overcome her enemies. 

CHARACTERISTICS/APPEAL OF ROMANTIC SUSPENSE: 

Intricate Plot: Most romantic suspense novels have plots that are similar to those found in Adrenaline and Mystery’s with unexpected twists and exciting endings. Come Sundown has an action-packed story line with many twists and turns and is nonlinear, as it shifts between time periods. It is also character-driven because the story line moves forward through the characters thoughts, growth, and action. Wyatt & Saricks (2019) write "the courtship and relationship aspects of the Romance remain primary, but the novel further revolves around elements of danger (p. 221).”

Tone: The tone of a novel is the emotion it evokes. Come Sundown has a bittersweet tone because it causes mixed emotions. The relationships (familial, romantic, and community) make the novel feel heartwarming, romantic, and homespun. However, the dangerous aspects set the tone as scary, menacing, and suspenseful. 

Pace: Most Adrenaline novels are fast-paced and the twists keep the story moving. In this novel, the story moves in an intensifying manner because it starts slow with the building of relationships in the beginning of the novel, and then speeds up as more suspenseful, action-packed events take place. 

READ-ALIKES: 

Come Home: Lisa Scottoline 

Blood Trails: Sharon Sala 

Night Diver: Elizabeth Lowell 

BLOGGER'S REVIEW: 

I really enjoyed Come Sundown by Nora Roberts! This book had a lot of the appeals that I personally enjoy. It was thrilling and suspenseful, but also had a few well-developed love stories weaved throughout the novel. It did start out a little slow, to the point that I was wondering if it would be considered a romantic suspense, but it eventually picked up and I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what happened next. The violent scenes got the point across without including too many gory details. This would be a great book for those interested in romantic suspense without having scenes that were too grotesque.

Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction: Third edition. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.