Final Betrayal

Congratulations to a new Author! Even though I'm not from TX and am a "northerner", I understood completely all her Texas idioms that she sprinkled throughout the book. The storyline was good, although the only thing I did NOT like was the constant usage of the "f" word and other curse words in the book in order to make one of the characters appear tough. Not necessary. There's other ways to make a person tough without resorting to cursing. I'm not a prude by any means, but it's insulting to constantly read it on every page; you can get your point across without falling to derogatory language...too bad Ms. Taylor didn't learn that before she wrote this book. As far as figuring out the "whodunit", that was easy; within the first 40 pages or so, you can figure it out, or if not, by the time you reach the midway point, you should have by then. The handicapped person has, in real life, plenty of help at their disposal to get out of their predicament. It was very frustrating to me to read that no one in the book gave that person any options for secreting their freedom from the exterior-imposed and self-imposed "prison" set upon them, and given that person's previous employment, they certainly knew better (although they themselves chose not to partake of the various resources available), so there was no excuse to live in that environment. The ending was ridiculous. NO ONE in their right mind would ever do that, legally or illegally...at least no one that owns a conscience. A total turnoff to me, and the main character, having the status and being in the profession they're in, would never do that for two reasons: 1- their own conscience and 2- the legalities of the act, which gets them in trouble (an accomplice or an accessory after the fact), so this makes the ending totally implausible and ridiculous, which is why I rate this book four stars...I really only want to rate it 3 1/2, but I don't know how to do a half star.

i love a good mystery and have a number of favorite authors whose voices i have enjoyed watching develop over many years. For a first book, Elain Taylor has nailed a powerful and distinctive voice and style. She creates characters I found myself caring about (every writer's first responsibility in my opinion) and the story has that ring of truth to it that makes it engaging. it's a no holds barred, intense journey through sex, money & power that stirred strong emotions and burned lasting images in my mind. it's a hell of a book. recommend it to your friends and give this book the success it deserves.

Wow! I was blown away by this book, but luckily, not like the character who gets offed in the first few pages. Elaine Taylor's debut is stellar. The heroine is an original from her frequently hilarious Texas homilies to her viewpoints on life, and is well worth spending time with. The plot focuses on her attempts to find out the real murderer of her lover, and the book has great action scenes, sex scenes, dialogue, and humor. I burned through this in two days, and am going to recommend it to everyone I know.

This is a thrilling romp that takes you through San Francisco and into the sexy and complicated past of Catherine Calabretta. She is a foot stompin' Texas babe who has an edge but also a softer side. Her side kicks are fully fleshed out characters that make the book what it is. And I loved Garbo the dog! The humour and the off the wall characters lift this above a run of the mill "who dunnit". It is near impossible to put down and I left the book wanting more. I hope the author has a follow up coming out soon!

Excellent book. The writing is fast-paced, the sex is sizzling, and the characters are superb. I would and have recommended this book to just about anyone over the age of 18 - well, maybe 21. Catherine Calabretta is an interesting and unique heroine with a Texas flare. You'll find that Catherine's entourage are not your run of the mill personalities. You won't want to put it down.