From "Ransom" To "Road"

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Family cookouts provide a great opportunity to take a "journey through a book!" I finished off Danielle Steel's "Ransom" during today's Memorial Day barbecue at my aunt's house. I am surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did, considering that Steel deviated from her usual romantic storyline in favor of a more suspenseful scenario. I am happy to say that Sam survived the kidnapping, and was rescued during a mission almost as elaborate as the actual abduction. Some of the credit goes to Peter, who set him free. Sadly, Peter also ended up as a casualty, along with his accomplice, Carlton Waters. Fernanda sold her house to avoid re-living memories of the carnage that occurred in her kitchen when Sam was abducted. I had to laugh when Fernanda's attorney, Jack Waterman, proposed to her and she refused him, and then fired him. Ted Lee retired and gifted his badge to Sam. He also split ties with his wife, Shirley, after 29 years of marriage. I can honestly say that in spite of the deviation from a heavily romantic storyline, I ended up truly enjoying "Ransom." However, I cannot wait to continue along "The Road To Grace" by Richard Paul Evans, "a compelling and inspriing novel about hope, healing, grace, and the meaning of life." I actually managed to read several chapters during today's cookout! I found out the identity of the mystery woman who approached Alan at the end of "Miles To Go," and what role she played in Alan's life. At this very moment, my bookmark is holding the space before Chapter 8, ready for me to pick it up right where I left off!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Just A Matter of Time Before Steel's "Ransom" Is Paid Off, And I Can Take A Journey On "The Road To Grace"

To date, I have read 15 out of 23 chapters of Danielle Steel's "Ransom." The overall plot of this particular novel involves a great deal of action and tension, leaving little to no room for Steel's usual romantic escapades. I was right when I suspected that Sam would be the one to be kidnapped and held for "Ransom." Fernanda's other 2 children, Will & Ashley, were sent out of town to avoid being kidnapped. Will went to camp, and Ashley was allowed to visit Lake Tahoe with some friends. I hope to finish "Ransom" by the end of the month, as I am eagerly anticipating the moment when I can join Richard Paul Evans on "The Road To Grace." The Road to Grace" is the third installment of Richard’s bestselling series, "The Walk," the ongoing story of one man’s unrelenting search for hope. Reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, his home, and his business, Alan Christoffersen, a once successful advertising executive, has left everything he knew behind and set off on an extraordinary cross-country journey. Carrying only a backpack, he plans to walk to Key West, the farthest destination on his map. Now nearly halfway through his trek, "The Road to Grace" takes him from South Dakota to St. Louis, Missouri. Alan covers more than 800 miles on foot, but it’s the people he meets along the way who give the journey its true meaning. Full of wisdom and hard-won truth, this is a moving standalone story as well as the continuation of the unforgettable series about hope, healing, and the meaning of life. I expect that this novel will compel me to shed a few tears,but that's OK. I've come to anitcipate needing a box of Kleenex when reading anything by Richard Paul Evans!

"Ransom" Isn't Adding Up For Me!

At the present time, I am close to the end of Danielle Steel's "Ransom." Reeling from the apparent suicide of her husband, Fernanda Barnes is struggling to keep her kids safe from the eventual fallout, financially. Above all, she is trying to keep them safe from what Detective Ted Lee, who meets Fernanda when a car is bombed in her neighborhood, perceives to be an abduction attempt. His suspicions are not unfounded, because that is exactly what Phillip Addison asked Peter Matthew Morgan to do--kidnap the Barnes children. It hasn't happened yet, but if and when it does, I suspect that Sam, the youngest son, will be the victim. He's the only one of the Barnes children who saw the alleged suspect of the car bomb planting. I feel sorry for Fernanda, but Peter is stupid for agreeing to plan something that could send him right back to prison, where he just finished a 4-year stint for cocaine posession and distribution. Honestly, this seems to be another Danielle Steel novel that will discourage me from purchasing her more recent novels. I'll stick with the classics!