“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Countless times I have heard this old adage, yet that is exactly what I did. As soon as I laid my eyes on the book jacket of River’s End by Nora Roberts, I felt compelled to read it. I skimmed the blurb on the inside cover and knew that this book must be mine. From this reading, I surmised that this would be a romance novel. After spending an entire Saturday afternoon completely engrossed in this masterpiece, I discovered that it was no mere romance novel. It was so much more—mystery, suspense, action, and romance all rolled into one. Roberts effectively uses fast and slow time to draw us into the story. If she had used mostly slow time, the book would have been several volumes. If she had used mostly fast time, we would not get to know the characters well enough which would have made the reading uninteresting. Roberts used a perfect balance, only slowing time down when necessary to the plot.
Four-year-old Olivia Tanner is no stranger to her parents’ fights. Usually she runs and hides in the closet among her stuffed animals. Sam and Julie Tanner are two of the most successful actors in Hollywood. Sam’s drinking and drug abuse, nevertheless, leads to the ruin of their marriage. One night, however, when she hears screaming coming from the living room, she decides to investigate. Upon reaching the living room, she witnesses her father holding a pair of scissors in her mother’s back. Roberts describes the scene so vividly that we can smell the blood in the air and see the shadowy figures slumped in the floor. Her father looks up to find her gazing down upon him. He chases Olivia around the house, calling out after her. Out of fear, Olivia runs back to her room to hide in the closet. The next morning, Sam Tanner is in custody, charged with the murder of his wife. Officer Frank Brady finds Olivia curled up with fear in the closet. He delivers her to the rest of her family—her aunt and uncle and her grandparents. As readers, we see a frightened Olivia run in front of the news cameras, screaming and covering up her ears. We feel sorry for the small child, and begin anticipating what her future holds. Roberts paints a picture with her words, and we can visualize what is happening as though we are present at the scene of the crime.
The next time we see Olivia, she is a preteen who lives with her grandparents in Washington State, far from the media. She has forgotten all about that tragic night. Certain things are not mentioned around the house. The mere mention of her mother’s name sends her grandmother into a dizzy spell. Olivia learns that certain things simply must be avoided; yet her curiosity gets the better of her. She creeps into the attic, which is “off-limits,” and discovers a trunk. The mysterious trunk holds newspapers that tell of her mother’s murder, but she wants to know more. She asks her aunt to explain what happened. We watch as Olivia discovers more about her past. She even contacts Frank Brady for more details. We see these events play a part in her goals for the future. She is more determined than ever not to marry. Roberts is knowledgeable about the human psyche. She always has the characters acting naturally, even though they are fictitious. This seems almost predictable at times, but it is not so in an annoying way. It in fact lends the characters credibility, which increases our interest in their lives and the story.
The next section of the book introduces Noah Brady, the son of the officer who found Olivia in the closet. Noah, who was ten at the time of the murder, has grown up hearing about the case. He sees how deeply his father cares about Olivia, and that confuses him. As a police officer, Frank Brady is trained to be a professional, not permitting the details of the case to affect his work. Noah wants to know why this case is different. What makes his father care? He quits his job and embarks on a mission to tell the story of that night. A writer, Noah knows that this story will give him the chance of a lifetime. In order to tell this story, however, he knows he will need the consent and the participation of Olivia and her family. He tracks her down to a California college and meets her at her apartment. As we expect, Olivia and Noah are sidetracked by feelings for each other. This begins an internal conflict for Noah. He wants to tell Olivia about his plans for the book, yet his feelings for her impede this process. Naturally, Olivia eventually finds out about his original motives (which have now slightly changed because Noah is smitten and does not want to do anything that might hurt Olivia again.) She is rightly furious and sends Noah away for, as far as she is concerned, forever. At this point in the book, we see that Olivia is frightened again. She had made the promise to herself never to love anyone, but just when she was about to fall in love with Noah, she decides she can’t trust him after all. Once again, Roberts is a master of the human psyche. She only allows the characters to act in ways that are natural.
Noah is determined to get his story, with or without the help of Olivia. One day, he receives a letter from Sam Tanner. Sam asks Noah to write his memoirs. This is another lucky break for Noah, but he knows that Sam Tanner used to be one of the greatest actors of his time. He resolves to prevent Tanner from controlling him. Noah wants this story to be the truth about the murder, not just about Sam Tanner. He determines that he will not give Tanner the upper hand. Noah speaks with Sam to get his story. Unfortunately, Sam has two different versions of what happened that night. In one, Sam killed his wife. In the other, he came home to find her already dead. These varying accounts lead the reader to begin doubting what they were certain happened. This is the point where mystery enters the story. Did Sam stab Julie with the scissors? Or did Sam find her that way? Roberts again holds the reader spellbound.
The rest of the novel takes the reader on a series of twists and turns. Just when we decide that we know what happened, we think again. Over and over this happens, and we start to feel crazy like Sam Tanner. Roberts provides at the end an O. Henry ending, which, although surprising, makes perfect sense. Did Sam really kill his wife? Did Sam not kill his wife? Will Noah and Olivia get together? Will Olivia stick to her decision to avoid him at all costs? Well, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
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