"Feisty and hard-hitting, look beneath the covers and you will discover a rather touching relationship story."
If you enjoy your relationship stories with a sharp spike of drama and a hefty dose of attitude then this could well be the book for you. A violent father terrorises his children, as Zane and his sister grow up, a particular incident changes their lives and sets in motion their future. While best described as romantic suspense, it does actually feel as though there are two stories here as Nora Roberts lays out the background to the trauma of Zane’s childhood before we then meet him as an adult.
She really doesn’t pull any punches, yet manages to thoughtfully balance the aggression with love and support from outside of the immediate family. The suspense is handled nicely, with the reader being ahead of the game, and therefore squirming as the characters leave one particular avenue unexplored.
While there is violence to be found between the pages, it is the later relationship tale that sits at its heart and turns this into a two-part tale. Under Currents is an engaging, hard-hitting read, sitting within a very romantic relationship tale.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts, Under Currents is a novel about the power of family to harm--and to heal. For both Zane and Darby, their small town roots hold a terrible secret. Now, decades later, they've come together to build a new life. But will the past set them free or pull them under? Inside a pristine home in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, Zane Bigelow has learned to keep secrets. Strangers see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, proud of their children. Only Zane and his sister know the terrible truth. Dominated by his father's rages--and his mother's complicity--Zane fears for his and little Britt's lives. Still he maintains the insidious lie that all is fine, while scribbling his real thoughts in a secret journal he must carefully hide away. Now, as a grown man struggling to build a new life, Zane will find that while his past may always shadow him, it will also show him that love and goodness can triumph--and give him strength to draw on when he once again must stand up and defend himself and the woman he loves.
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
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A comprehensive and readable account of the effects of hidden domestic abuse.
Norah Roberts is always interesting and a very capable writer who does not evade difficult issues. In Under Currents she addresses domestic abuse and its long term effects on individuals and families.
Teenage Zane and his younger sister Britt live, apparently happily to the outside world, with parents Dr Graham Bigelow and stay at home mother Eliza. Crunch time comes when Zane tries to stop his father from attacking Eliza and is himself very badly assaulted. Unbelievably Eliza, although severely injured, takes his father's side. The early part of the novel is quite direct in describing the violence so be prepared.
Zach eventually escapes the house and moves away to college. He finds a girlfriend Darby who has experienced trauma of her own. So, in the end, this is quite a wide examination of some of society's ills.... Read Full Review
Undercurrents by Nora Roberts is a great way to while away the time, especially during these restrictive days of coronavirus. A great read, full of detail and suspense, yet another successful novel
Undercurrents by Nora Roberts was sent to me by LoveReading to review. With Coronavirus taking a hold in the UK at present it is important to keep busy and reading this new offering was a great way to relax and lose oneself in the pages of this thick and meaty novel. The story has some harrowing moments with domestic abuse and family relationships taking a front seat, but is certainly makes for an exciting read. The main character Zane is down to earth and a hero on many levels, alongside his side kick Darby and many others. I became totally engrossed in this novel, and couldn't put it down. I was carrying it around the house so I could read a few pages wherever I was!... Read Full Review
I was utterly engrossed in this brutal and hard-hitting romantic suspense story, so much so that there were times I could barely blink as the tension ratcheted up.
“Under Currents” was my first Nora Roberts novel, so I went into this with no preconceptions other then I knew she was the number-one New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. It was obvious from the first few pages alone that this was a seasoned author who knows exactly how to draw the reader in early on. I was utterly engrossed in this brutal and hard-hitting romantic suspense story, so much so that there were times I could barely blink as the tension ratcheted up.
Focusing on spousal and child domestic abuse, it was exceedingly hard to read at times and a definite trigger for anyone who may be affected by this subject but it was a truly well written and brilliantly researched book into the emotions that go into the victims of abuse and their fears of retribution if they speak out.... Read Full Review
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts, Under Currents is a novel about the power of family to harm--and to heal. For both Zane and Darby, their small town roots hold a terrible secret.
Under Currents features in the following genres: Thriller and Suspense, Books of the Month, Books with reviews by our Reader Review Panel, Fiction, Recommendations, Romance / Relationship Stories
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Under Currents was written by Nora Roberts and published by St. Martin's Press an imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group
Under Currents has 544 pages
