Book Review: Standoff

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Standoff     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Sandra Brown
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Psychological Suspense   Thriller
Warner, May 2000, $19.95, 224 pp.

Texas billionaire Russell Dendy is livid that his seventeen-year old daughter Sabra is pregnant by a male he considers to be a low life. Russell plans to separate the teens and give up his grandchild for adoption. However, before he can implement his plan, the young future parents skip town together.

Russell calls the FBI who traps the runaways in a convenience store in a small Texas town. Ronnie, Sabra’s boyfriend, pulls out a gun and holds the other customers hostage. However, the tense standoff changes when Sabra goes into labor. TV reporter Tiel McCoy and Doc (a rancher) are among the hostages. The pair tries to insure a safe delivery as well as attempt to avoid another Ruby Ridge. However, there are other people involved in the standoff that have a different agenda.

There is no question that Sandra Brown’s latest work will rapidly climb to the top of all the bestseller lists. STANDOFF is a gripping tale of psychological suspense starring characters readers will care about and admire. The plot moves faster than Superman racing a speeding bullet does. This pace provides the audience an adrenaline pumping experience that requires a warning label “not for faint of heart”. Ms. Brown even humanizes the FBI, making them real caring people preferring to avoid bloodshed as opposed to the literary stereotype of cold-blooded legal killers. This novel is a triumphant work that will elate sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner