The collector by Nora Roberts

Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9780749959319.
(Age 15+) Thriller. Romance. Lila Emerson is an author who loves looking after other people's homes while they are away. That way she experiences houses that she could never afford to live in herself and she enjoys watching the world go by from the windows of different places. But one day she sees the brutal murder of a young woman in an apartment across the way and her life is threatened. Teaming up with Ashley Archer, an artist, she embarks on a dangerous quest to find out what is behind the murder.
Although The collector has slightly less sparkle than earlier romantic thrillers from Roberts, like Angel Falls and Northern Lights, it is still a solid read in the romantic suspense genre, of which Roberts is a master. Both Lila and Ash are likeable characters and the romance between the two is a satisfying one for readers who love romance. The little miniature poodle, Earl Grey, is a delight and adds a touch of humour to the read.
The theme of seeing a murder through a window is reminiscent of Rear Window, and the introduction of Faberge eggs is also a familiar ploy from other romantic suspense novels that I have read. However the familiarity won't bother readers, especially those who are relatively new to both the genre and the author.
I particularly enjoy the fact that Roberts writes her romantic suspense books as stand-alone novels, and as a reader I don't have to follow a series. It also makes for an easy reread for that feel-good sensation that reading a Nora Roberts book leaves.
Fans of Nora Roberts will find this an easy to read romance with a dash of thriller thrown in and won't be disappointed.
Pat Pledger