The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Piatkus, 2016. ISBN 9780349407760
(Age: Adult) Recommended for fans of Nora Roberts and the romantic suspense genre. Naomi Bowes was just a young girl when she followed her father into the woods one night and discovered that he had a young woman trapped in the cellar there. She waited until her father left and then freed the woman and struggled with her to the police station. She now lives under the name of Naomi Carson and is a successful photographer, who has finally decided to settle in Sunrise Cove where she meets Xander Keaton who disturbs her solitude. Pursued by the notoriety of her infamous father, she is afraid that her past has caught up with her when women begin to disappear and bodies are found.
I am a big fan of Nora Roberts and The obsession is another entertaining suspenseful romance. It starts out with a disturbing and vivid description of the life that Naomi has led with a weak mother who has been totally dominated by her husband, who turns out to be a serial killer. Even at a young age, Naomi is a morally strong child, who knows that her father's actions at the root cellar are wrong and with great courage she manages to rescue the young woman that he abducted and then tell the police about it. She also looks after her younger brother. Roberts always find a new occupation for her heroines, in this case Naomi is a photographer. The information given about her work and the different ways that she makes a living from it also make for interesting background to the character.
As an adult, Naomi has not settled down either into a location or into a relationship, but when she finds the house at Sunrise Cove, she knows that this could be a home for her. The residents of the small town are friendly and she finds that not only is she spending lots of money on having her house renovated but has become the owner of a dog and has the persistent attention of Xander. The gradual easing of the emotional constraints that she has imposed on herself contrast with the growing terror of the murders that start happening very close to her.
Reading a Nora Robert's novel is always like returning to an old friend. Often the plot feels familiar and certainly the romance path is very recognisable, but the background to the serial killer and the feelings and plight of the family left behind by a serial killer, gives The obsession a fresh feel. Fans of both Nora Roberts and romantic suspense will not be disappointed with this novel.
Pat Pledger