The Collector

by Nora Roberts

Other authorsJulia Whelan (Reader)

CD audiobook, 2014

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Genres

Romance

All Topics

Fiction

Collections

SOURCE: PLCHC Branch Loan, TYPE: Audiobook

Publication

Brilliance Audio (2014), Edition: Unabridged Audiobook, 13 CDs, 15 hrs 44 mins

Description

When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn't capable of violence--against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarefied circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession.

User reviews

LibraryThing member BookJunkie777

This is a well written book, but it does have several dry areas where it gets to "relationshipy" ..... yes, I know that's a made up word.... but it's the best I can come up with. Too much of the day to day girl talk and day to day normal daily errands.... With that being said, the book's overall

storyline and characters are very good.

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LibraryThing member susan0316

I have read all of Nora Roberts books and she continues to amaze me. This is another great story. Lila is a housesitter who also writes YA fiction. She is a bit of a snoop and enjoys looking into other people's windows from her NY high rise apartments and sees a crime committed in one of them. She

calls the police and ends up in the middle of an ongoing theft ring. She also meets the brother of the crime victim who is trying to prove his brother's innocence. She and Ash spend a lot of time together trying to solve the crime and the rest is pure Nora Roberts! There are some situations in the book that are pretty hard to believe but overall the book is a fun read.

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LibraryThing member Pam1960ca

Well this was a first! A Nora Roberts book and I couldn't even finish it. The characters drive me crazy and I have no desire to see what happens. I am 44% through the book and I can't finish it.

LibraryThing member Conkie

These characters seemed ripped from the 1970-80s. The Heroine is torn between what she should believe and do, and what she actually does. Worse, she doesn't respect herself for the fluctuation, but can't seem to help herself from doing it. The Hero is a rich, spoiled caveman. He tells the Heroine

what to do and when to do it, and is unapologetic about being so. Yes, Ms. Roberts provides backgrounds for each characters flaws, but not enough to make the H/H likeable and/or relatable. I made it through the book, but only because it was the audio version. I didn't worry about listening to every detail, making it a bit more palatable, and probably receiving a little higher rating than it should.

Narrator: Julia Whelan - does a decent job providing fairly distinguishable voices for the main characters, and on a consistent basis. Her performance rates 3-1/2 stars.

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LibraryThing member kmartin802

THE COLLECTOR was an excellent, heart-pounding romantic suspense title. House-sitter and YA author Lila Emerson has a habit of watching people and telling herself stories about their lives. One evening, while watching the apartment building across the street, she witnesses a murder. Being a good

citizen, she calls the police and reports what she saw and tells what she has seen in that window in the past.

She didn't see the killer but she tells the police all about the man she has seen in the window in the past. That man is the brother of Ashton Archer. The brother is also found dead in the apartment. Ash is sure that his brother didn't harm his girlfriend and recruits Lila to help him prove it.

Ash is an artist who is also part of a very wealthy and powerful family. He is the one the family turns to when a problem needs solving. He is decisive and managing which rubs wrong against Lila who is used to be the one doing the managing in her own independent, gypsy lifestyle.

The story works its way into the world of art and those who collect it. Ash's brother got his hands on a Faberge egg and got himself killed for it. Now, Ash has the egg and is determined to find and punish the ones who killed his brother. Meanwhile, the collector and his henchwoman assassin are trying to find the egg too and are more than willing to kill anyone who gets in their way.

The relationship between Ash and Lila is one of two independent adults forging a relationship through compromise. Ash, being decisive, is the first to know that Lila is the woman he wants for life. Lila is less willing to jump into a relationship. She is more the type who wants a plan and a guarantee. Both characters are wonderfully drawn and likable people. Both also have best friends who happen to have been married to each other in the past and who are now forging their own relationship.

I loved this combination of romance and suspense. Nora Roberts has another hit!

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LibraryThing member pammykn

AUTHOR: Roberts, Nora
TITLE: The Collector
DATE READ: 07/05/14
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS : Romantic Suspense/2014/Putnam/283 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE: SA
TIME/PLACE: Present/NY
CHARACTERS: Lila Emerson/professional house sitter & writer; Ashton Archer/artist
FIRST LINES: " She thought

they'd never leave. Clients, especially new ones, tended to fuss & delay, revolving on the same loope of instructions, contacts, comments, before finally heading out the door."
COMMENTS: Nora Roberts is not always a clear-cut win for me -- years ago I felt like I was reading the same book over & over when I picked up a book by her. I did not feel that way w/ The Collector. This romantic suspense entry really seemed to improve on the suspense story and let the romance take the back seat @ times. The romance was always there and I thought the 2 characters had a good chemistry -- but the emphasis was not on dallying on the physical romance between the two. The setting is NYC and entering in the wealthy homes of Lila's clients was fun. Lila's father was in the military and they moved around quite a bit so this gypsy style of life suits her. Her home base is her friend Julie's apartment -- cute connection of how they met (won't give away the details & spoil it) but she is usually "on-the-job" since she has built up quite a trustworthy reputation w/ her clients. She is a writer and requires a lot of time on her own so not sharing a life/place w/ someone suits her. And as a writer she is a keen observer of what is going on around her -- she enjoys viewing her immediate surroundings from the high rise apt she stays in through her binoculars. Like the movie Rear Window, one night she views a crime -- an apparent murder/suicide. While down @ the police headquarters filling out the report she runs into the brother, Ashton Archer, of the man, Oliver and antiques/arts dealer who had committed suicide. They start a conversation and come to the realization that the murder-suicide may have been a double homicide committed by an unknown third party. Ashton is from a huge extended family -- his father has had multiple marriages and there are many half-siblings in the Archer family. Ashton is one of the older siblings and feels more rooted and responsible. He feels it is his duty to find out how is brother, Oliver died and what led up to it.

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LibraryThing member aliterarylion

3.5 out of 5 stars. Nora Roberts is an incredible writer, but I wasn't connected to her characters. The male protagonist Ashton Archer (great name) was rich painter and the female protagonist Lila Emerson was a young adult author/professional house sitter. I really admired the original plot of a

house sitter who witnessed a murder through the window of an apartment she was taking care of. I didn't like Lila's personality traits and felt she made terrible decisions that endangered her friends. I know that art is subjective, but whenever Ash talked about his paintings, I could not help but scoff at how saccharine and lame they were described. I liked Ash's commanding personality and quiet intensity. I thought it was a sweet detail how he would feel the urge to paint or sketch Lila at random moments using her different traits (gypsy lifestyle, scatterbrained author, fairy visage). I thought Lila was an annoying, headstrong character, but I enjoyed the intrigue of mysterious art collections embedded in the story. Plus, I could do without the complete history of Fabrege eggs, where I nearly drooled on the pages from boredom.

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LibraryThing member phyllis2779

Of the recent novels by Nora Roberts that I've read, this is the best . The characters are all fully fleshed-out and interesting. Plus they were likable. The plot and suspense were tight and kept me turning pages. Roberts is rarely disappointing but sometimes she just shines. This book is one of

those times.

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LibraryThing member debrarbell

Enjoyed the read, although the story reminded me of "Rear Window" with Jimmy Stewart.

LibraryThing member jbarr5

The Collector by Nora Roberts
Lila Emerson, writer and professional house sitter has everything she wants, she takes it with her.
Love how she becomes familiar with the window people. She witnesses the woman being murdered.
Ashton Archer, an artist, knows his brother couldn't have killed his

girlfriend. He will find out the truth and they are sexually compatible.
Julie her friend helps piece together other information she knows about those involved. Mysteries abound as they unearth other treasures. Love the connection between them all.
More killings and the plot thickens....action, adventure, travel and sex, what a great combination for a great read. Loved learning new things about art.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

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LibraryThing member gail616

SOmen hat disappointing. Very predictable.

LibraryThing member busyreadin

Interesting story involving the missing Fabrage eggs. As always with Nora Roberts you know what you are getting.

LibraryThing member musichick52

A young, professional female writer maintains no home of her own in New York City as she has established an extensive clientele of folks who employ her to house-sit for them. She moves from apartment to apartment and the generosity of her clients takes her around the world. Her hobby involves

sitting on the balconies with a pair of binoculars and observing the activities of the residents of the building across the street. In her mind, she forms scenarios of these people's lives, all innocent, she assumes, until one day she see the murder of a young model and calls the police. Also killed, informs the officer, is the gentleman the model is dating. She quickly decided o mount her own investigation and becomes involved with the gentleman's brother, an artist of some reputation. Their clues lead them to a collector of Faberge eggs, a Howard Hughes-like germaphobe who ruthlessly pursues his collection using all means to add a new treasure to his stash. I highly recommend this read for thriller, crime novel lovers. The plot twists are memorable.

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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend

Fairly predictable but I enjoyed the read. I do want to be Lila Emerson, , working as a house-sitter and writing fairly successful paranormal romance stories, oh hell yeah, give me that life, particularly as she is a woman who will fix things because they're broken, self-reliant and I just liked

her. I think Ashley Archer is going to have to work on making her happy, fixing his inability to discuss things with her before providing her with a fait accompli but I could see her ensuring that that happens. I like the couple, I like the story, I enjoyed the read. There were some moments that didn't quite work as well as the others but overall it was a good read.

Took a chunk of inspiration from the movie Rear Window

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LibraryThing member akblanchard

Professional house-sitter and YA series author Lila had never wanted to stay in one place for long--until she meets wealthy, gorgeous artist Ash Archer. He paints her, they fall in love, but of course there are complications in the form of long-lost Faberge eggs and a hired assassin out to kill

both of them.

This novel adheres to the Romantic Suspense formula. The smart, independent heroine does not know she's beautiful. The rugged yet sensitive hero has unlimited funds and cares only for her. He's slightly domineering, but in a good way. He says things like, "I'm going to marry you, Lila. I'm just giving you time to get used to it." (p. 467), but he only talks like a cave man because he loves her so much. Dialog drives the action and there are lots of references to things women stereotypically like, such as jewelry, shoes, and cupcakes.

I've never read anything by Nora Roberts before, but I doubt that this novel is her best work. Nonetheless, if you are in the mood for Romantic Suspense, this book might fit the bill.

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LibraryThing member IceQueenTN

One of Nora Robert's best!!

LibraryThing member FictionZeal

Nora Roberts pens a novel which is eerily similar to the Hitchcock story, Rear Window. Yet the two stories have quite a few differences too. Lisa Emerson has an odd job. She house-sits. People who are going to be away from their homes for a few weeks contact her to stay at their home and watch out

for pets, kids, plants and anything else that needs daily tending. That and she’s a writer. As a writer, she has quite a vivid imagination. She uses that imagination and her handy binoculars to make up stories about people who live beyond the windows of other homes in other buildings. Yes, literally speaking, she’s a Peeping Tom, or maybe we should call her a Peeping Tomette. She’s been watching a young couple for a few days. They argue daily. But at night, they always appear to make-up. One very late evening, she’s watching. The woman is crying. The man is out of view. All at once, she sees a punch and the woman’s head snaps back. She’s ready to call the cops. She checks again. She still can’t see him, but he pushes her so hard against the big window, it breaks and she flies out falling several floors to her death.

It’s a rather complicated premise of the aftermath of that terrible tragedy. She meets Ash, the brother of the man who lived in the apartment. He’s absolutely positive his brother would never hit a woman and certainly would never kill anyone. As they nose into the matters which should be handled by the police, they dig themselves into more and more danger, including a sociopathic female who would kill just for the fun of it. There’s a very fitting and fun romance that develops between Lila and Ash. Nora Roberts is a great writer and this one does not disappoint. However, I listened to this on audio and have to give proper credit to the narrator, Julia Whelan. She really brought this to life for me skillfully giving distinctive voices to each character. Rating: 4 out of 5.

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LibraryThing member bpascoe

violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . . .

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LibraryThing member Mrslabraden

As always, Nora Roberts has created quirky, interesting characters inhabiting an engaging, well-researched plot. Each time I read one of her books, I get the feeling that she finds something interesting to research and then creates a story to go along with it. This time, the storyline follows a

missing Russian Faberge egg that gets the main character's brother killed. The female main character witnesses this murder in the style of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. This is a well written and executed story that reads quickly and is enjoyable.

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LibraryThing member Lauren2013

The Collector
4 Stars

Lila Emerson is satisfied with her job as a professional house-sitter until the night she witnesses an apparent murder/suicide and gets drawn not only into a complex investigation involving priceless Fabergé Eggs but also a spine tingling romance with a victim’s brother as

well.

A significant improvement on Nora’s more recent romantic suspense books.

Lila and Ashton are engaging characters. An amazingly gifted artist, Roberts weaves Ash's insightful painting seamlessly into the storyline and his alpha tendencies only enhance his sexiness. Lila is also a great character with her affinity for people watching, genuine interest in the lives of others and warm-hearted friendliness all of which make her particularly endearing.

The suspense plot is well-researched and the villains, whether it be the vicious assassin or the Mason Verger like collector, are seriously disturbing. The writing is fast paced and the climax is one of Nora's more exciting even though it is somewhat rushed. One small nitpick it that the book is in dire need of an epilogue so that Ash’s father can do some much needed groveling.

The secondary cast consisting of Ashton’s quirky relatives and Lila’s loyal sidekick, Julie, not to mention two of the sweetest pets in bookdom, Thomas and Earl Grey, is simply wonderful. Lila and Julie’s friendship and banter is one of the highlights of the book and the secondary romance between Julie and Luke is impossible to resist.

All in all, a fun and satisfying read and happily recommended for Nora fans.

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LibraryThing member cybermathwitch

I really enjoyed Lila, although some of her resistance felt a little forced, but it felt a little like it fell flat in places, and Ash was a little pushier than I like. And Jai didn't feel like a well enough developed villain for me.

LibraryThing member LyndaInOregon

When Nora Roberts dumps the romance-trilogy format for which she's best known, she's capable of creating a ripping good yarn, and this is one of them.

When house-sitter Lila Emerson witnessed a brutal murder occur in the apartment opposite hers (shades of 'Rear Window'), she's drawn into a dangerous

web of deceit, murder, and obsession, all centering around the recovery of one of the Imperial Fabrege Eggs, created for the family of Tsar Nicholas.

There's plenty of adventure here, some really heavy-duty villains, and -- this being a Roberts novel -- plenty of romance and steamy sex scenes. There's also the familiar two-guys/two-girls who each end up two-couples, and virtually everyone is stupid rich.

Quibbles aside, it's a meaty fantasy and an enjoyable read.

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LibraryThing member EmScape

A very typical Nora Roberts romantic suspense novel with mostly believable and realistic characters in a mostly unbelievable but well-researched and mildly fascinating Dangerous Situation(tm).
It's probably just me, but at this point in my life (early 40's) I'm tired of reading about fabulously

rich people falling in love while outwitting a Generic Bad Guy.

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LibraryThing member kmtgoddess

This may have been the first time I've ever rated a Nora Roberts book this low.

LibraryThing member ftbooklover

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