Desperate Measures: 1 (Wicked Villains)

Product Information

Please note: this is one story told across three volumes and there is, therefore, no conclusion to the storylines in the first two volumes. This story is rated PG)

Pete Sorenson was 6 when parents died and his best friend, Barney (or Barnaby) Sims hid him in his tree house to try and keep the DPS from taking him away and putting him in a foster home. Barney had problems of his own though. His stepfather beat both him and his mother. It was 2 days before they found the boys in the tree house and Pete was taken away. His caseworker was Harriet Wardlaw and she was told to not get personally involved.

Pittman says he is the sum of the stories he has written. Newspaperman as Main Character allows Pittman to call on the expertise of various people he has interviewed over the years---an interesting device that allows a regular guy to get out of some harrowing situations. As Pittman defends himself and digs further into the murders and the stories they reveal, he uncovers decades of political intrigue. Desperate Measures is based on Aladdin. We then follow Jasmine when Jafar has overthrown her father. Although the politics are similar the setting is city based instead of the desert. I really love how they write Jasmine and her curiosity of the world around her. The city added a roughness to her encounters and fits the overall feel of the book and sexual encounters with Jafar. I really wish there had been more development of her in the outside world and with other people other than Jafar and within The Underground.

Women are sets & props for this guy. Other than the ones who work for him, and other than his buddy's wife, they're all young, beautiful, and DTF with a late-middle-aged guy (he has a grown-up son with a career). Eve Dallas ( J.D. Robb): horrible childhood, became a regular cop & then detective, now filthy bonkers rich. But she's tough, smart, hardworking, and a wiseass. Alright in my book! On the night Jafar takes everything from my father, he offers me a devil’s bargain—walk with my freedom and nothing else, or attempt to best him and regain my inheritance. In my arrogance, I play right into his hands. I foolishly assume I have a chance to come out on top. I’m wrong. This third volume was the most interesting for me. Partly, of course, because the couple finally sorted out all their misunderstanding and got together. But I enjoy JAFF most when there is angst and sexual tensions. I found lots of the former within this volume. I can take or leave bedroom scenes but there are none in this trilogy. I did enjoy how Georgiana and Anne were rooting for Darcy, even when he thought he had lost Elizabeth, due to eavesdropping (you know what they say about that).

I adored how some side characters were given more space - especially on Darcy's side with Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne de Bourgh. Although Darcy and Lizzy do not share scenes together at the beginning of Volume III, other story lines are being developed and some are being resolved. This time was necessary for Lizzy and even Darcy, to some extent, to know and come to terms with their feelings. The development is beautifully done and makes for sparks and high emotions when they do meet. (sigh) Being one continuing story, I was worried that it would be too long, and drawn out, but most of the time that wasn’t the case. The story flowed well. I was getting a little frustrated in this book, Desperate Measures, with how long it took Darcy and Elizabeth to get together. However, the build up of frustration and disappointment, in my opinion, added to the incredible feelings I felt when they finally did come together. I felt the heartache when Lizzy thought she was saying good-bye to Darcy for the last time, and the high when they were honest with one another - finally professing their love! It was a beautiful thing!

Pete soon met someone that he felt was his destiny, Maddie Stern. She told him that she grew up in foster homes too. She pretended to like the same things that Pete did. He told her about his life and he laughed at the fact that he expected Barney to show up and rescue him. Pete didn't see her until she called an apologized for laughing at him. She also didn't like his being friends with Annie even though she had never met her. She wanted Pete to stop seeing her but didn't come right out and say it because she felt it was another deal breaker in their relationship. She cared more about his money than him. She knew that Pete was rich enough to give her what she wanted. One of the most real problems was the fact that she didn't want children and he wanted a dozen.Volume III, Desperate Measures, concludes the story begun in Disappointed Hopes (Vol I) and continued in Darcy's Dilemma (Vol II). I’ve heard many sooo much praise for Cassandra Grafton and this trilogy, and since I love Pride and Prejudice variations I knew it was something I had to read! The only question was when – because you definitely need to read this trilogy without break. Reeling from the news of Elizabeth’s engagement to Harington, and desperate to avoid any possible further encounter, as much for the lady’s sake as his own, Darcy seeks distraction, removing to the West Country with his sister and cousin where they prepare to embark on a journey to Dublin. Elizabeth, meanwhile, is struggling with an inexplicable lowness of spirit following the gentleman’s removal from Town. Fate, however, has unfinished business with them both, and before long the lady is travelling to the West Country herself. As for the story, there were a few small loose ends, I thought -- things that got left off (e.g. tiny purse), and things that came out of nowhere. No one thing was too major, but those whatabout bits will pile up when you have enough of them. Serena, Mrs, Gardiner's half-sister, makes her appearance in the beginning of Volume III. It is a pleasure to learn more about her as she and Lizzy have much talking and catching up to do.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Elizabeth Bennet. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jane Bennet, Charles Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana Darcy, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Nicholas Harington (new original character), Serena Seavington (new original character) It's a really compelling, exciting series and a good story to watch, but it's really about a mother's love and I hope that's what people take away from it,” she declared. "It's about what she'll do for her child and whether she gets away with it or not, and it's up to the audience to draw their own moral conclusions. If people go away talking about that, then I'll be very happy." Who’s in the Desperate Measures cast and where have you seen them before? Waiting for a briefcase repair in a Manhattan luggage shop, a woman on crutches stumbles and falls in Stone's lap, but Priscilla Scott's got baggage--and she ain't rid of it yet! Of course Stone discovers this in parts and pieces, and there is the matter of attractions, so he and Cilla become constant companions for a few days of heavy breathing. When Donald Trask show up in his office unannounced and begins threatening Stone, he links Cilla with Herbie Fisher to pay off the sulking husband. He becomes a major league pain in the ass in parallel with the serial killer team going on the offensive. She buys a fabulously expensive apartment on Fifth Avenue and Trask shoots and stabs her to death as a housewarming present. When I read this book I was a lot like the Matt at the beginning of the story so he was definitely someone that I understood and I could also relate to. He had suffered losses that were extremely painful (the death of his son and divorce from his wife) and because of it, he had become severely depressed and felt like he couldn’t continue living. Regardless of how he chose to deal with his grief I felt like Matt was a good man, a strong man. For years after his son’s death, he had carried on living even though he didn’t think he had anything worth living for. And considering the story took place within the span of about a week to a month the drastic change was quite remarkable because the version of Matt that greets you at the beginning of the story and the Matt that bids you farewell at the end are two completely different people. He went from a hollow shell wilting away, to a man making an effort to live because he finally found the will to do so.A great pleasurable read which totally satisfies my needs what I desire in a lovable and definitely worthy retelling of this timeless classic in literature. Best-selling author Morrell is at the top of his craft. The in-depth characterization, believable and unpredictable plot developments, and psychological depths of this thriller will draw all readers.” Maybe if I'd read the 46 (!!!) previous books, I'd know where a former police detective got as stinking-ass rich as this guy did. (Best guess: from lawyerin' and maybe wealthy family? I suppose?) But I didn't and I almost surely won't.