Brazen Virtue

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

From Nora Roberts, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Villa and Carolina Moon, comes a classic tale—a searing novel of twisted passion and lethal cunning.

Superstar mystery novelist Grace McCabe needs to unwind after a grueling book tour, and visiting her sister, whom she hasn't seen in months, seems the perfect solution. But Grace is surprised to find the fastidious Kathleen living in a grungy Washington, D.C., neighborhood. Kathleen, reeling from a bitter divorce and the loss of her son, is saving every penny of her teacher's salary to hire a hotshot lawyer for a custody battle.

Then Grace discovers that Kathleen is boosting her income with an unlikely profession: as an at-home phone-sex operator. Known as Desiree to the clients of Fantasy, Inc., Kathleen is living life on the edge. Yet how dangerous could it really be? With the ironclad anonymity the agency guarantees its employees, could anyone ever track her down?

Grace finds out one cherry-blossom-scented night when she comes home to find her sister dead, strangled with the cord of her "special" phone. Suddenly Grace's life turns into a scene from one of her own books—the horror, the tight-lipped police, the shattered survivor. Only this time the survivor is Grace herself.

But she isn't waiting around for the police to catch up with the killer. Instead she creates a daring trap to lure the killer to her. Her plan goes against every coolheaded instinct of Detective Ed Jackson, the lead investigator on the case. He's read all of Grace's books and might have been the perfect consultant for the one she's working on, though in this real-life murder, she's the last complication he needs.

He's determined to keep Grace out of harm's way, but it's too late. Her trap has already worked. She has aroused the attention of a brilliant madman, and now nothing may be able to protect her from the murderous lust that drives this killer down a path of ecstasy laced with death.

Previously only available as an abridged recording.

©2010 Nora Roberts (P)2023 Random House Audio

Ok but not Nora’s Best

Nora Robert’s is one of the best writers in Romance and Mystery.
I’ve enjoyed and read or listened to most of her books.
This series was missing something and did not capture the moment of the imagination in the delivery of story telling.
As JD Robb her best NYPD books are in the Death Series where she brings Rourke and Dallas to life.

Eeek the Narrator

I listen to just about every NR book there is. This narrator sounds robotic. It actually makes me not be able to stand the main character. Why is there a pause between each word? Literally made me think of the Robot from Small Wonder. The story…not her best, but it’s not bad. I think I would really have liked it if it weren’t for the narrator. Even speeding it up won’t help because of those weird pauses. Sorry, I just had to leave a review.

A good and different storyline

I loved this one! Not your typical story snd very interesting. I will read another one in this series.

I love the DC detectives

I love the in death series, and I just recently found these two books in the DC detective series. I would love to read more things with Ben and Ed and Tess in them.

The narration was very good. I saw the movie. I liked this better

I watched the movie. I thought this was even better. I don’t remember the ending of the movie. I didn’t think it was the same. Loved the book.

Very enjoyable

I enjoyed the strong female characters in varying life roles. Characters were believable and relatable.

Storytelling

I always enjoy this author’s book and the audible version is great and worth the listen.

Unexpected characters that rouse the tale

Grace was a writer. Her stories brought people to life, told tales of murder and mayhem. She was direct, edgy and loved her family. Her sister on the other hand was almost emotionless, she never returned the affection Grace had for her, she couldn’t. It just wasn’t in her her range of any kind of feelings. So when Kathy, separated from her wealthy husband and set out to gain the funds to take her son away from the man, she did it in the most effective way. She became a voice on the phone to satisfy the desires of men, through a phone service.
Grace had come to spend time with her sister to get closer, but that stopped suddenly when she found Kathy’s murdered body. Grace couldn’t just let the police handle it, she had to get involved. Just as she couldn’t stop herself from getting involved with Detective Ed Jackson.
Ed is a strong distinctive character, he doesn’t smoke, drink sugary stuff, eats heathy and has a plan for his life and future family that Grace is about to totally wreck. I loved the interaction between all the characters, the open mystery that still lands the reader on the edge of their seat. Nora Roberts simply has a way with stories that sucks you in and Carrie’s you along. The narrator never missed a beat.

Great book

I loved this book. The interaction between the male characters and the female make this story fun. I loved both books. Sacred Sins and Brazen Virtue.

A hard cover revisited

Even 20 years after my first read of this novel, it sounds so much better with a commercial narrator