Good escape fiction. Combines beautiful, overindulged, (some evil) rich people, sports figures, a coma and parents. Sandra Brown manages to keep your interest, but the people and plot are fairly underdeveloped and unbelievable if you allow yourself to analise it. But this was what I was looking for as a change from all the nonfiction I've been reading. ( )

The characters and their dilemma come alive.
A star football player, a beautiful female prosecutor are brought together trying to deal with the aftermath of the sexual attack on the footballers ex wife. His ex wife is living in a persistent vegetative state and the principal attacker is let out of prison after just four years. Should the ex wife be allowed to die then the attacker could be retried for murder. The footballer has his exes medical power of attorney and agonizes about whether to withdraw life support. He is opposed by his exes parents setting the stage for a multifaceted conflict. He lives hermit like in a beautiful setting on a mountain in North Carolina.
The twists and turns of the stories are cleverly worked out. While the end was fairly predictable the storytelling was fun. ( )

Zach has spent the last four years dealing with the trauma and responsibility of deciding whether his ex-wife, Rebecca, should be taken off life support. His former in-laws have strong feelings that she should be kept alive, so Zach has abided by their wishes, but now, the man responsible for the attack that left Rebecca in a vegetative state, is being released from jail and the only thing that will put him back in prison is Rebecca's death. When Zach is first visited by a prosecutor named Kate Lennon urging him to make use of his rights where Rebecca is concerned, he balks at the idea of stepping back into a situation that ruined his pro football career and forced him into seclusion. However, Kate is very persuasive and Zach finds himself incredibly attracted to her.

Overkill addresses the controversial topic of how medical means to prolong a person's life is handled by family and friends. The rest of the book is fairly devoid of action, suspense, or romance. The relationship between Zach and Kate seems very insta-love and borders on inappropriate as Rebecca's life hangs in the balance. We already know who is the culprit behind Rebecca's attack, so there is little mystery left to be figured out by the reader. Also, several characters are left underdeveloped, especially the three men involved in what happened to Rebecca, and the only thing we really know about her is that she was a promiscuous gold digger and heavy substance abuser, leaving her as an unsympathetic victim. Overall, Overkill's only redeeming quality is the fact that it brings to light serious subject matters but otherwise doesn't offer much enjoyment for the reader. ( )

he blurb for Overkill made it sound like an exciting book. After reading Overkill, I have to wonder if the person who wrote the blurb read the book. The romance element overrode everything else. There is sexual tension between Zach and Kate. If you like stories that are steamy (this book is one step away from erotica), then you will enjoy Overkill. I found there to be a significant amount of foul language, sexual innuendoes, and intimate relations (consensual and not). I do not like reading about sexual assault. The ending goes with the rest of the book, but I found it a turn off. There is a distinct lack of action (except for what was happening in Zach’s pants). The story rehashed whether or not Zach should take Rebecca off life support. I understood the dilemma, but I did not need it to be repeated ad nauseum. The characters lacked development. I found the characters to be exaggerated. Eban Clarke is the spoiled rich frat boy who has no intention of growing up and behaving properly. Zach is the strong, sporty guy who broods and is rude. Kate is an eager, petite lawyer who wants to get justice (she is the type that men like Zach want to protect). I wanted suspense and action (there is some near the end). I thought Overkill was way too long (416 pages). You can skip chapters and not miss a thing. Overkill wraps up with a tidy yet steamy ending. As you can tell, Overkill was not my type of book. If in doubt, download a sample to judge for yourself. Overkill is a lackluster tale with the evil Eban, a persistent prosecutor, the robust quarterback, the devout dad, and a coma conundrum. ( )

Overkill by Sandra Brown
Thriller and a bit romantic suspense.
Zack and Rebecca had a bitter divorce but he finds himself with the decision of life and death by a power of attorney that is still in effect. Zack let’s her parents make the decision.Now that her attacker is out of prison, and her vegetative state is deteriorating, the prosecutor asks Zack to again get involved. Can he make the ultimate decision to end Rebecca’s life to put the guy back in prison?

It’s an impossible decision. Plus threats make this suspenseful as the original story starts to fall apart. Breathtaking and electrifying. With a touch of sad. ( )