Body Heat

by Brenda Novak

Book Overview

Twelve people have been shot at point-blank range and left to rot in the desert sun. It's Sophia St. Claire's job to do something about it. She's Bordertown, Arizona's new chief of police--and she's out of her depth. Help arrives in the form of Department 6 hired gun Roderick Guerrero. As far as Sophia's concerned, his involvement only makes things worse. Maybe he's managed to turn his life around. And maybe he's a good investigator. But as the bastard...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0778328031
• ISBN13: 9780778328032
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Mira Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.3" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Body Heat

This novel by Brenda Novak is fascinating and au current. I couldn't put this high-powered who dunnit down. Characters are interesting and 3-D. The main topic sucked me right in and wouldn't let go until the last page. I definitely recommend this to any and all, but especially to mystery fans. You won't be sorry for selecting Body Heat.

Intensely intriguing and mentally disturbing at the same time...

Intensely intriguing and mentally disturbing at the same time, Body Heat by Brenda Novak will draw you in and keep you on edge from page one! The second book in Ms. Novak's Department 6 trilogy, Body Heat, focuses in on the very real issue of illegal immigration and how someone could very well take matters into their own hands--and right whatever wrong they perceive is happening in a most despicable manner. No matter which side of the fence on this issue you sit, this novel will make you doubt and wonder until you can't tell which is truly right. You'll fall madly in love with our tortured Department 6 specialist, Roderick Guerrero and his former high school fantasy, the now chief of police in Bordertown, Arizona, Sophia St. Claire. Ms. Novak has an amazing way of drawing you into the story, making you rethink even the most basic of issues (moral or otherwise), and then tie it all together around an interesting, intriguing romance. You'll find Body Heat to be an awesome book that can either be stand alone or feel part of the Department 6 trilogy. Beware, though, there are graphic scenes that will make you shudder with the inhumanity of life. But overall this is definitely a keeper!

Kudos to Brenda Novak--A well told tale

Body Heat is Book 2 in Brenda Novak's new Department 6 series. Set, as was book one, in Arizona's southeastern region, Body Heat tackles a newsworthy problem facing Arizonans today-illegal immigration. The focus of the story, though is of illegal aliens-UDAs who are being murdered after crossing into Arizona. As the story opens-and it has chillingly been told in the viewpoint of one of the victims-twelve UDAs have been murdered, and it is up to Bordertown's new Chief of Police, Sophia St. Claire, to find the killer. The thirty-year-old Chief turned her life around and went from nearly becoming a Hell's Angels member to a career in law enforcement, but her history uniquely qualifies her to understand the people with whom she works. However, Sophia is short on experience with this type of criminal activity, and the investigation founders with few results until Department 6 ex-SEAL Rod Guerrero is called in to help. Rod goes reluctantly, but he cannot turn his back on his father's plea. Rod's mother was an undocumented alien and Rod is the bastard son of a wealthy Bordertown man. He owes it to his mother and her people to find the killer. However, when Rod arrives in Bordertown, he runs smack into Sophia, the teenage girl who humiliated him many years ago. He has never forgiven her for this and tensions run high on both their parts. After a rocky start, the two must work together, and they do their best to deny a mutual attraction. It doesn't help that some members of the town council, a detective from the Sheriff's office and an ex Police Chief want Sophia to fail. When another murder occurs, they realize the problem is bigger than one man's vengeance. Ms. Novak has outdone herself with a fast-paced story that is stunning in its scope. Her research is amazing, and the details of the myriad problems facing this portion of the Southwest are convincingly portrayed from the plight of the migrants to the problems faced by ranchers who have their fences cut, their cattle slaughtered, members of their own community murdered, and their lives continually placed in turmoil from the endless waves of human traffic moving across their lands. But with all this realism, Ms. Novak manages to keep the interaction between Sophia and Rod foremost to keep you cheering for both these protagonists to solve the crime and solve their personal problems. I won't reveal the ending, just let me say the plot twists will keep you guessing right to the end. Riveting story Ms. Novak. Brava! Two thumbs way up!

Novak at her best

Novak is at it again. She never disappoints with her gentle, suspensful reads. Don't stay up too late reading her books.

A 5+ In My Opinion!

Roderick Guerrero had only been 15 when he had fell in love with Sophia St. Claire. They had both lived in Bordertown, but Rod was also the illegitimate son of an important man in town. Though his mother continued to work on his farm and Rod had grown up there, they had experienced the humiliation and hatred from his half-brothers and his father's wife. He never found out why Sophia had stood him up and gone to a school dance with somebody else. Now 15 years later his father had called and asked that he come back to town to help solve a series of murders of undocumented aliens crossing the border into the United States. Rod had left home and had moved into a successful career and now was working with Department 6. But if he went home, it would be on his own time. The FBI had already been called in, but finally, he had decided to help. He didn't know that Sophia was the chief of police now... Not only did Sophia not want his help, she was even too embarrassed to meet him again, after having treated him as she had done. But much had changed in Sophia's life since she had been so shallow. And she didn't need a reminder of that time! But there were now 13 murders of unidentified alients, the last two a young married couple who had been hoping for a new life and Rod, once they had got together, made it quite clear that he was sure that contacts could be made to insist that he be permitted to offer help. With the town council already on Sophia to solve the crimes, she decided it wasn't worth the arguments. Besides, she was fairly certain she knew who was behind the murders. Sophia had been selected over a former police officer for the top job and she believed that he was doing everything possible to make her look bad, which indeed he was doing. But there were also a number of border farm owners who were losing money as their crops were ruined and animals stolen by those that crossed their lands. Sophia is a gutsy lady, but probably heads out on her own too often. She crosses the border into Mexico and, while she succeeds in gathering important information, she almost doesn't make it back. She's following any and all leads and proves to be an effective chief as she follows the twists and trails being left. But when one of Rod's half-brothers is murdered, the pressure grows worse and Sophia is given a month's notice that she was being fired! Novak keeps adding twists on top of twist until readers are wound up tight in this fantastic whodunit. Before the story ends, not only are the murders solved but much more corruption is discovered and personal connections to both Rod and Sophia are pulled in and part of those investigations. A thriller that keeps the suspense high and the atmosphere hot! Let's just say that the ending is edge of the seat, but the ending is great as, we all knew, Rod gets the girl! Not much romance, just enough to break the tension of the hunt! A very cool book! Best I've read from Novak, so far! At least in my opinion... Book P