Taking the Heat

by Brenda Novak

Book Overview

Recently divorced Gabrielle Henry works as a prison guard in a small Arizona desert town to support herself and her two-year-old daughter. Convicted of murdering his wife, Randall Tucker is determined... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373835701
• ISBN13: 9780373835706
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: Harlequin Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.4" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Taking the Heat

Taking the Heat by Brenda Novak is a great read. It tells of corruption within the prison system, and the preserverance of the desperate. Gabrielle and Tucker's struggle to survive the harsh Senoran desert was written in such an eloquent manner that it's hard not to root for them. It was climactic and passionate, and the writer really did her research. I have lived in Arizona for my whole life, and I could not find one single error involving surroundings, climate, even street names. I am impressed and will definetely be searching out this author in the future.

Excellent story!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a fast read because putting it down is very difficult. Gabrielle, a prison guard breaks up a fight between several men against one man, Randall Tucker, a man wrongly accused of killing his wife, as the other guards stood and watched without doing anything. The guards turn on her but she stands her ground. Due to the ruckus she creates by questioning why they didn't stop the fight, Randall is transferred. On the way to the new facility Randall escapes. She follows him well into the hot unforgiving desert and then together they fight to survive the journey. I'm not giving anything away here, this all happens early on and the synopsis on the back of the book states as much. This book reminds me somewhat of the movie 'The Fugitive' with Harrison Ford, a man running from the law trying to find the real killer as the cops didn't bother to look any further than the husband. The book did not have any boring parts and had an excellent ending which means everyone gets what they deserve. I read several books every week and this is not one I will soon forget. I will look to read more from this author.

Wonderfully Writen

The story takes place in Florence Arizona.Gabrielle and her one year old daughter just reloacted.Gabrielle is working as a prison guard in an all male prison so that she can support herself and her daughter so she doesn't have to rely on her ex husband for money.In the prison she meets Randall Tucker who has been wrongly acused of murder.After a fight breaks out and Gabrielle tries to stop it she starts falling for Randall.Then when Gabrielle is helping in transporting Tucker to another prison they get in a crash and Tucker excapes and tries to find his son and reclaim his inocence,Gabrielle goes after him in a attempt to get him to come back but finds herself falling more for him.

You've not read many books like this one!

Few women are prison guards in a male prison, but that is the best career choice open to Gabrielle Hadley when she moves to Florence, Arizona in search of her birth mother. Daily she faces grueling work, where she is harrassed and scorned by both inmates and coworkers. Amidst the ugliness, she finds herself drawn to one of the prisoners, one who stands out as unusual, Randall Tucker, convicted wife killer. Tucker is serving time for a crime of which he is innocent, so when he has the chance to escape during a transfer, he does. Gabrielle goes after him, out of a mixture of concern and a feeling of responsibility. Yet, when she finds him, they become reluctant allies, drawn together by the necessity of survival, and the heat between them that is hotter than the surrounding desert. Even when Tucker ties her up and abandons her, Gabrielle still believes in him, and is willing to risk everything to save him so his quest to prove his innocence and be reunited with his child will go forward. ***** A vivid painting of an ugly world provides an intense backdrop for this compelling story. Few women would have the grit to handle what Gabrielle faces. Tucker is the kind of man we all yearn for; tough, yet still loving. Both do what they must without flinching. Despite the harshness portrayed in the prison and in the wild, there are heartwarming moments of family that lighten the mood. You have not read many books like this one. ***** Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

Emotional and in Depth. Beautifully Written.

Gabrielle Hadley supports herself and her year old daughter by working as a prison guard in the small Arizona desert town of Florence. When she steps in to stop a fight between convicted murderer Randall Tucker and four other inmates, and later, when she offers First Aid to the injured Tucker, she incurs the wrath of long-time guards who refuse to help. An auto accident during a prison transfer offers Tucker the chance to escape and try to prove his innocence--if he can make it through the punishing Sonoran desert. For reasons not quite clear to her, Gabrielle sets off in pursuit. During their three days in the desert, Gabrielle becomes convinced Tucker is innocent, and the two must join forces to survive. Brenda Novak's first single title contemporary is a hard-hitting, well-researched page turner. A fluid writing style, emotional intensity and well-developed characters are hallmarks of this rising star in her Superromances. Taking the Heat is a grittier read with the same level of excellence found in her other books. Very highly recommended.