Northern Lights

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: Gary Littman

Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Let #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts fly you into Lunacy, Alaska, and into a colorful, compelling novel about two lonely souls who are searching for love and redemption...

As a Baltimore cop, Nate Burke watched his partner die on the street - and the guilt still haunts him. With nowhere else to go, he accepted the job as Chief of Police in a tiny, remote Alaskan town with the hopes of starting over. Despite the name, Lunacy provides a balm for Nate’s shattered soul - and an unexpected affair with pilot Meg Galloway warms his nights....

But other things in Lunacy are heating up. Nate suspects the killer in an unsolved murder still walks the snowy streets. His investigation will unearth the secrets and suspicions that lurk beneath the placid surface, as well as bring out the big-city survival instincts that made him a cop in the first place. And his discovery will threaten the new life - and the new love - that he has finally found for himself.

©2004 Nora Roberts (P)2004 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"[A] richly textured novel that captures the intimacy of smalltown police work, the prickliness of the pioneer spirit and the paradox of a setting at once intimate and expansive." (Publishers Weekly)

"Roberts's latest hit novel could not be performed better." (AudioFile)

a good story

This is my third Nora Roberts' book and the second of two I got in a two for three audible book sale. When I experienced my first Nora Roberts I really didn't know anything about her as an author. I heard she was a romance writer and some even asked what I was doing reading her? Yes, there is some romance in her books but not really mushy romance. I've found there are good stories to boot. This book was set in Lunacy, Alaska and was a real "whodunit" murder mystery. It kept you guessing right up until the end as to who really did it. I liked hearing about what life in northern Alaska is like for all concerned, where the "Northern Lights" play a big part. I enjoyed this book and I will now state that I'm a fan.

Northern Lights

Love story woven with a who done it that doesn't reveal itself until the end of the story

Entertaining mystery/romance

What did you like best about this story?

Quirky, likable characters and a magnificent Alaskan scene.

Any additional comments?

This is a romance and a mystery and both work. I think the sex scenes were a little over the top--got the feeling Roberts had more fun writing them than I did hearing them. Still, I liked the characters---even the curmedgeons. I don't think I learned anything about life but it did keep me on my feet and working on a long day.

Nice Alaskan romance/murder mystery

Nate moved to Alaska and became the police chief in a small city named Lunacy to get away from the big city where he watched his partner and friend die in a gun fight which still haunts him. At first it's a nice quiet job and he begins to wonder if he made a mistake until the first body is discovered, frozen in a snow cave. It turns out it had been there for 16 years. Afterwards a crime spree begins, vandalism, murder, and everyone is suspect. In between all this action is the developing romance between Nate and Meg. The story starts out kind of slow but then picks up when Nate's investigation into what's happening in this small town begins with lots of twists and turns and a few surprises.

There were also some nice descriptions of Alaska in the winter and spring.

The narrator did a pretty good job, although at times I did have a little trouble distinguishing if Meg or Nate was talking because the voices sounded kind of the same.

Nothern Lights

I am new to Nora Roberts and I really liked the 1st book I read, Obsession, so I was looking for another one of her books to listen to. One of the reviews on a different Nora Roberts book said they wondered why Nora Roberts didn't write more books like Northern Lights because it was so good. So I decided I would try it. I can't say that I loved the Narrator but he grew on me by the end of the book. The story was really good but they had way to many explicit sex scenes. I liked all the characters until the last 3rd of the book. The Chief of Police became a total jerk which was out of character for him. That ruined the book for me. I don't want to explain more because it might give away too much of the story..

Great!

The story was good. Romance and suspense as NR does so well. The narrator, G. Littman took a little bit of time to get used to. With that said the audiobook was good.
I do wish The Romance Package would include some of Nora Roberts books. Please!!!

A favorite

I rarely read or listen to romance novels anymore, but this is an old favorite, and has enough mystery to offset the romance label. Roberts really nails the setting in this one: I mean, I'm laying on the bed in my airconditioned home in FL while it's 95 degrees outside, and I have to get a blanket! The characters are many and varied enough so I can tolerate the romance.

But the icing on this particular cake is the reader. Many male readers sound rather embarrassed when they're reading romantic mysteries, but Littman reads the story straight. He' got the characters' intonations and down well; as others have mentioned, he somewhat overdoes the mayor's voice, but she IS described as having a raspy voice with a foghorn laugh, and she smokes continuously through the story.

Not great literature, perhaps, but great story and great reader. This will be one I can listen to again.

Only okay

It was kinda boring... I liked Nate and Meg and I love Alaska adventure and a good love story, but this was missing something to make it good. I won’t listen to it a second time.

I was transported to Alaska

A good listen and captivating story. The rural characters were well described. The reader has a sexy voice.

warm cozy story

This was a great book! The story keep you wanting to listen waiting for that climax.