The Cabin

Carriage House #2

by Carla Neggers

Vengeance, money and murder are menacing companions when they meet in the quiet stillness of an Adirondack winter.

Texas Ranger Jack Galway knows his wife Susanna loves him, so when their marriage hits a rough patch, he supports her decision to take their teenaged daughters to Boston for a break. But now a couple of weeks has turned into several months and Jack has had enough. He wants his family back.

Ex-convict Alice Parker left a mess back in Texas, and she'll never forgive Jack Galway for killing her dream of ever becoming a Texas Ranger herself. Now, guided by greed and vengeance, she's got her sights set on his family.

Packing up the girls and her grandmother, Susanna heads to a cabin in the Adirondacks, trying to escape her fears, her secrets . . . and maybe even the man she loves. Little does she realize they are being followed, only this time by her husband . . . and a murderer.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

Mass Market Paperback

First published December 25, 2001

About the author

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series featuring Boston-based FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, and the popular Swift River Valley series set in the small, fictional New England town of Knights Bridge. With many bestsellers to her credit, Carla loves to write now as much as she did when she climbed a tree at age eleven with a pad and pen and spun stories perched on her favorite branch.

A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland.

Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing that I have enjoyed about this series is that we don’t lose track of the characters. They move from book to book just into different situations. Nice when you meet and like the “group” that they are there the next time you “visit”. You also know who the “baddie” are but it doesn’t take anything away from the mystery and intrigue. Anyone that is tired of the women characters taking a back seat and having to depend on the “big strong manly man” to make every decision and save them…will really like what this author does with that. Good read all the way around

[Ewa ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suzanna Galway leaves Texas and her husband, Texas Ranger, Jack Galway, for Boston, Massachuetts with no real explanation as to why. Its been about a year now and out of the blue Suzanna buys a cabin. She makes plans to go to the cabin with her daughters when one of Jack's cases seems to get complicated.

I don't want to get too involved in revealing the plot but I will say it does get complicated. Almost too complicated for me. It wasn't a bad read but I was not feeling it. Suzanna's actions seem childish and stupid at times. I didn't really feel the romance either.

[Vivian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not a good literary piece. This book was premised on a total failure to communicate between a husband and wife. However, the relationship was portrayed as being two people who were "deeply in love". Not sure how that can work. Also, the woman's reasons for keeping secrets from her husband were bizarre and unrealistic. As a thriller, this was a real stretch.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good light read, although I found the character of Susanna to be pretty annoying. She was always taking offense at everything and her secrets and reasons for not going back home seemed strange and did not seem to make sense. If she loved her husband as much as portrayed in the book, why not go home and try to work it out instead of constantly running away from him.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was disappointing, especially in comparsion to Negger's other books. Nothing happen for the first 270 pages. The main characters (with the exception of Gran) were annoying, and I was rooting for the semi-villan of the book to get what she wanted.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love books by Carla Neggers but the characters in this book acted so stupidly which ruined the book for me.

Jack Galway was a Texas Ranger. When Beau McGarrity, a person of interest in a murder investigation, came to his house and asked his wife Susanna to intervene with her husband, Susanna became frightened and left San Antonio rather than tell her husband what happened. She moved to her hometown of Boston. Neither she nor Jack would talk about the separation or their problems and it went on for a year until McGarrity showed up in Boston for some unfinished business.

Why they wouldn't talk about their problems when they were still in love with each other is beyond me. When Jack would come to Boston to visit, he and Susanna would sleep in separate beds (after the sex) so as not to confuse their daughters or her grandmother. They are married and acting the way they did is confusing!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story with suspense. This was not one of Carla Negger's better books. I was frustrated that Susanna kept so many secrets from Jack. It just did not make sense to me when she was supposedly so in love with her husband.

[Rose Tucciarone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished on Feb. 9th 2019

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suzanna (financial planner) and Jack (Lt. in the Texas Rangers) love each other but have walled off portions of their lives and created a separation difficult to bridge. Consequently, when their twin daughters head to Boston for their senior year in high school and to live with Suzanna’s Gran, Suzanna goes with them.

It has been almost a year and Suzanna still has not told Jack her secrets: that the primary suspect in an unsolved murder followed her and snuck into her kitchen to talk/threaten her and that her investments have made them very wealthy. When Alice Parker, a local cop, who tampered with evidence in that unsolved murder is finally released from prison, she tries to make start over money by offering some evidence to Beau McGarrity, the chief murder suspect.

Eventually Alice, Beau, Suzanne, her twins, Gran, Jack and his partner Ranger Sam Temple all wind up in the Adirondacks at an isolated cabin in a snow storm. Some of the plotting is a bit tenuous, but the pace and the characters are relentless. Readers will go along for the swift satisfying conclusion, but they best wear warm socks. Neggers’ sense of place (and that snow storm) is palpable. Recommended.

Readalikes/Similar Authors:
Nora Roberts - Chasing Fire; Jackie Collins - Drop Dead Beautiful; Diana Palmer - Lawless; Brenda Joyce - Double Take; John Cleary - The Ninth Marquess; J.D. Robb - Leverage in Death; Suzanne Brockmann - Into the Fire; Sandra Brown - Play Dirty; Elizabeth Lowell - Innocent as Sin.

Pace: Fast
Characters: Strong women; complex characters
Story: Plot-driven
Language: Compelling
Tone: Suspenseful; strong sense of place
Frame: San Antonio TX, Boston (Somerville), Adirondacks; contemporary

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neggers has a very methodical, straightforward writing style. She perfectly captures the logic and reason of Jack, the Texas Ranger, but also manages to convey the emotional turmoil Susanna is dealing with. (Even though Susanna doesn't always understand her own feelings!) I also like that Neggers shows us Alice's thoughts and actions, as well as glimpses of Destin and Beau. Neggers allows the reader to truly feel like we know all the main characters of the story as it unfolds. The clues and chain of logic is often in spurts and out of order, but that's the way real life is. We don't always know what other people know or don't know and sometimes we think we know things but we're wrong. I liked the characters of Susanna and Jack (and Maggie and Ellen and Iris) and I enjoyed getting to know them and go on this journey. As with many of Neggers' stories, the suspense is the main genre with a dash of romance thrown in. I liked that in this one, the romance was rekindling a long marriage, rather than new love. It was an interesting twist which took nothing away from the engaging story.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 2nd novel in the Carriage House series and focuses on Susanna Galway and her husband, Texas Ranger Jack Galway. An open murder investigation and a case of Jack's becomes more personal than Jack and Susanna could ever have imagined even after all the years that Jack has been a Texas Ranger.

Particularly enjoyable for those that watched Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series 1993–2001). Only in this case the Texas Ranger cowboy hat is white rather than black and suits this reader's imagination just fine.

More romance than suspense for this novel but as Susanna and Jack's twin daughters Maggie and Ellen explain to their father, their mother needs to be wooed. There's also some great laugh out loud moments as Jack responds to his daughters.

27-Sep-2019 Update: Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!! I wrote this book review yesterday and today I saw this headline: Jared Padalecki to Star in 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Reboot
Link: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...

[David DaSilva · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my first book of Carla Negger I picked to read and probably will be the last. They are stupid characters. How could a Author write something so confusing about the principal characters?? The stupid thing about it Susanna and her husband don’t even have a good communication and an explanation of why they separated. How could a man a Texas Ranger be in that kind situation and accept that??? I dong get it. If I was that man, I would NEVER let her go away ( if they were in love). Even if she goes away and he come to see her in Boston why not talk about it? There was no explanation, they just accept it.
Well.. I read a lot of books and some are good some are just OK but this one I would tell something: I have to put it down literally!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book for what it is, not what it was marketed as. Based on what the back of the book told me I expected a pretty intense read involving someone out for revenge. It read more like a romance with two people who just happened to be connected to law enforcement. I read it all in one go and I enjoyed it, but it definitely isn't what I thought it would be. I even though more stuff would happen in the cabin, itself. I still don't quite get Susanna's reasons for keeping her secrets. It could have been probably half the pages, though. So much time is really devoted to Susanna and Jack, and all the action is really fast.

A light read if you don't want anything too dark.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is a really good one but some of the character personalities didn't sit well with me. I would have given this a higher rating if certain things were different but I won't mention what those things are because I don't wish to spoil things for others who might not see it like I did. The writing is really good and it combined with the action/suspense keeps you hanging until the very end. I plan to read more in this series.

[Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, the “hero” of the story, Jack Galway was irritating. Thoroughly irritating. Smug. If he knew all the things he was saying that he knew, then he did not treat his wife right. He didn’t handle the entire situation right. But also, the reason that kept them apart for so long was kind of ridiculous.

The mystery was good though. Several possibilities for who committed murder. This book was worth the time investment.

[Ollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I hVe read by Carla Neggers. It kept your attention and was filled with twists and turns. The characters come alive. Even the supporting players like Daley Ahearn. He is a loveable old coot. The weather is almost a main character with the contrast between Texas and Massachusetts. The cold almost envelopes you as you read. So grab a blanket and settle in.

[Flewts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always enjoy Carla Neggers's stories. Some familiar characters, but mostly new ones, but the way she connects the old and the new is smooth and believable. I found some of the tension in this story a little contrived... Susanna doesn't tell her husband she's made $10,000,000 and that's a problem. I don't think so! But it is still a fun read, all in one day.

[ANN FAIRCLOUGH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

Liked it a lot....love this installment of the series. Love the strong, feisty female characters. Susanna was a bit over the top stubborn at times, but on the whole, admirable.
I gave it a 4 star only because it dragged at times. Overall, a good read. Love Carla Neggers.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble warming up to Susanna. Her little hissy fits just got under my skin and I felt Jack should have handcuffed her (from the book) and given her a good spanking. She brought a lot of the trouble to her family because she acted like a toddler. I would have rated it higher but because I didn't like her it got only 2 stars.

[Peter Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters likable, locations interesting, but . . .

The characters are well-drawn and most of them likable, and the locations Boston and the Adirondacks interesting. But the point of view keeps shifting from the protagonist to spouse to spouse’s partner to others who may be nefarious. And the story stretches believability, is complex, and is l-o-n-g.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Texas Ranger, Jack, and his wife Susanna, a financial adviser, have separated due to secrets and fear. An unsolved murder causes them to face certain consequences and work their way back together.

A likable couple with great chemistry. You will be routing for them.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas Rangers. Bostonians. A cabin in the Adirondacks. A murder. And the root of all evil … money. Suspense-filled romp including a husband and wife who aren’t quite sure what their relationship is. And a grandmother who once was a legend in her own time.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I had to wonder about the premise that someone would leave their spouse over such silliness it did make a good story to read.

[Cathie Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I love Carla's writing style and her natural conversations.

[M.J. Compton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate when heroes wink. Both Texas Rangers in this book wink.

[Don Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Neggars best.

[Chris Meiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very suspenseful! I loved it!

[annmarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was ok

[Ktbird · Rating 3 out of 5]

For cheesy romance with some mystery and murder thrown in, its pretty good.