Escape Out of Darkness

Maggie Bennett #1

by Anne Stuart

Troubleshooter Maggie Bennett is assigned to protect ex-rock star Mack Pulaski and gets swept up in a world of multi-million dollar drug deals that takes her from Central America to Zurich

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Amazon, Fiction

220 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1986

About the author

Anne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.

Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.

She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.

When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.

Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.

Reviews

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow………that’s why I love reading Anne Stuart’s books. She knows how to get you all tangled in the stories that make for non-stop reading.

I discovered this book by chance and I was a bit apprehensive when I saw that it was first published in 1987…but needn't have worried…….it’s just as fresh as if it was written today.

Let me begin by saying that the heroine is just my kind of woman!!!!!!! No shrinking violet – she’s beyond a smart, beautiful, no bull-shit kick-ass negotiator…spy!!!!!

. She’s like LARA CROFT NIKITA and ULTRAVIOLETall rolled into one fabulous MAGGIE BENNETT.!!!

Maggie Bennett (I still haven’t figure out what she actually does…..I think she’s an undercover CIA agent…..I bet she is…but who knows!!!), has a new mission. Go undetected to Idaho and bring in a witness that has been hiding in a safe house, back to Houston, for the trial of a huge drug operation bust.

No problem for her…..never mind she’s just got off a flight from London, no sleep for days….she’s on it!!!!!!
So she meets up with the witness, an ex rock-star turned music producer, Mack aka “Snake” Pulaski (I really didn’t like his names!!!)….but anyway, he doesn’t quite look that now, but he’s still a hot and sexy guy!!!! Of course I knew that….

Soon, we join these two as they dodge bullets, flee from murderous assassins, survive the plane crash, which just happens to break up in the sea…..not toooo far from where they have to go and find some guy that Maggie needs help from………..yes…..that guy is not in Idaho, not even in the USA but in rebel infested Nicaragua…no, not there..but near there..now what’s the place called????? Colombia? No! Honduras…that’s the place.

More shootings, cars blowing up and soon we see M & M flying to Zurich next. I wonder how they pay for everything. Don’t be daft Alex…this is fiction………NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

I really engaged with the two mc’s. Loved their banter and interaction…..

“Maggie, you may look like Miss Sweden and act like Superwoman but you’ve got the personality of a king cobra. Don’t you ever lighten up?” Mack

“You certainly are grumpy for little cause.” Mack
“You certainly are cheerful for little cause.” Maggie

“ What do you mean, little cause? The road is paved, the sun is rising, no one’s trying to shoot as us for the moment, we’ve got food, warm bottles of Coke, guns to keep off ravaging wildlife, and I’ve been extremely well-laid. What more could I ask?” Mack

“When did you get over Randall?”Mack
“Last week, dammit. When you stepped out of the shadows in Moab, Utah. Now shut up and let me ache in peace.Maggie

and the airport scene was a laugh a minute!!!! Maggie…..she always has a plan……..a bit like Sarah Connor…remember her???

I found the info on the characters below which introduces some of the characters in the series:

• Margrethe Elisa Bennett: Almost six feet of Nordic gorgeousness, she does protection work for a Third World Causes, Ltd..

• Mack Pulaski: Record producer, former rock star and lead singer of Why, his throat (and singing ability) were wrecked in a gangland attack years ago. He just witnessed a drug deal that was connected to international terrorists, and he needs protection.
• Peter Wallace: Head of Third World Causes, an ex-lover and a friend.

• Jeffrey Van Zandt: CIA agent full of sleazy charm.

• Mancini: International drug dealer.

• Sybil Bennett: Maggie’s movie star mother.

• Kate Bennett: Maggie’s half-sister who lives in Chicago and works for an indie movie studio.

• Holly Bennett: Maggie’s half-sister–a super-model.

• Jilly Bennett: Maggie’s half-sister–a doctor living in the Pacific Northwest.

• Randall Carter: The one man Maggie ever loved.

• Bud Willis: Former CIA, mercenary and creep.

• Mike Jackson: head of the DC branch of Third World Causes.

• Hercule Mersot: Organized crime lord.

• Enrique Castanasta: some puppet general in the RAO rebel army

• Lonesome Fred: the stoned pilot who comes to a watery end.

• Consuela: Bud Wills “woman” in Honduras, who we are not sure if she comes to a stick end or not.

This was such a fun and thrilling ride……and I am hopefully going to find book #2 & #3…..I have to keep up with Maggie Bennett’s next adventures!!!

[Suzie Quint · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for the characters, 2 for the plot.

Cheesy, cheesy plot with a ton of story logic violation. Maggie is supposed to be "good at what she does" but she makes incredibly stupid blunders which risk her life as well as the life of Mack, the man she's supposed to be protecting. FREX, at one point in the story, the author says she's faced death before without flinching and I couldn't help thinking about the moment in the street when a car was bearing down on her with the intent to run her down. I have to admit, she didn't flinch, but only because she froze. (And once again, Mack had to rescue her.) He was the one who came across as supremely capable. She just blundered along. As did the story. So many things happened without a valid reason, characters (including the villains) made decisions that were completely without logic. In short, the story was stupid. And yet, I couldn't help liking Maggie and Mack, but I think it was mostly Mack.

I can't help but wonder why authors give away books that are so deeply flawed. It doesn't make me want to rush out and buy more of their work.

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ran across this book on Hoopla, didn't realize how old it was till I added it to GR. It didn't age too badly. What I really liked about this one was that Mark let Maggie do the saving for the most part. He trusted her enough to take the lead and make sure they were safe. Sure there were times he helped out, but for the most part Maggie directed things.

[Alp]

@51%

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really well-written romantic suspense. Well-balanced storyline and superb character development with a sizzling splash of romance.

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a simplistic kind of novel that was predictable, it was also kind of fun.
That's why the 3 stars. The two main characters meet under stained circumstances and immediately connect. It takes the rest of the book for them to realize they should be together.
Again, same story different place.... but fun.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narrator of the audio is excellent, but I can’t say the same for the plot. Intriguing and charismatic characters are stuck in a confusing plot that takes them from the U. S. to Central America to Europe. Why? I’m not sure. Disturbing of all, this is a trilogy and Mack dies at the beginning of the next novel?! Why?

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio book. I love this author. This is an earlier work which is not as dated as you might expect. Heroine was not consistent. It was a little annoying. Will not be reading next two stories. I will be pretending this is a stand alone.

[EvilAntie Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharp witted story

Classic Anne Stuart. Brazen hero and sharp heroine who make the perfect couple on an outrageous adventure. More to come.

[Sanya Lolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun easy read

[TeriD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and I absolutely adored Mack, which is why I can't read the remaining books in the series. Mack alone is worth rereading this one tho.

[Darla Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Much less dated than you'd expect from the copyright date.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book was clearly written quite some time ago there are only a few instances where it shows its age: references to Pan Am; Maggie wears jumpsuits A LOT; references to Mick Jagger being 40; etc.

Maggie is a fixer. She works for an aid organisation that troubleshoots issues with terrorists and freedom fighters and third world issues. She has just finished a mission and is gratefully returning home when she is met at the airport by her handler (and ex-lover) who informs her that she has a new assignment as a bodyguard to a music producer who has witnessed something illegal.

Her assignment, Mack, turns out to be the former lead singer for one of the most famous rock bands, a man she had a crush on years ago. He witnessed a drug deal between one of his session musicians and a drug dealer he knew from his wild rock-star years. Shortly afterwards Mack's apartment block is bombed and the session musician is found murdered. Apparently Central American rebels have been using aid from the CIA to buy drugs and sell them to the Mafia. Now Mack has disturbed an illegal eco-system and everyone wants to shut him up - he and Maggie are being pursued by the Mafia, the CIA, the freedom fighters and the Mafia.

I really enjoyed this novel and I thought, for its time, that Maggie was a very strong character. However, Mack turned from a laconic former rock-star with almost zero inclination to do the right thing to a James Bond-esque super hero, capable of disarming a trained CIA operative. I also thought the plot got a little confused (in a James Bond film kind of way) and I'm not entirely sure I understood all the twists and turns or machinations - but that's beside the point.

It was fun and I look forward to reading the next story.

[Brenda Margriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, do a lot of bad things happen to these people...but their escapes are believable.

Maggie was trained in the CIA, but left to work privately. She now "cleans up" dangerous messes, from political strife to people on the run from gangsters. Mack saw a drug deal, and his life is now in danger. He has quite the background. He used to be a lead singer in a rock band (20 years ago) until he was punished by the same drug dealer by having his throat kicked in. Now he's a producer.

They are constantly being shot at, bombed, living through plane and car crashes, getting caught in a coup and then being given the impossible tasks to assassinate a different drug lord. I really enjoyed their relationships (she needs to be in control, and he lets her).

The only thing that bothered me all the way through this book is that the cover said "A Maggie Bennett Novel" so I knew it was part of a series. Therefore I couldn't quite relax about the romance, because I wasn't sure if Mack was going to make it to the end of the book. And then after I read the book, I read the blurbs for the other novels, and Mack doesn't seem to be in them. I really like him, so I was disturbed by that.

[Laylah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It almost seems like a moot point reading book when I already know what would happen to one of the lead characters, but since I intend to read the whole series I decided to do it for the sake of continuity and just to know the leading lady's background. If you can overlook the ineffectiveness of the so-called professional, best-in-business heroine and the plot that feels more like an amazing race task than a cat-and-mouse thrilling chase it's supposed to be, Escape Out of Darkness is quite an ok book with nice dialogues and sizzling chemistry. Those are basically two main things I keep coming back to Anne Stuart, apart from the excellent pacing that makes me able to finish all of her books. If you look at my long DNF list, you'd see that's quite a feat. 3 stars

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maggie is almost am ultimate prototype of a hero and it may be one of reasons why Mack calls her a superwoman. Still, she is a rather normal human being and this fact is served to us by small events such as her being afraid of the dark or her breakdown towards the end of the book. I liked the book as such, it was well weitten and quite refreshing because even though a romance it wasn't a stereotype. The chemistry between Maggie and Mack was undeniable and their slow gravitation toward each
other was rather sweet. Yet I cannot give higher rating because I am afraid that it won't stick with me for a longer period of time.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Icy cool Maggie Bennett is a troubleshooter who has been assigned to protect ex-rockstar Mack Pulaski from the many people who want him dead. But she soon finds that she is also a prime target and they go on the run from drug-dealers, the mafia and the CIA. Soon they are headed to Central America where they pick up more enemies...rebel fighters.

This book started out promising but after a while I was confused about who wanted them killed and the reason why. I did like the ending though. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[bookworm80 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3 & 4 stars. Old Anne Stuart that, despite dated references, actually fairly enjoyable and seems to break her typical MO somewhat since the female characters is capable for a change and it's she (rather than the hero) who has trouble accepting her feelings.

Apparently, the hero is gone in the sequel so I'm going to ignore it.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got past the first few chapters, I really started to enjoy the banter between Maggie and Mack. But looking at the blurbs for the other two books in the trilogy has me giving a big hell no to the thought of reading more in the series -- I'm just going to pretend this is a standalone.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific, fast moving, Action packed

[Lindsay]

Amazon Freebie 11/29/2012

[Kimberly]

11/29/12 - free on Kindle

[Mireille Duval · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, quick read. If I had a kindle I'd read nothing but that kind of stuff.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lawyer and an ex-rock star are on the run after one of them witnesses a drug deal and the other is sent to save him.

[Noodle The Naughty Night Owl]

1/10: Couldn't get past the first few chapters; not for me.

[Danielles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle