All or Nothing

by Elizabeth Adler

With the flair for sizzling romantic suspense that has made her books international bestsellers, Elizabeth Adler, whose work has been hailed by critics as "mesmerizing" Internet Bookwatch , "exhilarating" Publishers Weekly, and "sensuous" Kirkus Reviews, is at the top of her form with her latest novel, All or Nothing .

Lithe, leggy attorney and law professor Marla Cwitowitz is dying for some excitement in her life--that is, other than being the girlfriend of Al Giraud, private detective, sexy soul mate, and all-around best friend. So when she sees the potential for a crime-solving spree, she jumps at the chance to moonlight as a detective. According to the evening news, local real estate agent Laurie Martin is missing and presumed dead. Marla and Al happened to have seen her dining with an attractive man several days before her disappearance. The man is Steve Mallard, loyal husband, doting father, and prime suspect. But Marla senses that something is not quite right. And her intuition has never let her down. Believing that there's more to the story than meets the eye, she takes matters into her own hands, vowing to get to the bottom of what's beginning to look like a very complex case. Al wants Marla to stay out of the way, fearing for her safety. He knows what's involved in detective work, and he's not sure she can hold her own as an investigator. But she won't be warned off this case. Their relationship has never been more fraught with complications--or sexual sizzle. With little warning or preparation, the two find themselves crisscrossing the United States in frantic pursuit of a remorseless criminal in an effort to prove Mallard's innocence. Finally Marla's found the excitement she's been looking for. With her, it's always been all or nothing.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Thriller

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published September 12, 2000

About the author

Born in Yorkshire, North England, Elizabeth Adler met her husband Richard (an American) while both were working in London. They have lived in England, Ireland, France, Brazil, and the United States and have traveled extensively. They have one daughter and live in Palm Springs, California. Her first novel, Private Desires (also titled Leonie), launched an enormously successful writing career, she also wrote as Ariana Scott. She has now written over twenty internationally acclaimed bestsellers.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written story of PI and lawyer girlfriend investigating the disappearance of real estate agent. Not Adler's writing style at all.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing cat & mouse chase, complete with world weary PI, sexpot sidekick and a nasty little killer.

[Becky Vance · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written, cheese-ball cliche-ridden drivel. Don't waste your time.

[Olamide · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so much love the plotting

[Hilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of sex

[Penandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Who cares. Suspend all belief, ye who enter here. Unfortunately (or from another perspective, I’m probably grateful), I was reading this on my Kindle. I could track my progress through the book. When I realized I was 23% into the book and a character I don’t care about has disappeared (not sure if she’s been murdered) and the cliched hard-boiled PI and his trusty sidekick girlfriend and the poor sap of a suspect, and the poor saps wife, and the — oh my goodness — missing woman is living a double (or is it triple?) life and has an eighty-something really rich boyfriend, and a detective with a B!+

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A este libro le he dado 3,5 estrellas. Es la primera vez que leo a esta autoray la verdad es que ha gustado el libro. Lo tenía en mis estanterías desde hacía años pero siempre había alguno que me llamaba más la atención. La trama está muy bien y más o menos a la mitad del libro te sorprende con algo que pasa y se acelera más la historia.
Los protagonistas me han gustado mucho, ella me ha encantado su personalidad arrolladora y su convencimiento que quería ser detective privado.
El libro lo recomiendo para pasar un buen rato. 13/09/2023.

[Camila Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que le puse mucha expectativa a este libro porque posteriormente había leído "heredaran los ricos" de la misma autora, y me había fascinado🤩
Literal me voló la cabeza.
Esperaba algo similar para este peroooo bueno, me conformo con que es un buen libro aunque el plot twist no me gusto como estaba planteado, el misterio se resuelve antes de lo que me hubiera gustado y me falto más info de como sigue la historia de los personajes secundarios.

[Idilbun · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright and I liked the plot twists but the constant comments about Marla looking like a teen despite being in her 30s is just weird and steve is a cheater 🥀 characters had no flaws and I felt like the writer just wanted to make the most perfect humas ever come on now

[Sarah Kirkpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok; it definitely picked up in the second half!

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favourite of her books, but it was a fun easy read.

[Myself · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
Libro entretenido como todos los que he leído de esta autora. No es de lis mejores pero se deja leer bastante bien. Para los que les guste el género policíaco.

[Julia Lennon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un chef-d'oeuvre ! Je le recommande !

[Bella Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο είναι ένα αισθηματικό θρίλερ που διαδραματίζεται στα λαμπερά σκηνικά της Ευρωπαϊκής Ριβιέρας. Η ιστορία ακολουθεί τη Μαρί, μια γυναίκα που ζει μια φαινομενικά τέλεια ζωή, η οποία όμως ανατρέπεται όταν ανακαλύπτει ότι ο σύζυγός της εμπλέκεται σε σκοτεινές υποθέσεις και απάτες, και στη συνέχεια εξαφανίζεται μυστηριωδώς. Μέσα από τις σελίδες του, ο αναγνώστης παρακολουθεί τη Μαρί να προσπαθεί να ξετυλίξει το κουβάρι των μυστικών, ανακαλύπτοντας την αλήθεια για τον άντρα της και τους ανθρώπους γύρω της, ενώ παράλληλα αναπτύσσεται ένας νέος, περίπλοκος έρωτας. Η πλοκή συνδυάζει στοιχεία μυστηρίου, ρομαντισμού και κοινωνικού δράματος.
Είναι μια μελέτη της εμπιστοσύνης, της προδοσίας και της αναζήτησης της αλήθειας. Το βιβλίο υπενθυμίζει με έναν δραματικό, αν και μερικές φορές προβλέψιμο, τρόπο πώς οι σχέσεις μπορούν να κλονιστούν από τα μυστικά και πώς η επιφάνεια κρύβει συχνά σκοτεινά πάθη. Η συγγραφέας αναδεικνύει το πώς η δύναμη της γυναικείας διαίσθησης και η θέληση για επιβίωση μπορούν να οδηγήσουν στη λύτρωση, παρόλο που η προσέγγιση είναι αρκετά συμβατική.
Το ύφος γραφής είναι ομαλό και ευκολοδιάβαστο, χαρακτηριστικό του είδους, αλλά συχνά υποφέρει από έλλειψη πραγματικής έντασης ή σασπένς που θα περίμενε κανείς από ένα θρίλερ. Η αφήγηση κυλάει με έναν σταθερό ρυθμό, με μερικές ανατροπές, αλλά η γενική αίσθηση είναι πιο κοντά σε ένα αισθηματικό μυθιστόρημα παρά σε ένα θρίλερ, κάτι που ίσως απογοητεύσει τους λάτρεις του μυστηρίου.
Οι χαρακτήρες είναι ενδιαφέροντες, αλλά συχνά στερεοτυπικοί. Η Μαρί είναι η κλασική γυναίκα που προσπαθεί να ισορροπήσει ανάμεσα στην καρδιά και τη λογική, ενώ ο νέος πρωταγωνιστής είναι ο γοητευτικός άντρας με το μυστηριώδες παρελθόν. Οι δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες (φίλοι, εχθροί) είναι λειτουργικοί για την πλοκή, αλλά χωρίς ιδιαίτερο βάθος.
Το βιβλίο προσφέρει μια ευχάριστη διαφυγή και είναι ιδανικό για χαλαρή ανάγνωση. Ωστόσο, η προβλεψιμότητα της πλοκής και η έλλειψη βάθους στους χαρακτήρες με άφησαν με μια αίσθηση ότι το βιβλίο, αν και καλογραμμένο, δεν είναι κάτι που θα μείνει στη μνήμη μου ως ένα από τα κορυφαία του είδους. Η αξία του είναι κυρίως ψυχαγωγική, προσφέροντας στιγμές ρομαντισμού και ίντριγκας.
Διαβάζεται ευχάριστα, αλλά δεν ενθουσιάζει.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice interesting book. The actual story line was very good and it would have earned at least one more star had the "romance novel" part of it not existed. They're all so ridiculous with their perfect people and their perfect sex and being just sickly sweet. I do not wish to offend anyone, After all, we all have our own favorite genres. I am sure there are plenty out there who do not like some of my favorite authors. But as for me, I will not be looking for any more Elizabeth Adler.
One thing about the characters I really did like; they are all quite different and memorable.
Further comments;
Cars play like characters in this book! True to Californians. My cousin, Joe, a Pittsburgh boy morphed into a Pasadena man once told me, "We need carports because we don't like our cars is getting dusty."

One thing doesn't make sense. Bonnie's lover was in her and Jimmy's trailer sleeping? Not likely. And didn't see 'Jimmy' sleeping? That makes two unlikelys.
Oops! Whatever happened to Frankie Vargas, Boss's male nurse whom she screwed on her honeymoon? I doubt if he would've just shuffled away smiling when she fired him.

So where did she get the Neiman Marcus stickers and the plastic explosives?
The amount of Boss Harmon's estate that was willed to Laura keeps changing.
She finally shot Jimmy in the parking lot of an upscale grocery store. No one heard the gunshot??? Unlikely.

Page 323 I believe the author is looking for is insalubrious.

Also I appreciate the effort to keep the book's language clean. Especially, not taking God's name in vain, at least for the first half.. But really gosh-darn. Just a damn or hell here and there might be a tad more realistic.
No one on this planet seems to remember The third of the ten Commandments. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
Above even "Thy shall not
kill." ! Do nearly all Christians think Moses stuck this one in there as a joke?

[John Mcconahey]

All or Nothing by Elizabeth Adler

From the authoress of tales involving fashion and art intricacies beyond my comprehension, all-inclusive background descriptions of the participating characters, imagery of far-away exotic places worldwide, and wealth and privilege expertly purveyed – comes a mystery thriller? Who’d a thunk it?

Al Giraud, a private investigator, and paramour Marla Cwitowitz, a law professor at Pepperdine, meet for drinks. Cwitowitz has an irrepressible urge to become a private eye, which Al thinks is not a very good idea at all. Marla speculates on another couple also there having drinks, little suspecting how over the next few months, their fates would mix nearly lethally. A Stuart Woods fan, I found this engaging story to be of similar quality to some of his work. Being familiar with the story’s geographical setting, I was put off somewhat by its inaccuracies. Always preferring detailed accuracy to promote believability in a novel, I was disturbed about the plot incorporating assumptions regarding law and its procedures that I believe took too much editorial license.

Still in all, it’s a what’s-gonna-happen-next interest-holding depiction that is surprising and pleasant coming from Adler. Despite its predictability, this book is worth the read.

[J Jahir · Rating 5 out of 5]

ésta fue la primerita novela que me animé a leer de la autora. todos esos libros recuerdo que los había obtenido bajándolmelos de un servidor de nube que por entonces era muy conocido: Wuala. El caso de steve Mellard, acusado de haber cometido un asesinato, y tras esto, los inspectores Al Girauld y su pareja Marla entran en escena. creo que es una novela sencilla que no cuesta seguir, no es sólo una simple novela policiaca sino que tiene otros elementos como romance, y algo de drama. la recomiendo, porque el giro final no te lo esperas.
dato curioso: ¿saben que esta autora es poco conocida entre mi círculo de amigos lectores? algunos no tienen idea de ella, y otros pocos (conforme han convivido conmigo) se las he ido recomendando, y ya tienen leídos al menos 2 libritos de ella.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Rugged Ex-cop now Private Eye (Al)and his gorgeous lawyer girlfriend (Marla)are chasing down a crazed identity changing serial killer. Marla, a lawyer and professor spends part of her time trying to convince her boyfriend that she would make a great P.I. and partner. In the course of the book, Marla ends up in the hospital 3 times. Her parents are not thrilled. Why won't she go out with a dentist? Even Al is not really happy. But Marla is determined and runs every step of the way (unless she is the hospital) with her man.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light-weight fun read about a ex cop turned private eye in Los Angeles and his lawyer girl friend who wants to be his partner. When their client is accused of killing a local real estate lady and then trying to kill his own wife, the two set out to prove his innocence and track down the real culprit. Lots of time for hanky panky in between the serious business of detective work.

An older book, but I always did like Elizabeth Adler.

[Katherine rose kapunan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a page turner. The twist was unexpected though it was placed in the middle of the story. I love the culprits psychological character. It's pretty unusual encountering a little girl killing another little girl for power. I also liked Vickie's guts to fight over coma and be with her husband and daughters. One thing i hate about it are the erotic scenes. hahaha.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has become my favorite Adler mystery/romance. It hit all the right notes. Intriguing. Adler moves back and forth along the time line but never leaves the reader wondering "when" the dialogue/memory is taking place. Interesting and well-developed characters. Good triumphs over evil, love endures and all is right in the world.

[Lorrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't believe this book was published in 1997 -- it read like a romance written in the 1980's. Did these characters eat out and dress up an awful lot? I enjoyed reading it well enough while I was doing so, but I wouldn't recommend anyone else doing so.

[Liz V. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Looking for an active serial killer would seem to be a 24/7 job but this lawyer and private eye team don't seem to grasp either that concept or the duty to keep defense counsel, if not the police, informed of information pointing to such a killer. I've talked myself into giving the lowest rating.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cop turned private investigator and his girl friend an attorney and law professor must find the serial killer who is turning so many lives upside down.
This is a fast paced and enjoyable romantic thriller. Has some twists and turns. Enjoy

[Sharon Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner. Not only does Elizabeth Adler give you two good main characters (one male, one female)with their thoughts, but she also gives you a bad person and you hear that person's side of things. And yet the book stays fast paced. Warning, you may find it hard to put down.

[Mikki Karotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is more of a mystery than travel, but excellent none the less - a real page turner!

[Heidi Barhydt · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic book with a outrageous twist. Highly recommended for those that love mystery.

[Negirlb152]

cheesy - I figured it out - way before the end.....

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was one giant, predictle cliche. i read it for my job and..i want a new job.

[Georgia · Rating 1 out of 5]

predictible plot, silly dialogue between the two main characters but somewhere in there was something that made me read it till the end although I scanned through alot of it. Not recommended