The Color of Death

Rarities Unlimited #4

by Elizabeth Lowell

Kate Chandler has accepted a commission that will solidify her reputation as a world-class gem cutter. But during what should have been a simple transfer, seven rare, priceless sapphires vanish without a trace, along with their courier, her brother Lee, who now, quite possibly, is dead. And suddenly Kate is on the run, pursued by federal agents who believe she's the criminal mastermind of a cunning bait-and-switch.

Only Kate suspects the terrifying truth: that she's stumbled into a conspiracy of deceit, betrayal, and cold-blooded murder that goes far beyond a simple jewel heist. Getting Sam Groves, the FBI special agent who's her constant shadow, to trust her is a step in the right direction -- but it may be too little and too late in a bloody game where terror dictates her every move. Because a ruthless assassin has already received the order that Kate Chandler must die ...

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

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Individually and with co-author/husband Evan, Ann Maxwell has written over 60 novels and one work of non-fiction. There are 30 million copies of these books in print, as well as reprints in 30 foreign languages. Her novels range from science fiction to historical fiction, from romance to mystery. After working in contemporary and historical romance, she became an innovator in the genre of romantic suspense.

In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994).

Since July of 1992, she has had over 30 novels on the New York Times bestseller list. In 1998 she began writing suspense with a passionate twist, capturing a new audience and generation of readers. Her new romance novel Perfect Touch will be available in July of 2015.

To get a full list of titles as well as read excerpts from her novels, visit www.elizabethlowell.com.

Reviews

[krisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

i didn't even bother finishing it because i just really care about my own health and well-being.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was slow moving, and had too many characters to follow along. It was not a smooth read lyrically speaking, and several times I felt myself stumbling over sentences that didn't make sense. I have read other Elizabeth Lowell books, but this is one I won't recommend! I only gave it 2 stars because of the Author, and the pretense of what the story was suppose to evoke. But since it came short it didn't reach past 2 stars.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This barely got 3 stars from me. I thought it was going to be much better than it was. As many other reviews have pointed out, the main characters were a bit.....boring. The parts with Kate and Sam were my least favorite for sure. When the book focused on the action with the side characters, that was when it was at it's best. I went out of order in the series to to get a word for a reading challenge, and I have the other books on the series, but I'm not sure if I will give it another shot.

2020 Reading Challenge
November Word: Color

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good suspense that starts with a jewel heist. The characters are solid and the chapters are fast-paced.

[Janet Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fascinating information about a little known topic skillfully wrapped around a fine suspense plot and good characters. A little romancy, but a fun and fast read

[Percontation Points · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theoretically, this book sounds like something that I would have enjoyed immensely: sex and brutal murders.

The reality of this book was a little bit on the dry side. The romance between Sam and Kate often overshadowed the murders to the point of absurdity. I often found myself muttering "just bang already" over and over until they actually did.
And when they finally did throw all sense out of the window and had sex, it left me feeling sort of empty. There was so much build up of their sexual relationship that when they actually did get to that point, the writing lacked any sort of luster. I get that the author probably didn't want to spend too much time on long, drawn out sex scenes when there was a murderer to catch, but still. There was all of that build up and then, not even a page later, they were done. I feel cheated.

And, thanks to all of the time spent on the sexual relationship of Sam and Kate, I sort of felt like the murder mystery was often times put onto the back burner. When I got through with a scene of the two of them constantly having to tell themselves that they couldn't have each other (at least, not right now...), I was just sort of "Oh, right. There's somebody out there who's killing gem couriers."

Something that I also didn't rather enjoy about this was that the POV was constantly switching. It was sort of hard to keep track of who all of the different characters were and how they connected to one another. And why I should care about these people. I just want to read about Sam and Kate banging, and then they go skipping off and figure out who dun it.
In the end, everything tied together, but, in my opinion, it just took much too long in order to actually get to that point.

I'm undecided if I'll read the other books in this series, as it appears as though they're all about different characters. I got a little attached to Sam and Kate after a while, but I also understand that their story is over.
But, all in all, it wasn't completely horrible and, if you enjoy sex in your murder mystery, then this book is probably worth reading.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Chandler is a gem cutter whose brother was killed when acting as a courier for a group of gems she cut, brilliant sapphires known as the Seven Sins. Special Agent Sam Groves is on a special task force trying to figure out who is roughing up gem couriers and stealing the contents of their deliveries. When Kate tries to get the FBI to look into her brother's death, she gets a death threat of her own, and no one at the FBI will take her seriously except Sam.
This book is part of a series known as Rarities Unlimited, although the reader is not required to have any back story from the previous novels to become engaged in this one. The reader is not left feeling as though there is some information missing or that the experience of reading would be made fuller with the past perusal of the prequels.
I was worried when Lowell 'graduated' to romantic suspense from her core genre of straight romance. I imagined that the mystery would be flat, but the romance still steamy. The opposite is the case, however. The romance suffers only slightly in comparison to the mystery, but it does suffer. This is unfortunate, as I have long been a fan of Lowell's sensual prose. (By which I mean, her average sex scene does not make me either cringe with embarrassment or gag with syrupy sweetness.) Here, the relationship between the Agent and his Confidential Informant pales in comparison to the case they are trying to solve, and I feel it was just thrown in for Lowell's previous fans in a half-hearted manner. As I have said, the investigation is the heart of this plot.
Nonetheless, I am intrigued by the gem industry (have read all of Lowell's Donovan series, which also deal with gems) and am always interested in learning more about it through fiction regarding it. I believe the other books in this series also reside in my library and am looking forward to them appearing next in my to-be-read list.

[Aneca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had some trouble grading this book. This is a romantic suspense story, however I never felt I knew enough of the characters or the story to care about them and be intrigued.

Kate's half brother has disappeared with a fortune in jewels. Kate, who is a gem cutter, is trying to find the truth and very much fearing he is dead. The cops classified said disappearence as voluntary and she must be discreet because she has received death threats.

Sam Groves is an FBI agent who watches Kate switching a sapphire at an exhibition and decides to investigate her. After being told her story he makes her his informant and they both try to find who is behind the attacks to jewel couriers and who killed Lee Mandel, Kate's half brother.

I think this book lacks some character development and the suspense plot could definitely have a few more twists to make it more interesting. Instead Lowell concentrates on describing the gem cutting and selling process which is very interesting but it doesn't make a good suspense novel on it's own. When the villain was unmasked I wasn't all that interested anymore. And since I never felt I really got to know the characters I also had some trouble believing in the romance.

Because of all of the above, a C.

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book of E. Lowell's I've read and it is now my last. This book was worse than her other one (see my review of "Innocent as Sin"). This book was about stolen gem stones and murder. The book went into way too much detail about gem stones. The author might as well have written a book about it instead of a suspense novel (if you could call it suspense).

Just like the other book I read of hers, this one also ended abruptly. There was no explanation given as to why the thief/killer did what they did. It's as though the author wanted the reader to figure it out themself from what she had written throughout the book and if that's the case, then that is so lame not to mention lazy on her part. As well the main two characters ended up together but where they were going with their relationship was again unanswered. There was no dialogue between the two with respect to their feelings of each other. More input into their relationship would have been nice.

[Ana Leite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 🌟. Arredondei para cima porque o devorei em 2 dias. A escrita deixa muito a desejar, e não adorei o side plot cheesy até enjoar, mas foi como se estivesse a ver um episódio de CSI ou algo do género. Lê se facilmente e manteve-me super entretida e agarrada. Gostei do plot policial e do desenlace com plot twist!

[Robyn Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

i can't be bothered reviewing this book, except ot say I won't be reading any others by this writer.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that I was disappointed in this book. I loved all of the Donovan "jewel stories" and hoped this would be similar but unfortunately, not quite. It turned out to be one of those books that wasn't bad enough to stop reading (it had a good plot line & just enough mystery to keep you wanting to know who the baddie was) but not good enough to be happy that you finished it. While I love learning something new about the main topics (sapphires & the jewelry industry, in this case) there was just too much technical information shared. Between the tutorials and all the characters that you had to keep track of, it got really confusing. One other observation - despite that I personally am fond of, and have use for, coffee & hair clips, I lost count of how many times they were brought up in an overwhelming way in the story. If I start noticing and dreading reading about character details, they're in there too much! I love this author but if you want to read a book with this subject, I highly recommend you read Amber Beach instead.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to be a real romantic-suspense addict, the likes of Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Linda Howard etc. I'll still read Roberts & Brown but others leave me cold as two decades on my tastes now lean more towards the grittier & gorier side of crime.

I picked this up from a LFL on the Blue Ridgeway Parkway while on holiday as my book supply was getting way too low & I got pretty much straight into it. The characterisations are decent if rather predictable (Sam, for example is a maverick FBI agent who doesn't get on with his bosses - who'd've thought it?).
The storyline builds well, with the reports between Sam & the FBI & Sam & Kate's conversations about their investigations helping clarify what was going on without being overly repetitive. It was quite interesting learning a bit about gems although sometimes it came over a bit textbookish & I'm not sure how much of it was artistic licence or fact!

Finally I loved the banter between Kate & Sam...okay it was a bit obvious at times but sometimes it need to be ;o)

A good holiday read.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, hot and mysterious.

I already knew I liked the work of Elizabeth Lowell and am looking for more of her books. When I came across this one through a recommendation, I knew I had to read it. I’m glad I did. It moved along at a great clip and kept me involved throughout. I had to know what would happen next. I learned a bit through this story, too. I had no idea cutting stones was that involved. Holy moly.

I liked the connection between Kate and Sam, even if there were times I thought it came across a bit immature. For a guy who is at the top of his game, he seemed to get distracted rather quickly by her. Still, they had chemistry and I rooted for them to work out.

I liked that this wasn’t a cut and dry mystery. There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming and that definitely helped me enjoy the book more.

If you’re looking for a hot read with a good mystery, then this might be the read for you. Check it out.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vintage Lowell, though I am sorry about Lee's fate. A nice guy. Sam is the quintessential FBI guy who does things his way and is probably on a one-way ticket to Fargo, where unwanted FBI agents are sent. Kate is a gem cutter trying to find out where her brother is and who has received a death threat for doing so. The two collide with the expected results. What was unexpected was the identity of the real villain, not revealed until just a few pages from the end of the book.

Lots of death in this book. It's disconcerting how easy it is to hire a murderer. And interesting tidbits about the gem trade. I'm going to have to look at the other books in this series.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Precious stonecutter Kate Chandler has just completed cutting 7 huge sapphires into different shapes for a FL buyer. Half-brother Lee is the company courier and he disappears just short of his destination, part of a string of thefts. Kate pursues the case and teams up with FBI agent Sam Groves. Together they work to figure out who's behind the thefts but the bodies start to pile up until they uncover the culprit.

Well done suspense. Good background information on jewels. Some sex. The evil one is not easily found out by reader or protagonist.

[EvilAntie Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

are you still love Elizabeth Lowell‘s writing. Because I started out with the Donahue family and it was a magnificent series. She never finished it and she never does the sequel. So when I saw the rarity series, I thought this might be interesting. Unfortunately, this is the most lackluster book I have ever read. I couldn’t find the chemistry between the characters. I never give up on a book of power through it, and read it to the end, but that little voice inside of me, the readers critic who said, “stop at the Donahue family” and I should have listened.

[Aliyah Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll give it a 4 star (really a 3) because I wanted to read this in paper. Couldn’t find it at my community book store, found it on vacation at John K. knight Rare Bookstore in Detroit. Although, it is quite boring. Super slow: sometimes I forgot it was about a murder mystery. There could be a few breakthrough sends to spice up the main characters but it seemed like the side characters were the true show for this book.

[Sandy Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In addition to a fascinating mystery, there is a lot of information about gem selling and what makes some more valuable than others. Kate Chandler is just trying to find out what happened to her half-brother, a courier for gems. Sam Groves is tasked with tracking down a band of gem thieves. His idea of which gang is responsible differs from his Bureau Chief. When he and Kate put their heads together, they find the real culprits.

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one too, should get 3.5 stars.
A good story and many twists. I've also learned a lot about gems and how their selected etc.
I jewel cutter and her security services family get mixed up with jewel thieves and murder.
The one and only FBI guy that actually has a clue, is at the bottom of the bosses list.
A really fast moving and interesting story.

[Susan Bertao · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and author, the plot was on going and kept me interested. It was exciting and touched an area I wasn't familiar with, gems and cutting rough material into jewels. the characters were written so well it almost sounded like they were real people, nothing was sugar coated. It had a satisfying beginning, middle and end.

[Cyndi Fowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t quite as compelling as most of her other novels. However the ending took me by surprise, and I had thought that I had read this before.
Her characters are usually so well described that you can see them in your mind’s eye but I don’t think I could pick these people out of a lineup.
I am putting the review lower but it is a decent read. Even authors have to pay rent...

[Carol Whetzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting plot involving gems that had numerous twists. However, reading about the heroes' obsession with the main character hair every other paragraph really made me lose interest. The romance overrode the suspense and the author tried way too hard to come across as a hard edged man. Just didn't work.

[Katrina Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romance with mystery sprinkled throughout. The main story may be about solving a murder and uncovering a ring of jewel theives closely tied to the FBI, but the only thing I cared about was the two love interests. I learned more about precious gems reading this book than I have learned in my entire life, and I actually found it fascinating.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished it so gave it a 3 star review, steam was very low and I honestly think it was a better mystery than romance. It suffered from all the longing looks and I didn't really feel the romantic tension. Could've been a nice mystery novella instead.

Mystery was more satisfying , as a pure mystery, maybe 3.5 stars, as a romance, 2 stars and probably a DNF.

[Dirk Lapere · Rating 3 out of 5]

A run off the mill murder mystery. It reads nicely but has some significant flaws. The romance between the main characters feels hurried. There is instant attraction between Sam and Meg, but there is no “dance”, just lust. Similarly, the mystery of the gem courier thefts is very superficial and simple. Nothing special.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost didn’t read this. I was looking for another book with the same title. But I was hooked on this one before I knew it. The main characters are both delightful, and the story both interesting and different. While the book is billed as one of suspense, it is not heavy-duty. It is, however, thoroughly entertaining.

[Ela · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

It was ok, but I wouldn't recommend it. There was little suspense, the bad guy was basically introduced right of the bat, so reading was simply observing how the events would unfold so (s)he was exposed by FBI.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look inside the world of precious and semi-precious stones. Not sure I bought how involved Sizemore was in the investigation, considering he wasn't an FBI agent. But I liked the main characters and felt their interaction was believable.

[Cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy it, this book was a little slow for me. It did have some interesting info about gems. I have to admit, I heaved a sigh of relief when I finished because it seemed to go on for so long.