Morgan Albright appears to have her life together in Nora Roberts' latest novel, IDENTITY. She owns a house, works two jobs to save money to buy her own business, and has planned her future carefully. The pieces seem to be falling into place. But when a handsome stranger enters the bar she works at one night, the result is the destruction of life as she knows it. It's not just that everything financial has been stolen from her; she must go forward knowing that the sociopath who killed her roommate is now after her.

"The ending comes with no twists, but with the spirit we have come to expect from Morgan, who is everything we really want in a hero --- strong, determined and clever."

Morgan goes home to Vermont, to stay with her mother and grandmother in the town where their family goes back generations. She had never lived there before because her father was in the military and they never stayed in one place for too long. Now, perhaps, she will be able to put down the roots that she has craved after a life of moving too often to make good friends and unable to feel like any town is her home.

This is Nora Roberts, so the romance (when it comes) is beautifully done. Morgan is no delicate flower, and she wants to live life on her own terms. Miles Jameson admires those independent qualities. Morgan begins to come into her own, creating a backyard haven for her family, succeeding in her job, and feeling a part of the community. She takes self-defense classes and gets in physical shape. She is careful while still living her life as fully as possible. And the FBI agents who are trying to catch the serial killer keep her updated on what they find. Roberts also provides us with insight into what the killer is doing, whom he is killing, and his state of mind through narratives about him interspersed in the story that is mostly about Morgan.

The ending comes with no twists, but with the spirit we have come to expect from Morgan, who is everything we really want in a hero --- strong, determined and clever. The writing is third person omniscient, so we know what Morgan and Miles are thinking. We also are privy to what’s going through the killer’s head as he continues his reign of violence. This brings us even closer to Morgan, and we feel connected to her as we watch this all unfold to its dramatic conclusion.