I was very disappointed with this book. It wasn't "gripping" or even very suspenseful. I had pretty much figured out the outcome just by reading the description. The writing was repetitive, a lot of the dialog was in the third person, making it hard to follow, and the characters were "ho-hum"...not even in the category of "so-so". I really expected more from a writer as talented as Fern Michaels. I'm quite sure there are a plethora of others out there that loved it or are going to really like it...I just didn't happen to be one of them. ( )

No Way Out by Fern Michaels is not what I expected. I was looking forward to a riveting, suspenseful story. Unfortunately, No Way Out is not that type of book. It is reminiscent of a light cozy mystery or a women’s fiction story. This book lacks the suspense and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Ellie moves to the small town of Hibbing, Missouri on a quiet street where there are a variety of residents. We get to meet the various residents as the book progresses. I liked the residents of the lane with their various quirks. Colleen Haywood lives with her husband, Mitchel as well as her eight-year-old son, Jackson. Mitchel drinks too much and becomes abusive. Colleen, Mitchel, and Jackson seem to take up more of the book than Ellie. I liked how we get to see the neighbors helping each other. They are supportive, kind, and accepting. They never picked on Ellie or criticized her for not leaving her home. They accepted her for who she was which I thought was wonderful. I found the ending to be anticlimactic as well as too quick and smooth. There is an epilogue, but it felt incomplete. My favorite phrase from No Way Out is, “Even when you think there is no way out, if you try hard enough, you can usually find a way.” If you are looking for a light book to read by the pool or at the beach, then No Way Out is just the ticket. ( )

After suffering a serious concussion which resulted in a coma and amnesia, Ellie Bowman realized she was in danger and had to find a safe location. Her boyfriend was missing and she decided to maintain telephone contact with her mother and a good friend. She told neither where she was going or what she was doing while she tried to remember what had happened.

With a teenager in Missouri, she had been very much involved with video games and was able to use the money from that work to relocate and continue to work from home via the internet. The boy, Hector, lived in the same city and served as her contact with the world by taking care of her yard, shopping, and delivering rare messages. There were only five houses on her street. Ellen never left her house nor invited anyone inside.

Her only companion was Buddy, a black Labrador retriever who became her first link to her neighbors. After two years, Jackson Haywood, an eight-year old neighbor, became tall enough to look over the fence and play with Buddy. His mother, Colleen, had invited Ellie for tea several times but all her invitations had been politely declined Ellie noticed him and decided to let him come into the yard. That became a daily routine that both the boy and dog looked forward to. .

Eventually, Ellie became a bit more open and as she looked beyond her house, became aware of the lives of some of her neighbors. All of them were facing problems and opening up to their lives helped her discover her own.

On the whole, NO WAY OUT offers a good quick read presenting interesting and unusual characters and situations. There are a couple unrealistic situations: I don’t think Hector would have been able to all the things he is credited for, e.g., landscaping Ellie’s yard, and there is one romantic relationship that moves too quickly. It’s also also a federal offence to put items into someone’s mailbox.
This book was a Goodreads' Early Readers selection. ( )