Karen S. (BoysMom) -
Twisted minds, twisted ending!
After a spectacular set up of the series in the prequel, Hanover House, author Brenda Novak has offered up a very suspenseful series opening in Her Darkest Nightmare. The story begins with a retelling of the horrific abduction, torture and murders of 16-year-old Evelyn Talbot's 3 best friends by her boyfriend, Jasper Moore, and her subsequent victimization and almost murder when she discovers him in the act. Jasper escapes capture and justice, perhaps aided by his parents, and remains free to this day, haunting the adult Evelyn's life and mind, always looming in the shadows ready to pounce and finish what he'd started all those years ago.
Dr. Evelyn Talbot is now a successful psychiatric leading a research facility attached to a new prison located in Hilltop, Alaska, studying psychopathic serial killers. Overcoming the fears of the locals and the only law enforcement in the area, Alaska State Trooper Sergeant Amarok, about having such a facility on their outskirts is tough enough but suspicions escalate with the murders of two prison staff members.
With the characters socked in and hampered by winter storms, the remoteness of the setting lending to the feeling of aloneness, and the absolutely terrifying craziness of some of the inmates, the story is really suspenseful. Evelyn and Amarok are immediately attracted to each other but their relationship is complicated by her past and his opposition to having the prison on his doorstep. Then, too, just when I thought I had it all figured out SURPRISE!
I was so wrong.
And because I never saw it coming, the story was that much more frightening .
I highly recommend Her Darkest Nightmare to those that like their sexy romance with a big dose of suspense.
After a spectacular set up of the series in the prequel, Hanover House, author Brenda Novak has offered up a very suspenseful series opening in Her Darkest Nightmare. The story begins with a retelling of the horrific abduction, torture and murders of 16-year-old Evelyn Talbot's 3 best friends by her boyfriend, Jasper Moore, and her subsequent victimization and almost murder when she discovers him in the act. Jasper escapes capture and justice, perhaps aided by his parents, and remains free to this day, haunting the adult Evelyn's life and mind, always looming in the shadows ready to pounce and finish what he'd started all those years ago.
Dr. Evelyn Talbot is now a successful psychiatric leading a research facility attached to a new prison located in Hilltop, Alaska, studying psychopathic serial killers. Overcoming the fears of the locals and the only law enforcement in the area, Alaska State Trooper Sergeant Amarok, about having such a facility on their outskirts is tough enough but suspicions escalate with the murders of two prison staff members.
With the characters socked in and hampered by winter storms, the remoteness of the setting lending to the feeling of aloneness, and the absolutely terrifying craziness of some of the inmates, the story is really suspenseful. Evelyn and Amarok are immediately attracted to each other but their relationship is complicated by her past and his opposition to having the prison on his doorstep. Then, too, just when I thought I had it all figured out SURPRISE!
I was so wrong.
And because I never saw it coming, the story was that much more frightening .
I highly recommend Her Darkest Nightmare to those that like their sexy romance with a big dose of suspense.
Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed Her Darkest Nightmare (Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, Bk 1) on + 3152 more book reviews
Haven't read Novak for many years I decided to try once again---wrong!
I don't like romances AT ALL, and when I read a suspense/thriller that's what I expect
This moves so slow and is so boring in most places it is just a chore to turn the pages, but you expect it has to get better somewhere---wrong!
How many times to do you need to be told--she is flawed because of her horror she experienced from her boyfriend years ago and he is still on the loose? How many times do you have to be told where she works? and by trying to get 'into the head' of serial killers why are they not in a mental institution? How many times do you have to be told she broke up with her trooper boyfriend and now they are 'trying' again but she can't get past her horror. How many times do you have to be told about the weather?
I mean I can go on and on and if you took out all those 'how many times' you'd have a book of probably 200 pages or less
I have given up on several authors because the writing has gone downhill with just that kind of things I described above.
I don't like romances AT ALL, and when I read a suspense/thriller that's what I expect
This moves so slow and is so boring in most places it is just a chore to turn the pages, but you expect it has to get better somewhere---wrong!
How many times to do you need to be told--she is flawed because of her horror she experienced from her boyfriend years ago and he is still on the loose? How many times do you have to be told where she works? and by trying to get 'into the head' of serial killers why are they not in a mental institution? How many times do you have to be told she broke up with her trooper boyfriend and now they are 'trying' again but she can't get past her horror. How many times do you have to be told about the weather?
I mean I can go on and on and if you took out all those 'how many times' you'd have a book of probably 200 pages or less
I have given up on several authors because the writing has gone downhill with just that kind of things I described above.
