Title: Her Darkest NightmareAuthor: Brenda Novak
Series: The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #1
Published by: St. Martin's Press on Aug. 30, 2016
Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 407
Format: eBook, ARC
Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley
Book Rating: 9/10
First in an electrifying new series from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak
THE HUNT FOR A SERIAL KILLER
Evelyn Talbot knows that a psychopath can look perfectly normal. She was only sixteen when her own boyfriend Jasper imprisoned and tortured her—and left her for dead. Now an eminent psychiatrist who specializes in the criminal mind, Evelyn is the force behind Hanover House, a maximum-security facility located in a small Alaskan town. Her job puts her at odds with Sergeant Amarok, who is convinced that Hanover is a threat to his community…even as his attraction to beautiful Evelyn threatens to tear his world apart.
BEGINS WITH AN ESCAPE FROM HER PAST
Then, just as the bitter Alaskan winter cuts both town and prison off from the outside world, the mutilated body of a local woman turns up. For Amarok, this is the final proof he needs: Hanover has to go. Evelyn, though, has reason to fear that the crime is a personal message to her—the first sign that the killer who haunts her dreams has found her again. . .and that the life she has so carefully rebuilt will never be the same…
Review:
Gripping, suspenseful, and highly absorbing!
This is a disturbingly creepy story about the makings and minds of serial killers and the abuse and corruption found in the system designed to incarcerate and rehabilitate them. It is definitely an intriguing roller coaster ride of lies, jealousy, secrets, corruption, emotional trauma, greed, and degradation.
The writing is fluid, and smooth. The plot is well developed, intelligent, and interesting. The characters are multilayered, determined, and strong. And the storyline is a complex mix of murder, mayhem, sexual attraction, and romantic liaisons.
Overall, I think this was a really great, easy read. And I especially liked the “real-life” serial killer quotes at the beginning of each chapter which I felt was a nice touch and added an eery authenticity to the story as a whole.
This is the first book in, The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next novel in the series, Hello Again, to find out if Evelyn’s own demons will finally be put to rest.
This story is due to be published on August 30, 2016.
Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following Amazon links.
Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada
Thank you to NetGalley, especially St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
About Brenda Novak
It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak's career as a bestselling author--she caught her day-care provider drugging her children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day. That was when Brenda decided she needed to quit her job as a loan officer and help make a living from home.
"When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book," Brenda says. But she sold that book, and the rest is history. Her novels have made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and won many awards, including five Rita nominations, the Book Buyer's Best, the Book Seller's Best and the National Reader's Choice Award.
Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are proud parents of five children--three girls and two boys. When she's not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising funds for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). So far, Brenda has raised $2.6 million. Please visit http://www.brendanovakforthecure.org to see how you can help.
