Evelyn Talbot became a psychiatrist because she survived the
ordeal her teenage boyfriend, Jasper Moore, inflicted on
her: raped, left for dead with her throat slit, she
dedicated her life to the study of psychopaths. Jasper had
also murdered three friends of hers, then he had vanished
into thin air, and Evelyn knew he would kill again, and she
would be the first on his list. Evelyn has realised her
dream to some extent: she is one of the administrators of
the Hanover House in a small town in Alaska. Hanover House
is a facility for the incarceration and treatment of serial
killers. Because of her traumatic experience, Evelyn's
personal life is nil, except for Sergeant Benjamin Murphy, a
State Trooper known to the locals as Amarok, who still hopes
to convince Evelyn to give romance a go.
When I saw the blurb, I knew I had to read HER DARKEST
NIGHTMARE, which turned out to be a phenomenal read! Novels
about serial killers are often over the top, even the best
of them, and Brenda Novak avoids all the pitfalls of the
genre; a little subtlety goes a long way! Ms. Novak
researched her subject so thoroughly that she comes off as
an expert; I even think she could write a book on the
subject, and yet she doesn't bog down the narrative with
superfluous details.
Dr. Evelyn Talbot is an extremely complex character, ever
the professional, she has not been able to trust any man
since Jason, and understandably so, and it just breaks your
heart. Amarok is younger than her, he's a police officer,
he understands to some extent what she went through, and
their relationship is excruciatingly difficult because as
hard as she tries, she pushes him away because she just
can't. And it is not the annoyingly usual push-and-pull
situation: this woman has gone to hell and back, and even
though it was several years before, she has still not fully
recovered. Amarok is not a saint, but he keeps trying, and
he is admirable.
I don't recall having ever read a romantic suspense with
such a strong story: HER DARKEST NIGHT is a real thriller,
it is dark, it is heavy, and it would not have worked as
well without the romance because it defined Evelyn's life
as well as her work. It is a real tour de force that Ms.
Novak managed to combine the two so successfully. It felt
real from beginning to end: the characters, the harsh
Alaskan landscape, the dark nights and atmosphere. Although
I had an inkling as to who the killer was, it did not matter
one iota, because getting there was one of the best reading
experiences I have ever had. HER DARKEST NIGHTMARE is the
first in The
Evelyn Talbot Chronicles and I cannot wait for the
next book because this series promises to be one of the most
exciting ever!
HER DARKEST NIGHTMARE, 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…
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