Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda NovakMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - < 1 day
Pages - 384
Publisher - Headline
Blurb from Goodreads
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…
My Review
Evelyn Talbot is our main character, we open when she is a teenager and has her first brush with a serial killer and near death experience. Fast forward to twenty years later, Evelyn is marked by her past experiences and now a Doctor studying some of the most depraved criminal minds. In an effort to understand the psychopaths, her past and predicting criminal behavior she is the pioneer of Hanover House, a mental health facility based in Alaska. Facing hostility from the local police form, still dealing with her past horrors, Evelyn is trying to keep it together and make a difference. When a mutilated body is found Evelyn's establishment comes under scrutiny and Evelyn has to face the possibility her past has come back to haunt her.
This is my first time reading this author, I cannot wait to read more by her and hope we get some answers I felt were left hanging from this book. Evelyn has many hangups, as you would expect, from the brutal sexual assaults and near death experience she suffered as a teenager. This drives her work as an adult and her career choice, she struggles with relationships and finds herself still looking over her shoulder. Attracted to Amarok, the local cop, Evelyn finds herself drawn to him and trying to work through her issues. The snow is thick and fast, there is a killer on the loose and the inmates at Hanover House may be behind bars but have a far reach!
Whilst there is a lot of dark topics in this book, sexual abuse, sexual deviancy, murder and torture there is also friendship, relationships, family, survival and personal growth. A story that engages the reader from the opening page, draws you in and keeps you up until the small hours to see where the story is going to go. 4/5 for me this time, I will be checking to see if this author has any other books and waiting impatiently for the next. Thanks so much to Bookbridgr for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review and introducing me to a new author, for me anyway.
This sounds intense, Lainy. Terrific review!
ReplyDeleteGreat review.
ReplyDeleteI think that a book like this is made so much stronger when the main character is well drawn out. Based on your commentary that seems to be the case with this book.
As you point out, such solid characterization also makes the reader yearn to read more books in a series.
An author I have read in the past but not for a while now. My sister meanwhile has all her books.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you were engaged you like this. Perhaps I might re-acquaint myself with the books though this one might prove a little too dark for me.