Her Darkest Nightmare (The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, #1) by Brenda Novak Series: The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #1
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on August 30th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 432
Goodreads
FINAL DECISION: I loved this book primarily because of Evelyn and her hottie state trooper Amarok, but I also enjoyed the mystery which was twisty and creepy and kept me guessing.
THE STORY: Dr. Evelyn Talbot was only a teenager when her world was torn apart by her psychopath boyfriend killed her best friends then imprisoned and tortured Evelyn for three days before leaving her for dead. Twenty years later, Evelyn studies psychopaths. She is in charge of a maximum security facility which is studying serial killers. Located in a small town in Alaska, Evelyn is not the most popular person for bringing these killers to town. It has placed her on opposite sides of State Trooper Sergeant Amarok who also tempts Evelyn as no man ever has. Now a mutilated body of a woman seems to confirm Amarok’s deepest fears about the facility while Evelyn fears that the monster who almost killed her before may have returned.
OPINION: I am a longtime mystery and suspense reader but I prefer my books with a strong dose of romance. I enjoyed this book because I like Evelyn with all her hangups due to her encounter as a teenager with her psychopath boyfriend. Evelyn is damaged and while she is accomplished professionally, she is stunted in her relationships.
I love the sweetness of her reaction to Amarok and, for me, their relationship centers and makes the rest of the book worth reading. While I enjoy a good, creepy suspense, I like to have sweeter and lighter moments as well as a reason to care about the characters. I like these two and look forward to reading more about them.
I always find it difficult to review suspense and mystery books because I don’t want to give too much away. That being said, I think this one kept me guessing until the end. I thought I had it figured out and then the story would twist and go in a new direction. Plus, there is some really creepy and messed up stuff going on. I always admire a story that I don’t solve immediately. There are plenty of suspects here and I didn’t guess the right one, but was satisfied that the ultimate solution was supported in the story.
The mystery/suspense story intertwines so well with Evelyn’s own personal journey that I was fully engaged during the entire book. This book can satisfy both romantic suspense readers and those who just like a good mystery.
WORTH MENTIONING: There are still threads of the overarching story for the series that are left at the end of this book, but the main mystery of the book is completely resolved.
CONNECTED BOOKS: HER DARKEST NIGHTMARE is the first book in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles series. There is a prequel but this book can be read without having read that.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.