I first met Reeve Leclair in Book 1 of this series .... The Edge of Normal. Reeve was kidnapped as a child and escaped four years later due to a freak car accident.
She has worked long and hard to get past the things that were done to her for those years she was kept in a cellar. She is now 23 and going to school. She does have trust issues, but she's making friends and learning to live again.
Daryl Wayne Flint, the man who took her, is now in a psychiatric ward in lieu of prison because he was found insane. Unfortunately, he has escaped ... killed two people ... and now wants to recapture the one who got away.
The characters are terrific! Reeve is such a strong protagonist. She refuses to let what happened to her define her role in this life. Bender is the ultimate victim advocate. He wants so much for Reeve to live a good life, Flint is a psychotic monster of gigantic proportion. Is he really insane ... or as smart as a fox?
There is no mystery, as such, but the suspense is palpable throughout the book. There were a few places I found I was holding my breath.
This is NOT a police procedural. No way would the FBI or any other law enforcement group allow a retired agent, especially one who is recovering from heart surgery, and a young woman who was a prior victim chase after a vicious killer on their own.
Even though I had to stretch my imagination, I found this book to be well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page.
There is no cliff-hanger, so I have no idea if there will be a 3rd book. I certainly hope so..I'd like to see whatever life gives her.
She has worked long and hard to get past the things that were done to her for those years she was kept in a cellar. She is now 23 and going to school. She does have trust issues, but she's making friends and learning to live again.
Daryl Wayne Flint, the man who took her, is now in a psychiatric ward in lieu of prison because he was found insane. Unfortunately, he has escaped ... killed two people ... and now wants to recapture the one who got away.
The characters are terrific! Reeve is such a strong protagonist. She refuses to let what happened to her define her role in this life. Bender is the ultimate victim advocate. He wants so much for Reeve to live a good life, Flint is a psychotic monster of gigantic proportion. Is he really insane ... or as smart as a fox?
There is no mystery, as such, but the suspense is palpable throughout the book. There were a few places I found I was holding my breath.
This is NOT a police procedural. No way would the FBI or any other law enforcement group allow a retired agent, especially one who is recovering from heart surgery, and a young woman who was a prior victim chase after a vicious killer on their own.
Even though I had to stretch my imagination, I found this book to be well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page.
There is no cliff-hanger, so I have no idea if there will be a 3rd book. I certainly hope so..I'd like to see whatever life gives her.
Andrew K. (kuligowskiandrewt) -
Reeve LeClaire is a student at U.C. Berkeley. Reeve wasn't always called "Reeve"; she'd changed her name to avoid attention after having been kidnapped and held captive by a predator for the majority of her teenage years. It's worked so far; that is, it's worked until her captor, Daryl Wayne Flint, killed a worker at Washington State's Olshaker Psychiatric Hospital and escaped.
After a fellow student identifies her to the news media, and a domineering FBI agent attempts to question her using strong-arm tactics, Reeve decides to join in the hunt for Flint. Flint, having seen his favorite captive on television news feeds, also decides to hunt for Reeve.
I found it difficult to get into this book at the beginning. As it progressed, I began to enjoy it more. After wondering why, I realized it was because I didn't like or have a personal connection with any of the characters. A good portion of the beginning deals with introducing Flint, his mother, and his psychiatrist NONE of which were ever intended to provide a warm feeling in the readers' hearts. Our initial brief glances at Reeve did not provide enough depth to build a connection with the readers, either at least not this particular reader. As the protagonist was developed, and sympathetic supporting characters were introduced, it became easier to sink into the text. Then, as author Norton increased the tension with having the two main characters effectively hunting each other, the novel really kicked into high gear.
It turns out that this is the second book in this series; I never realized that while reading the book. This certainly means that it is not necessary to have read the first book before reading the second; however, I have to wonder if I would have enjoyed the beginning more had I had the advantage of knowing Reeve LeClaire from that first book.
RATING: 4 stars.
DISCLOSURE: I was awarded a free copy of this book in a random draw. No requirement of a review was made, let alone any conditions on the tone / content of a review, however, it was suggested that "an honest review would be appropriate" upon winning (and given that the book was released almost 2 years ago, perhaps they should have added "prompt").
After a fellow student identifies her to the news media, and a domineering FBI agent attempts to question her using strong-arm tactics, Reeve decides to join in the hunt for Flint. Flint, having seen his favorite captive on television news feeds, also decides to hunt for Reeve.
I found it difficult to get into this book at the beginning. As it progressed, I began to enjoy it more. After wondering why, I realized it was because I didn't like or have a personal connection with any of the characters. A good portion of the beginning deals with introducing Flint, his mother, and his psychiatrist NONE of which were ever intended to provide a warm feeling in the readers' hearts. Our initial brief glances at Reeve did not provide enough depth to build a connection with the readers, either at least not this particular reader. As the protagonist was developed, and sympathetic supporting characters were introduced, it became easier to sink into the text. Then, as author Norton increased the tension with having the two main characters effectively hunting each other, the novel really kicked into high gear.
It turns out that this is the second book in this series; I never realized that while reading the book. This certainly means that it is not necessary to have read the first book before reading the second; however, I have to wonder if I would have enjoyed the beginning more had I had the advantage of knowing Reeve LeClaire from that first book.
RATING: 4 stars.
DISCLOSURE: I was awarded a free copy of this book in a random draw. No requirement of a review was made, let alone any conditions on the tone / content of a review, however, it was suggested that "an honest review would be appropriate" upon winning (and given that the book was released almost 2 years ago, perhaps they should have added "prompt").
Elizabeth R. (esjro) -
Like most thrillers, this one is over-the-top at times so requires some suspension of disbelief. If you can just enjoy the ride, Carla Norton takes the reader on a good one. This is a one-sitting read because the plotting is relentless.
It is not necessary to have read the previous book, but it does help since there are several recurring characters.
It is not necessary to have read the previous book, but it does help since there are several recurring characters.
