Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak

Her Darkest Nightmare (Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, #1)

by Brenda Novak

This is SILENCE OF THE LAMBS meets Karen Rose...

New York Times bestseller Brenda Novak's first novel in the in the Evelyn Talbot series, Her Darkest Nightmare, has been described by Karen Rose as 'gut-gripping suspense'. Psychiatrist Dr Evelyn Talbot thought she had experienced her darkest nightmare when she was targeted as a teenager by a killer, but she's about to find out that some nightmares return again and again...

Dr Evelyn Talbot has learnt to live with fear. As a teenager she was targeted by her boyfriend, Jasper Moore, and survived days of torture. She escaped with her life, but Jasper disappeared before he could be caught.

Now Evelyn Talbot lives in a world of psychopaths.

As the pioneering head of the Hanover House institute in Alaska, she engages daily with killers who have no conscience, no remorse and an ever-increasing desire to murder her. Her only desire is to try and figure out why they do what they do and stop them.

But when a mutilated body is found in her sleepy Alaskan town Evelyn is forced to question herself, her inmates and whether her darkest nightmare has come back to haunt her...

Look for the other gripping novels in the Evelyn Talbot series - Hello Again, Face Off and the prequel novella, Hanover House, available now.

Reviewed by Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading on

3 of 5 stars

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Her Darkest Nightmare is book 1 in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles. The events recorded in this novel picks up six months after the prequel, Hanover House.

The summer romance between Evelyn and Amorak has hit a snag. Evelyn is still struggling with issues of intimacy, which ended in her pushing Amorak away. Then one snowy night things between them changed, and I had the privilege to witness Evelyn be able to trust a man to love and appreciate her. Meanwhile, a killer is on the loose. Did a resident from Hanover House escape or is it a blast from Evelyn’s past? One thing for sure whomever it is, the person is smart and meticulous

There were parts of the story that moved slowly for my tastes. This was due in part to time spent explaining psychopathic behavior.

Figuring out the killer’s identity proved to be a challenge. There were several possible suspects, which made it difficult to pick the right one.

Not all the psychopaths in the story were incarcerated, as Evelyn would discover. The story showed that crazies often live and work among us.

Amarok had his work cut out for him as the only law enforcement officer in the town who had no experience with homicides. The town had not experienced a murder in ten years. Then to make matters worse the FBI did not believe the murders warranted their input and there was no help from law enforcement in Anchorage. I found this strange and unrealistic.

Evelyn had her share of challenges. Besides the killer taunting her, someone is determined to discredit her. I admired her tenacity, but her hang-ups regarding Amarok’s age became tiresome. A seven-year age difference is no big deal, but Evelyn did not see it that way.

Narration
This is my second time experiencing Therese Plummer’s narration. I enjoyed her depiction of the characters’ voices. The excitement, fear and suspense came through with clarity.


Conclusion/Recommendation
An intense read featuring likeable characters, a sweet romance and a complex mystery. Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this installment. I am looking to start the next book, as I am eager to discover what is in store for Evelyn and Amorak.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 February, 2019: Finished reading
  • 14 February, 2019: Reviewed