What I enjoy specially is a series where you get to know the heroine, to like her, to notice her reactions and emotions, and at the same time, being able to read the books separately as stand alone. If you did not read the first book, you won't miss it to understand the second one, if you never read the second one, you are not let on a cliffhanger.
WHAT DOESN`T KILL HER shows you Reeve a few months after the first book. What she achieved gave her more confidence in herself and she has finally accepted to go to college because psychology now fascinates her. Many doors are opened for her, she knows she will have a life, a successful one, filled with dedication to the people she can help. There is just a little problem: Darryl Wayne Flint, the man who kept her captive for 4 years, who has been a model prisoner at the Olshaker Psychiatric Hospital has just managed to escape.
Extract from the book summary:
"For all that Flint seems like a model patient, he has long been planning his next move. When the moment arrives, he gets clean away from the hospital before the alarm even sounds. And Reeve is shocked out of her new life by her worst nightmare: Her kidnapper has escaped.
Less than 24 hours later, Flint kills someone from his past--and Reeve's blocked memories jolt back into consciousness. As much as she would like to forget him, she knows this criminal better than anyone else. When Flint evades capture, baffling authorities and leaving a bloody trail from the psychiatric lock-up to the forests of Washington state, Reeve suddenly realizes that she is the only one who can stop him.
Reeve is an irresistibly brave and believable heroine in Carla Norton's heart-stopping new thriller about a young woman who learns to fight back."
How did Flint escape? He had some help... What does he want now? You guessed it before I could write it. As a revenge, or a way to finish his insane tasks, as a recurrent obsession, whatever the insane moves in his mind, he wants to get Reeve again. The book moves from present to past, where it gives you more knowledge of Reeve's captivity years. You learn how she was abducted, how she managed during those horrible 4 years, a bit about the trial. In the present time, it's a game of cat and mouse, the mouse being as smart as Jerry, the one from Disney. The cat, with Flint in the part, is sadly not as stupid as the cartoon Tom. You will spend time with a fast heart beat, cheering for Reese.
Reeve's character will be remembered, even if no more books complete this series. She is strong, smart and wants to master her life. As Flint roams in the background, repressed memories come back to her. She knows Flint better than anyone, and she will be the one to capture him.
I spent some time wondering what those two books make me think of. What famous author could I compare Norton to? I ended up with Lisa Gardner and Lisa Unger. Two women with strong voices, dealing with horrible crimes without any hesitation and creating insane characters so plausible you fear them as if they were real.
Because Flint is insane, at least in my world. To be obsessed with girls and to want to torture them, rape them and kill them could hardly be called normal, would it? Reeve proves every page she has maintained all of her sanity. She won't go down without a good fight, and the readers will like her more for her courage and strength.
An excellent thriller, which deserves all the clichés I am scared to write, even when it is real : unputdownable, will take you to the edge of your seat, nail-biter, etc...
No comments:
Post a Comment