I noticed that there are quite a few reviews saying this book was a huge disappointment. They say it wasn't Hoag's best work. Maybe not, but a Hoag's "not her best" is still pretty doggone good. Really. She is the queen of suspense.Imagine the anguish: Law enforcement can't nail the pervert responsible for the disappearance of Lauren's sixteen-year old daughter Leslie. Even though they're pretty sure they know who did it, they can't prove it. No evidence. In her heart of hearts, every one of Lauren's motherly instincts tells her exactly who's responsible, but she can't prove it, even though she knows he's been stalking her, tormenting her, toying with her, and has been in her house, fondling her things. Again, no damned evidence. Lauren's husband drives off a bridge two years after Leslie's disappearance, and whether it's an accident or suicide doesn't matter any more. What matters is he's gone, and Lauren feels like she's the only one who cares about what happened to her daughter, and the only one left who's still determined to bring her daughter's abductor to justice. Four years after Leslie's disappearance, Lauren is gaunt, haunted by her losses, and more determined than ever. Tragically, because of Lauren's obsession with her missing daughter, her now almost sixteen-year-old daughter Leah, who's suffering just as much as her mother, is being overlooked and left to flounder through her pain alone. Lauren has complete tunnel vision now, and is determined to go on the hunt, regardless of the consequences. If the police can't find justice for her, she'll have to go after it herself.But who ends up hunting whom? Will Lauren's determination to find closure over her first daughter cost her another one? Even worse, will Leah and her mother meet the same fate as Leslie? There is some unnecessary repetition in this book, and I think it would have been an even stronger story with some additional editing. Some of the language and described actions was disgusting, but both served to instill revulsion for the perpetrator. Is this a perfect book? No, but come on, people, this is Tami Hoag. Her books are always guaranteed to hold your attention, and have you sitting on the proverbial edge of your seat. As always, a hard-to-put-down read. I'd give it an extremely strong three and a half stars, rounded up to four. Na de verhuizing naar Oak Knoll merkt Lauren op dat de verdachte van de verdwijning van haar dochter Leslie zich inmiddels ook heeft gevestigd in het stadje, het gevolg is dan ook een kat en muis spelletje tussen slachtoffers en vermoedelijke dader. Lauren krijgt hierbij hulp van rechercheur Mendez en Anne die we al kennen uit de vorige delen van de serie. De personages zijn goed beschreven waardoor je jezelf goed in kan leven in het verhaal. De meeste aandacht gaat in dit deel uit naar Lauren, haar dochter, de dader en rechercheur Mendez, de andere bewoners van Oak Knoll blijven in dit deel wat op de achtergrond. Klein beetje jammer want we hadden natuurlijk graag meer willen weten over Anne en Vince. Anne en Vince krijgen nu een klein rolletje.De schrijfstijl is erg prettig, Tami weet hoe ze een verhaal moet vertellen en de aandacht van de lezer vast moet houden. Haar schrijfstijl is simpel en begrijpelijk zodat je je aandacht op het verhaal kan richten.De plot zit goed in elkaar. De diverse wendingen zetten je regelmatig op het verkeerde been. Niets is wat het lijkt. Een spannende ontknoping laat je nog even genieten van het verhaal. Toch is dit niet de beste uit de serie, maar de moeite waard om gelezen te worden en onmisbaar in de serie.Ik geef hem 3 sterren.
What do You think about Down The Darkest Road (2011)?
Really liked the book but it really freaked me out
—maddy66
