'Night Sins' the first book in this 'duet', left enough questions and cliff-hangers to have me reaching for the sequel straight away. I liked the first book, but my initial reaction to the second wasn't positive. The main reason was it started to feel like a rehash of the first story ... Josh is still missing (although he came home at the end of the first one), and despite it focusing on new characters, they bare an uncanny resemblance to Mitch and Megan (ie. a strong, independent woman, attracted to a secretive man she positively dislikes and vows not to have a relationship with!). But I really wanted to find out why and how everything had happened, so forced myself to keep reading. Within a handful of chapters, my mind had been turned and I became completely hooked.The book focuses on the court case, with the lawyers now bickering between themselves, rather than the police. They have a man in custody, but he is a pillar of the community and, despite belief that he has an accomplice, there is little direct evidence. While he is in jail, Josh is returned and threats are still being made, culminating in another child being taken. Ellen North, the prosecutor, has to battle the public, press and defending lawyer (who she happens to have a past with!), while liaising with the police who are still investigating, and trying to ignore Jay Brooks, an author with a penchant for getting just what he wants.The story is slow in places, but in others zips along at a rate of knots, carrying the reader along with it. There are a few twists and turns, a couple of false leads and some well written characters to love and hate. It also has more clues for the reader to pick up on than the first one did, so you start to get an idea of who is really behind it all, but the identity of one of the kidnappers is really impossible to guess - mainly as I don't recall him appearing in the first book at all!My one real niggle was the character of Jay - no-one, not least of all a lawyer with Ellen's background, would put up with the affront of the man. Anyone appearing in my office or house, helping himself to drinks and refusing to leave, would have had the police called on him straight away...even if I was attracted to his charming smile! But thank heavens the author keeps the love story to the background this time...it happens, you know they'll end up with each other, but it doesn't detract from the story going on around them.Overall, a really good read. Not a favourite as such and not one I would necessarily read again, although now I know who dunnit, I wouldn't mind reading both books again to see if I can pick up any clues I missed first time round. Recommended reading.
This is the sequel to Hoag's earlier book, Night Sins. It's essential that you read that one first. This doesn't stand alone well at all.The college professor is widely respected in the small Minnesota town despite his capture and being charged with kidnapping a child and assaulting a cop. There are many in the community, including many of his students, who believe him innocent.It's up to prosecutor Ellen North to prove that he is indeed guilty, and it isn't long before she realizes that somewhere, he has an accomplice. But the psychology professor is a master at mind control, and even from his cell, it seems he is manipulating justice and the entire community to meet his needs and ensure his freedom.Not long after he is incarcerated, and only weeks before his formal trial, things get even more interesting for the professor when he hires the best defense money can buy--a lawyer who once had a relationship with Ellen North.Early into the book, Josh, the boy who was kidnapped in the first book in the series, is released to his parents. But the boy is badly damaged; his mind is a shell of its former self, and although he is home, he is very much a prisoner subject to the ongoing influence of "the taker," Josh's name for the man who took him. Indeed, when another little boy is kidnapped, it is Josh who comes out of his semi-locked-in state long enough to somberly pronounce, "he's a goner."Hoag is the grand master of what I call the creep factor in a book. Yes, I know, that's saying a lot, since there are other authors out there who can creep out even the most unimaginative among us. But Hoag's creep factor is at times almost chilling to the point of being nauseating. There are the late-night phone calls which Ellen North gets where the caller breathes ominously into the phone and whispers threats. There is the mysterious lawyer turned writer who has his own sketchy past. Is he trying just to get information for his next book? His next in-the-sack score with Ellen North? Or is he indeed one of the good guys on the right side?My only quibble with this book is that Hoag may have used the creep factor a bit too much. The threats of the almost-silent late-night caller that run through Ellen North's head seem to be repeated a bit too often. It's a bit like listening to someone over use some vulgarity or another. Eventually, the shock value wears off, and you simply see the verbosity as evidence of a weak mind.But you'll be well and thoroughly creeped out by the mental manipulations of the college professor, his tragic twisted wife, and so much more. Hoag masterfully tears the small community down to its sheetrock and studs, and the exposed nastiness is ugly indeed.
What do You think about Guilty As Sin (1997)?
Ripensare a questo "giallo" mi dà un leggero senso di nausea. In verità non credo neppure possa essere definito un "giallo". Diciamo che la trama poliziesca viene usata per far sì che:1) Ellen North e Jay Butler Brooks si scambino, in prima battuta, dei "baci profondi" (parole testuali) e poi “scopino come ricci", con conseguente dettagliata descrizione: "Ellen non indossava il reggiseno. I suoi seni erano scoperti, avevano il colore della crema, il tocco della seta e si adattavano perfettamente alla mano di Jay". Ma non mi dire. Quando il caso dice la combinazione. E se i seni di Ellen non si fossero adattati "perfettamente alla mano di Jay" cosa sarebbe successo? Gli sarebbe venuta una crisi depressiva? Il resto della descrizione ve la risparmio, altrimenti vi si blocca la mascella a forza di ridere e non voglio prendermi questa responsabilità. Nel frattempo, l'assassino ammazza un altro bambino. Ma che cazzo ce ne frega a noi? L'importante è che Ellen e Jay "ondata dopo ondata" arrivino all'orgasmo.2) Hannah e Tom scoprano di essere innamorati. Hannah è la madre di uno dei bambini rapiti (Josh). Tom è un prete cattolico. Una specie di "Uccelli di rovo" in versione stringata, se così possiamo dire. Questi due, ovviamente, non “scopano come ricci”. No. Si limitano a "sbavarsi" dietro, come le convenzioni impongono, ovvero si toccano ogni tre per due, si cercano in continuazione, ma rimandano l'esecuzione del "fattaccio" a tempi più propizi. E, qui, non vomitare diventa davvero difficile.3) Paul (marito di Hannah e padre di Josh) e Karen (moglie dell’assassino) mettano in moto la loro personale “sceneggiata”, che non ha né capo né coda. Questi scopano, in effetti. Ma non “come ricci”. Più che altro, paiono farlo più per dovere, che non per piacere, sebbene siano amanti. Tra tutti e due sembrano talmente “rincoglioniti” che non se ne riesce neppure a cogliere un lato comico. 4) Megan e Mitch rafforzino il loro rapporto. Questi due, grazie a Dio, almeno, scopano in maniera normale, senza udire le “trombe celesti” o la terra tremare quando arrivano al culmine. Tra la “massa”, sono i personaggi migliori.In mezzo a tutti questi “accoppiamenti”, l’assassino e il suo complice vanno avanti indisturbati a fare quel che devono fare: intimidiscono, rapiscono, ammazzano. Eppure restano completamente sfocati, privi di consistenza, più evanescenti di un simulacro. Per dirla terra terra, una vera stronzata di libro, da evitarsi come la peste.
—Arwen56
I really enjoyed this book, a thriller/romance that was complex, believable, and well-written. There were a lot of characters with distinct personalities, memorable personalities which made it easy to keep track of who everyone is and what role they were playing. The protagonist is a female lawyer who is believable, feels like a real person, behaves in a credible manner. The tension is constant, the action is realistic and exciting. It is a little dark in its subject matter, but not overly so. My only problem with this novel is that the POV jumped around a bit much for my liking. Sometimes within a scene the POV would change and though I didn't find it confusing, I did notice it. Other than that, I completely enjoyed this book.
—Terry Cohoe
I've been reading the reviews and to be honest, I don't agree with most of them....I found this book to be engaging, thought provoking (in as far as who was doing what to/with whom), and suprisingly interesting....Knowing people in the legal field, the way the trail was prepared for in the book is spot on....You don't always know what your other council is receiving in the way of evidence, depending on when it's found....The character, Ellen North, was written well....I enjoyed the way the author made her seem to be doing her job for the justice of it all....All and all, in my humble opinion, a very good read!
—Msmickey1995
