Her Darkest Nightmare Review

Title:  Her Darkest Nightmare
Series:  The Evelyn Talbort Chronicles #1
Author:  Brenda Novak
Publisher:  St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date:  August 30, 2016 
Order Info:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Kobo

My Rating:  4 Psychotic ♥'s

Many thanks to St. Martin's Publishing & Netgally for this ARC for review.


Synopsis:
THE HUNT FOR A SERIAL KILLER
Evelyn Talbot knows that a psychopath can look perfectly normal. She was only sixteen when her own boyfriend Jasper imprisoned and tortured her—and left her for dead. Now an eminent psychiatrist who specializes in the criminal mind, Evelyn is the force behind Hanover House, a maximum-security facility located in a small Alaskan town. Her job puts her at odds with Sergeant Amarok, who is convinced that Hanover is a threat to his community…even as his attraction to beautiful Evelyn threatens to tear his world apart. 
BEGINS WITH AN ESCAPE FROM HER PAST
Then, just as the bitter Alaskan winter cuts both town and prison off from the outside world, the mutilated body of a local woman turns up. For Amarok, this is the final proof he needs: Hanover has to go. Evelyn, though, has reason to fear that the crime is a personal message to her—the first sign that the killer who haunts her dreams has found her again. . .and that the life she has so carefully rebuilt will never be the same…

My Review:
Evelyn Talbort has devoted the past twenty years of her life to studying the minds of the most depraved, evil, soulless killers in the world.  She has a personal interest in what drives these psychotic killers to brutally torture and murder their victims, as she was a victim of one at age sixteen when she was kidnapped and tortured by her "boyfriend", Jasper, who escaped capture.  Eve is always looking over her shoulder, painfully aware that he is out there somewhere watching, waiting for his shot at revenge on her for escaping.  She hopes her studies may someday prevent another woman from having to experience the same horrible nightmare she lived through.

Eve is now living in a small, remote town in Alaska, working as Director of Hanover House - a maximum security facility that houses the kind of monsters who stalk her nightmares.  Eve is a loner who emits No Trespassing signals when anyone tries to get close enough to break through her emotional roadblocks.  She knows psychopaths are masters at disguise, deceit, and manipulation - she was fooled by one once.  She will never trust anyone again.  And how well Alaskan State Trooper Amarok knows it.  He's tried repeatedly to break through Eve's frigid barriers to no avail.  Every woman in the small Alaskan town desires Sgt. Amarok - sexy, strong, protective, honest - all he has to do is smile at a woman and she'll climb into his bed.  He, however, only has eyes for Eve.  When a monster snow storm cuts the small town off from the outside world for several days, Eve finds herself snowed in with Amarok - and despite her rebuffs, things begin to heat up between them.  And just as quickly, the walls drop back into place as female body parts start showing up around town.  Eve's nightmares begin again - could it be?  Has her past - Jasper - caught up with her?  Or has one of the evil psychopaths escaped Hanover House?  

There's a serial killer on the prowl in this frozen, isolated town, and his sights are set on Eve.  An inmate with an obsession with Eve delivers a dire warning - Not all monsters are locked behind these bars.  With twists and turns, Novak spins an ominous tale of lies, deceit, murder, and monsters in the dark as the edge of your seat suspense builds throughout Her Darkest Nightmare.  A strong supporting cast makes guessing the identity of the killer difficult as the reader is led to suspect first one person and then another.  While the story is riveting, the only issue I had came with a climax/ending that seemed a little...well, anti-climatic, after the heart-racing, ominous intensity of previous chapters.  I felt it deserved a little more attention and time than it garnished.  Having said that, Her Darkest Nightmare is a great read - one filled with everything nightmares are made of + a romance that gives you hope.  A Must Read!

My Rating:  4 psychotic ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

Sandra