Customer Reviews

Dark Truth

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In early 1989 at St. Ansel College (in Stone River, Maryland), Professor Stephen Madden was one of the top in the English field. Universities, world-wide, vied for him to give lectures on their campuses. He was next in line to be the Head of Celestine Hall. So his nineteen-year-old daughter, Nina Madden, stopped short as she witnessed her larger-than-life father being arrested and charged with the rape and murder of four students. Confused and emotionally adrift, Nina washed her hands of her father, her stepmother (Olivia), and her stepbrother (Kyle).

Today, sixteen years later, Nina Madden is a book editor in New York City. Her best author and friend is Regan Landry. Regan's late father had been a famous true crime writer. Regan is continuing in her father's footsteps. So naturally Nina goes to Regan for help digging into the past crimes of her own deceased father. Olivia has recently died and while going through her father's things, Nina reads a letter from her dad to Olivia. In the letter, Stephen admits to having affairs with his students, but not in their deaths. In fact, he accuses Olivia of defiling the girls and murdering them. But that is impossible, right?

Regan and her FBI boyfriend, Mitch Peyton, begin digging. Detective Wes Powell, Stone River Police Department, very reluctantly joins the investigation as well. As Nina learns more and more about Stephen and Olivia's pasts, a killer becomes uneasy.

**** I love how the author makes each novel of this series a stand alone book, yet keeps Regan and Mitch as an ongoing sub plot. If you are looking for a "Romantic Suspense", go elsewhere. Mariah Stewart is pure "Mystery Thriller". Stewart's stories, such as this dark tale, clearly shows that she enjoys her work. It also shows how twisted and devious her imagination is! As you read, do not assume that you know who the killer is. You may be dead wrong. (Pun not intended.) Terrific addition to the "Truth" series. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

In 1989 Nina Madden attends the College of St. Ansel in Stone River, Maryland, the same school where her dad teaches English Literature. She is elated to be moving out of her home to a sorority house as she does not get on well with her stepmother Olivia. However, her euphoria dies when the police handcuff her dad, who is suspected of being the murdering Stone River rapist.

In 2005 Nina works in New York, but is going home for the first time in years to attend Olivia's funeral. Father Whelan gives Nina a box from her father who died in prison. When she gets home she sees a letter her dad wrote to Olivia in which he apologizes for cheating on her with his students and driving her to take the actions she did. He will take the fall for what she did. Nina wonders if her father's crime was adultery while Olivia was the real killer. She turns to a suspense writer friend for advice and begins looking into the Stone River Rapist case not realizing that her actions will lead her to cop Wes Powell and someone else; both whom want her to drop her inquires.

The truth about Mariah Stewart is she is an incredible writer as affirmed by her latest high quality thriller. The story line focuses on Nina who has not fully moved on from when her father was arrested and convicted. The note stirs her sense of justice though her dad had accepted all responsibility. Fans will enjoy this deep amateur sleuth tale as readers will wonder how Olivia could be the killer as implied by the note when the victims were also raped. Another one sitting tale from Ms. Stewart.

Harriet Klausner

The third in the "Truth" series, this one seemed a bit more predictable to me than is typical of this author. It was still tough to put down.

I'm looking forward to the conclusion of this series in "Final Truth." However, there was one line in this book that I'm afraid may've given away the next book. I hope that's not the case, since I'd hate to not have the shock value of this coming out. But I guess I'll have to wait until next year to find out.

Very average crime novel. This is my first time reading the "Truth" series. I agree with some of the reviewers who stated that the pieces of the story didn't fit. Very jarring in fact, for a first time reader like me, the sub-plot was very unnecessary. It made me so confused, so who is this Eddie Kroll and what is he doing butting into the story like that? Then, again why dwell on the murder weapon and then leave it unresolved?

Next stop was how the story unfolded in a flash back narrative that takes away the thrill of reading a crime novel, it was too passive and mystery factor was diminished. Yes, you can solve this crime before you reach the end of the book. Quite obvious.

I will skip her books as this author specialises in flash back narrative murders. Not my type of crime thriller.

Nina Madden is an editor for a publisher. She has struggled to forget the tragedy in her life. Her father was convicted as the Stone River Rapist. Now after 15 years she receives a letter written by him just before he was killed in an accident. There is also a letter to his wife, Nina's stepmother, in the letter he admits his innocence and tells his wife he is willing to take the blame for the killings as he knows she did them.

The letter arrives after her stepmother dies. Not knowing what to do she turns to Regan Landrey, one of her authors and a personel friend. Is it worth digging up dirt at this late date?

Wes Powell was a new policeman when her father was convicted. Now a detective he listens to Nina, but finds it hard to believe that her father was not guilty. However, when a new killing occurs, that is very similiar to the ones her father was convicted of, even he must look for new answers.

This was a very powerful story and was skillfully executed. There were some surprises at the end. I very much enjoyed it.

Dark Truth is the third in the Truth series and honestly it is just a mediocre read in my opinion. I read some of the other reviewers and was a little stunned by what they wrote. It started off a bit slow and like the other books, there was a lot of tedious information that did not pertain to the story at all or more reiteration of events that the reader just read about. This is the first in the series that I wouldn't classify as a stand alone book. Only because the underlying story with Regan and Mitch and her quest to find Eddie Kroll leaves the reader hanging. For those who read the two previous novels, they understand what is going on, but if one were to pick up this book without knowing anything about the connection and that Final Truth is the last book in the series, they would be very unhappy with the book. My only real problem with this series of books in comparison to other Mariah Stewart novels is that she never fully develops the characters emotions. It's more like reading the facts and not the real story.
I also have a hard time categorizing this book as a mystery thriller like another reviewer mentioned. There was very little of the whodunit aspect. Not enough red herrings to make the reader surprised at the ending. I'm sorry, some may disagree with my opinion, but I just didn't think it was the kind of story you would remember after a couple of weeks.

So, is it worth the money? Not as a single novel. As part of the series, on sale maybe. This whole series would be better to have been checked out from the library if it were available. The second in the Truth series was definitely the best and did hold it's own. Dark Truth is better if followed with Final Truth.

I bought it for my kindle and it will be a while before I read it. But the delivery and having the item I wanted was great.

Ugh. This was the worst in the series by far; it was literally a chore to drag myself through the end. All the stuff about Eddie Kroll is just completely irrelevant and stupid and detracts from what's supposed to be the main story. Nina was also incredibly stupid and annoying, and as other reviewers have mentioned the killer was quite obvious and the resolution a mess. By the time I got to the end I was just finishing it to finish it and was completely unconcerned and uninvolved in what was happening. A terrible read; the first two (Cold Truth: A Novel and Hard Truth: A Novel) are worth borrowing, but this one isn't even worth that. Lacks suspense, romance, mystery, humor--it doesn't have a single redeeming quality. Borrow the first two in the series, but this one isn't even worth that.

This third book in the series isn't my favorite, but it was a pretty good read/listen.

Mariah Stewart always does a good job of sucking you in to the story and making you want to stick around until everything is resolved. Being a fan of series books, I love that we get new characters with news stories, but get to visit with old friends. Stewart is excellent at maintaining the ongoing story lines and I really enjoy that aspect of her writing.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new favorite author. Her series are really quite good!

If you like suspense, if you like well written characters and if you love exciting twists and turns than this is the book for you. Just make sure that once you start it you've left a nice open block of time to finish it because I promise, you won't be able to put it down!