Customer Reviews

Dark Water (Fog Point)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love the way that Linda writes a Christian themed book without being preachy and without watering down "real life". I am a Christian and mostly read Christian fiction. I'm a huge fan of suspense and mystery. Linda is by far my favorite author, I've read all her books and go into withdrawal when nothing new is out! Her writing is awesome and like I mentioned, she makes the characters real, they have an edge to them that is realistic. Not everyone has pure thoughts and intentions. Her villains are villains, no holding back on their character. I like that because so often I think b/c people write "Christian" that they have to sanitize their characters and that isn't how life is. I recommend all of Linda's mystery books. The setting is great and she spins a great mystery while at the same time keeping in touch with Faith.

Linda Hall has been perfecting the art of crime writing with each book she produces, and "Dark Water" is another step forward. She knows what clues to reveal at just the right points in the tale, so the mystery unravels at a natural pace and the reader has no desire to put the novel down for another activity.

Linda's characters are realistic, something that propels the story forward. Her pairing of former cop Jake Rikker with widow May Williams (a tougher version of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple) is a great combination of talents and personalities. Linda can easily continue with these fascinating characters for several books.

Though it's often hard to wait for new novels from great authors, fans of Linda Hall will have time to track down the rest of her novels and share her love of a good mystery. :)

In Fog Point, Maine, jewelry designer Elise St. Dennis is happy with how far she has come in life as she raises her precious six grade daughter Rachel and sells her designs. Private investigator Jake Rikker comes to her store and buys two teddy bear necklaces for his eleven and thirteen year old daughters from Elise.

However, her past has resurfaced when Wesley Stoller was released from prison having spent only ten years behind bars for murder. Needing help she turns to Jake and his partner May asking them to find Wesley before the psychopath finds her and especially Rachel. She insists the connection is through her late father who died in prison as she and Wesley have emailed one another for seven years, but now she fears he is coming for her, but more so her trepidation is for Rachel. Finally she wants no police. Though the story seems somewhat off kilter, Jake and May agree to find Wesley before he stalks Elise, but both sleuths assume they know who the dangerous one is and conduct their inquiry accordingly, which could prove dangerous.

Though terrific Teri Blake-Addison is not the star, Linda Hall's latest Maine investigative thriller is a fabulous tale that grips the audience from the moment that Elise asks May and Jake for help and never slows down until the final whale sight seeing tour. The story line is filled with twists and turns that will surprise the audience yet feels plausible. Readers and the sleuths learn a near lethal lesson (read the novel for what that is) in what is a captivating character driven thriller.

Harriet Klausner

I thought the male main character was a little weak. His thinking was clouded by the fact that he was attracted to the woman he was supposed to help. His co-worker, an older woman, was much wiser and was able to see things that he wasn't. She is the real brains in their partnership. I am hoping that in future stories the man won't appear to be so stupid. The Terri Blake Addison series which she wrote under another publisher is much better in my humble opinion

Linda Hall is an incredible writer. This mystery captured my attention on the first page and kept me guessing through the twists and turns. Great insight on whales and a powerful, surprise ending. Can't wait to read the next book in this series!

I love Linda Hall's newest book, Dark Water. I love the people she's created in Fog Point.
As the mystery unravelled, I was riveted, and couldn't put the book down until I found out exactly what was going on.

In this sherlock holmes style story, we see jake rikker, a P,I, and retained to find a stalker, hired by Elise St. Dennis, too afraid to go to the police beacuse this man has traced her to the little town of fog point.Jake throws himslef in, but ends up not becoming the hunter, but becoming the hunted....

A trhilling sherlock holmes style mystery, written with care and thought and pleanty of suspense.A gripping read from a gripping author.Brilliant!

I enjoyed the plot of this book as I have all of Linda Hall's work. However, this kindle edition has WAY too many typos. I cannot believe all of the typing errors! This should not be the case when kindle users pay $9.99 to purchase a piece of good fiction. I would assume the fault for this lies with the publisher. It seemed like there was an error on every few pages. Lots of the errors had to do with formatting apostrophes but there were occasionally typed "words" that I could not even make out within the sentence and paragraph content. Though I am enjoying the plot, the abundance of typos makes me want to ask for a refund.

Linda Hall's Fog Point series revolves around whale-watching tour guide Jake Rikker and his widowed partner, May. They're enlisted to help Elise St. Dennis, an acclaimed jewelry designer who has been corresponding with a prison inmate named Wesley Stoller, who is released and is believed to be stalking her. Jake develops feelings for Elise, despite her erratic behavior (she refuses to allow the police to be involved). May suspects some locals might be involved (the ne'er-do-well Featherjohn family) and red herrings abound, including Elise's strange neighbor.

The mystery itself isn't the problem; it's the weak-minded characters. Jake, a former police officer, should have red flags flying in his head when Elise refuses to allow him or May to contact local authorities. But he doesn't. Elise herself appears to be artistically gifted (a famous actress endorses her jewelry during a television interview in one scene) but rather stupid in writing to a prison inmate to begin with. Her daughter, Rachel writes in her journal about Elise's behavior as well as a few marine biology subjects (whales) that, after a few chapters, become tedious to read.

The story itself concerns redemption, which in the Christian worldview is possible for anyone, including Wesley Stoller, who is straightening out his life. The road to redemption, however, also involves repentance from one's actions. Hall doesn't browbeat anyone with Christianity but her characters are so stagnant and somewhat unrealistic in their actions in this book that I really didn't want to find out more and read the other books in this series.

Linda Hall is an excellent writer who combines just the right amount of suspense, mystery, and a pinch of romance with the foundation of faith woven through the whole.