Customer Reviews

Don't Close Your Eyes

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is yet another well written, page turning, suspenseful read by Carlene Thompson. As far as I am concerned, Ms. Thompson is the maven for this genre. I have read all of her books to date, and she has yet to miss. This is a definite hit.

Here, twenty nine year old veterinarian Natalie St. John, reeling from a broken heart, returns to her childhood home in hopes of finding solace. On the heels of her arrival, an old time friend is cruelly murdered, and Natalie is thrust into a situation for which she did not bargain.

As the plot thickens, so does the danger to Natalie, as people she knows meet violent deaths. The killer remains at large and seems to want to include Natalie among the dearly departed. Consequently, Natalie is thrust into the vortex of the investigation which is spearheaded by an attractive and available sheriff.

Who is the killer? That is the question that the reader will enjoy trying to answer, given the twists and turns in the book.

Embarrassed Columbus veterinarian Natalie flees her practice and her boy-friend-business-partner Kenny Davis after seeing him share their bed with another woman. Natalie returns to her family home in nearby Port Ariel, Ohio to rest from their non-stop practice and to decide what to do about Kenny professionally and personally.

Natalie's best friend Lily tells her that she worries about her twin Tamara whose spouse she feels is too dominating and cold. However, neither one expected to find Tamara dead, a victim of a slasher. Soon other homicides follow and for some unknown reason, the culprit sets it up so Natalie always finds the corpse. Police chief Nick Meredith pledges to keep Natalie safe not just because of his job, but because he is falling in love with her, a feeling she reciprocates.

DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES is an exciting romantic suspense novel that will thrill readers with the subplots of a who-done-it and a legendary resident ghost seen only by children. These themes cleverly tie back to the main story line centering on the relationships between Natalie and Nick, and Natalie and the killer. Carlene Thompson fools the audience into thinking they know the murderer early on in the book. This reviewer suggests finishing this terrific tale in one sitting to ascertain how accurate are the reader's deductive skills in pinpointing the true villain.

Harriet Klausner

I just got interested in these serial killer mystery books about a year ago, and this has to be one of the best. I've learned that you should never expect the completely expected, and suspect everyone (except for the main character and their new love interest, of course!) Yet this one REALLY good at keeping the killer anonymous while still keeping him/her in the picture. I found myself guessing and reguessing, with all the different twists and new links made between the characters. I really like the way Ms. Thompson made all the characters come alive, even if they weren't the major ones.

A short synopsis: A veterinarian, Natalie St. Johns, comes back to her hometown on vacation, hoping to sort through her recently messed up love life. Although she has to deal with her overprotective father who still thinks she's 9 instead of 29, she's looking forward to some R & R and time with her old friends. Instead, there are corpses everywhere she turns. She fears for her friends, family, and even herself.

I tried not give anything away! Once again, a great read. Despite everything else I'm supposed to be doing each day, I made sure to set aside time to read this. It's not that I wanted to finish it quickly--I just wanted to know who the killer was! Ms. Thompson's nerve-racking story, interspersed with moments of compassion and tenderness that bring the characters even more to life, kept me entranced. I only put it down when I had to.

Whether you're a fan of Ms. Thompson, or not; whether you like these kinds of stories or not, I still think you should read this book. Maybe it'll get you hooked as I am.

Next stop: the library, to find the rest of the books written by this author!

A truly well written mystery. Definitely one of Ms. Thompson's better novels. The suspense carried out until the very end and as usual the author does a good job surprising the reader. Even though you may have your suspicions, you aren't quite sure until the reveal. Some of the characters really came off as bitter people and never did redeem themselves. That was a little unsettling, but other than that it was enjoyable.
Mind what you read by some of the other reviewers. This is not a romantic suspense like some say. It is also not as much of a thriller as it is made out to be. It is a straight out suspenseful mystery. People are being killed, and everyone is a suspect, yet finding the murderer is not as easy as it looks.

This was my first Thompson novel. I loved it. This novel keeps on going, through the entire book. There wer no boring spots at all in this novel. This is the kind of story I love to read, straight to the point in every chapter. The characters were very well written. I thought Natalie was spectacular! This novel was hard to put down, I could not wait to find out what other twists and turns were in the following chapter. There are many characters in this story and you never know which one is doing what. The ending was simply awesome, I would have never guessed that the killer was ??????????, can't tell ya, read for yourself. This is a must read novel if you love thrills, suspence and a mixture of characters. Hats off to Carlene Thompson, I look forward to reading her other novels. Hold on and go for a great spin with this one.

This was my second book by Carlene Thompson. I had read IN THE EVENT OF MY DEATH and loved it. Well this one didn't disappoint me either. I loved it too! I never wanted to put it down.

Natalie comes back to her small hometown from the city to lick her wounds. She had found her boyfriend (and veterinary partner) with another woman. She needs to see her old girlfriend Lily and spend time with her dad. But right after she arrives her friend Lily's sister is murdered. And before they know who killed her there are others dead. Natalie finds herself attracted to the new Sheriff while trying to figure out the murders and where she fits in. Natalie has started receiving odd phone calls about the murders.

This is a fast paced read. I couldn't put it down. I did figure who the murderer was before it was revealed. But it was still a very good book.

This is another great book from Carlene Thompson. When you start reading her books you cant put it down, until your done.

This writer is like no other, I have read every book she has written, just in the last 2 months. Once I found a book that swept you immediately into the lives of her characters I was lost.Mystery, romance, leaving you hungry to see WHO DONE IT! She stands alone in greatness.
Hurry Carlene, write another please!

Veterinarian Natalie St. John returns to her childhood home of Port Ariel, Ohio, a town nestled on the shores of Lake Erie, in hopes of finding solace for her broken heart. She is instead thrown into a situation that threatens her life and the lives of her loved ones.

Natalie and her friend Lily find the body of Tamara (Lily's twin sister). Was it an act of random violence or something more personal? The answer soon becomes clear as the corpses keep piling up, and Natalie feels as if she is being watched.

Police Chief Nick Meredith swears he will keep Natalie safe, and pretty soon it becomes clear that the urgency he feels is because he is falling for Natalie.

DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES is one of those books that keeps your heart racing and your body tensed up until the very spine tingling, awesome ending. There are many characters in the book that are well defined and believable. Believe me, you'll never guess who the slasher is until the very last minute, and that's what makes DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES such a nail biting mystery. This was my first Carlene Thompson mystery, and it definitely won't be my last.

an avid reader of suspence, but very selective, i read all of carlene thompson's books and found all to be excellent. keeps you guessing right up till the end with who dunit.most of the time i can guess or be pretty close, but not with carlene thompson.