Customer Reviews

In the Shadow of Evil

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In Eternal Springs, Louisiana, contractor Layla Taylor is stunned when a house she just completed is set on fire. Once the blaze is put out and the remains cooled down, a dead inspector is found inside. Detectives Maddox Bishop and Houston Wallace investigate the homicide-arson with Layla as the only link to both crimes besides the victim.

Maddox and Layla are attracted to one another from their first meeting. However, when more incidents including murder and arson occur, he knows the case comes first. He works diligently to keep Layla safe as she is the seeming focus that ties everything together, he does not want to have happen to her what happened to his mother almost two decades ago, which he still feels overwhelming guilt for not being home on time to protect her.

The latest Eternal Spring inspirational suspense thriller (see Deliver us From Evil and Fear No Evil) is a terrific police procedural with strong relationship bases. The sisters obviously love one another though disagree more than they agree on issues. The police partners provide strong support for each other on and off the job. Maddox with his remorse and guilt over his mom shapes his personality as he and Layla fall in love, but God is in their way as she believes strongly (as does her sibling) while he no longer accepts a deity who allowed a bad thing to happen to his mom. This occurs inside a strong investigation with an unexpected but plausible late twist as a serial killer-arsonist seems to target Layla.

Coming home from a wonderful evening with your girlfriend to find the mother you adore has been stabbed is devastating, to say the least. And that's only the beginning to this rollercoaster ride. Filled with suspense, mystery, adventure, and even romance, In the Shadow of Evil grabbed my attention from the very get-go.

This adventure was beautifully written. This is the first time I have read a book by Robin Caroll - and it won't be my last. Her writing captivates the reader, taking them inside the character's head. The way it was written made it such a personal read - so much more impacting. I loved every minute I spent in this book.

The message in this story was clear - it's on forgiveness. Forgiving people who have wronged you in the past. It's much easier to say than do in many instances. Maddox and Layla both had to learn to forgive those who had hurt them. And in doing so, they discovered a wonderful peace and close relationship with God that they didn't have before.

The mystery was great! The few scenes of "him" made me so curious to discover who "he" was! Little clues are dropped along the way, feeding the `sleuth-wannabe' side of me. At the end, when things began coming to light, I was really impressed with the detail of the mystery. How clever "he" was - though he was no match for Maddox and Layla.

The story between Maddox and Layla was sweet. Maddox begins as a man who doesn't ever want to be tied down to just one woman. Until he meets Layla. She stops him almost dead in his tracks with her winsome ways and strong faith in God. I loved their first encounter - how Layla reacted to Maddox hard stare was exactly what I would have done! There was nothing inappropriate about their love story that I need point out, besides a few kisses towards the end.

There is a murder involved, but nothing that I found very gruesome. At the very end, the book suddenly took a turn that left me reeling just a bit. It didn't ruin the book for me, just was a curveball I had not seen coming. At all! But it wrapped up the story very well! I recommend this book to any mystery lovers out there who have been looking for a elaborate mystery to figure out!

I reviewed this book for B&H through FIRST Wild Card. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done

Maddox and Layla are both scarred in different ways. I loved so much about this book, from the hero and heroine's romantic and trust journeys down to the secondary character elements such as Layla's sister's charity. What a unique concept! Love Caroll's strong heroines and Layla is no exception. She owns her own construction company and hammers hard on Maddox's distrust. She also patiently chisels away the bricks he has built around his heart which stem mostly from a homicide trauma he endured having to see the fallout of when younger. But this trauma also motiviated his detective work. Love how Caroll works through the trust issues yet keeps the story believable in the sense of how unlikely it would be for a detective to fall for a potential suspect. The construction element felt very authentic and added more unique layers to the story and its unique premise. Love how Caroll wove the building threads throughout. Excellent read! Swift-paced. Touching romance. Satisfying story. Don't miss it!

In the Shadow of Evil by Robin Caroll is the third book in the Evil romantic suspense series. Maddox Bishop is investigating an arson/murder at a brand new house that brings him to question Layla Taylor, the contractor for the building. Sparks quickly fly between the two, but Maddox keeps finding connections between Layla and the crimes that are popping up all over town: three mysterious deaths that seem to be tied to her church, her office is robbed, and the rehabilitation center her sister, Alana, runs is bombed. But the crimes are all tied to Layla because the culprit is desperate to keep her from discovering his identity. Meanwhile Maddox is dealing with his prickly relationship with his father that stems from his mother's murder years earlier, and Layla hasn't seen her mother in eight years since her drug overdose left her with a permanent brain injury. The couple must deal with their pasts before they can build a future together, and that is threatened by a killer who will stop at nothing to hide his sins. Each book in this series is essentially a stand-alone with minimal reference to the characters from the previous book. Maddox was a cop in Fear No Evil, but you don't need to have read that to enjoy this novel. Caroll is very good at creating nail-biting suspense, and the scene where Layla faces the murderer is a heart-stopper. One flaw in the book is that by naming Maddox' partner Houston, a dramatic scene becomes unintentionally funny by the inclusion of the phrase, "Houston, we have a problem," This is a solid series sure to please fans of Christian fiction with plenty of romance and suspense.

The book starts with the prologue eighteen years ago. Maddox was seventeen and late for curfew, when he comes in he finds his mom stabled and she died in his arms.

Present Day: Maddox has become a detective and with his partner Detective Houston they are always working on solving a case. One he really wants to solve is who killed his mother and why. The book also includes two sisters Layla and Alana. Layla was a building contractor just like their dad and Alana ran a retreat for cleaning up drug addicts. They both were Christian and Maddox had no use for God. There are so much going on with people dying that went to the same church, murder, places being burned and all of it linked back to Layla.

This is a great read and as Robin Caroll always does with her books, she keeps you on your toes. This book will be out in March 2011 so be sure to pick up a copy.

Thanks to Wynn, Wynn Media for sending me the copy of this book to review.

This is a book I almost didn't read because of the cover. The cover looks borderline occult-ish to me and paired with the title - I almost passed it up. But I'm glad I didn't! The story is well worth reading, it's a lively romp with plenty of suspense!

Layla Taylor's life is turned upside down when her award winning building project goes up in smoke. Maddox Bishop is the detective sent to find out why the house was burned... with a body inside. More disaster awaits and casts Layla as a likely suspect, but Maddox can't believe she's guilty when his heart gets involved.

Layla Taylor is a female contractor in a man's world. And a ball-room dancer in her spare time. But that isn't enough to keep her busy. Someone has targeted her projects for destruction, and she's going to find out who. And why.

Maddox Bishop is an up-and-coming detective, who never misses a thing. Ever. When he gets tapped to investigate a murder, he unleashes his honed instincts and follows them to what he believes to be the center of the storm.

And that's where he discovers Layla.

Smitten, confused, disarmed, and more than understandably upset, Maddox struggles to separate fantasy and reality, as the body count keeps rising.

These are the bare bones of what I've found to be one of the most compelling Christian suspense novels I've ever come across. The characters are realistic, the scenes are very well written, the suspense is gripping, and the romance makes it beyond wonderful. If Christian suspense is your bag, then IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL is your next book. But first, gather your munchies, get into your pajamas, and grab a thermos of coffee. Because once you begin reading, you aren't going to want to get up for anything. Six out of five stars.

3.5 stars. In the Shadow of Evil was the first Robin Caroll novel I've read. It was an entertaining romantic suspense, set in small-town Louisiana.

Layla Taylor owns her own contracting company and has always had to fight to prove herself in a male-dominated business. When a Homes of Hope home is mysteriously burned to the ground, and worse, the body of a property inspector turns up in the ashes, Layla, her sister, and her company are in danger of being implicated. Maddox Bishop is a hardened homicide detective assigned to the case. He gradually uncovers a tangled web of unethical practices and suppliers, but of course he and Layla's relationship begins to turn into something more personal. At the same time, he struggles with his own rocky relationship with his father and unresolved guilt over his mother's murder years before. Layla struggles with her own inability to forgive her mother for her past mistreatment.

It was a well-written story that kept me interested. The mystery was well-done...the outcome wasn't trite or predictable, and there was a very interesting twist at the end that really caught me by surprise! I thought the main characters were well-developed and likable. I especially liked Houston, Maddox's partner. He was a typical crusty old codger of a detective with a soft heart hiding beneath his gruff exterior. The resolution of both Layla's relationship with her mother and Maddox's with his father were touching and authentic, but I found the other spiritual aspects of the story a bit flat for some reason. Both Maddox's struggle with God and Layla's established faith struck me as a bit shallow and lacking depth for some reason. The spiritual aspect just wasn't woven into the fabric of the story as well as it could have been. It just didn't seem like an integral part...it could have been removed without really affecting the main storyline negatively.

Still, I found In the Shadow of Evil an entertaining, pleasurable read. The main plot was interesting and unpredictable...it kept me guessing. While not profoundly spiritually moving, it was an enjoyable book. I wouldn't mind reading more by Ms. Caroll in the future. If you enjoy good, clean, romantic suspense that you can't solve in the first couple of chapters, you'll probably enjoy In the Shadow of Evil!

I read Deliver Us From Evil and loved the action, adventure, humor and spiritual thread in it. I anxiously awaited the review copy of In the Shadow of Evil.

Layla is a female contractor following in her father's foot steps after his untimely death. Layla has been nominated for a building award she's worked hard to achieve. Tragedy strikes the House of Hope home she entered into the contest. The shadow of evil clouds her chances of winning the award when the house burns to the ground. Crazy thing about the fire is the body they discover among the ashes. The CSI team scrambles to disclose the body's identity and glean for clues that will uncover the murderer!

Detective Maddox and his partner arrive at the burned house and see a body. Because of Maddox's experience and the clues he discovers in the rubble, he suspects arson, and is convinced Layla set the fire. He's certain he'll find the proof he needs to expose a building rebound scam he knows is operating in this city. Layla's case adds one more piece to the puzzle to help uncover unethical practices to creatively fulfill the supply shortage and reveal the mastermind behind the scheme.

Layla doesn't like how slow the detectives are going to "prove her innocence". She definitely feels they've stamped her guilty already. So, she sets out to play detective herself. Things start to heat up as she pokes around. Another house is set on fire and she's the suspect again. Could she let go and let God work on her behalf?

This is an intriguing story set in the Louisiana, Bayou based on the real-life fallout of the U.S. economy plus devastation caused by multiple hurricanes along the southern coast. I enjoyed the tough, yet tender Layla and the emotionally wounded, chauvinistic Detective Maddox. I liked how this author showed God working in their lives for His glory and their good, when they let Him! I liked the believable characters and the spiritual struggle they went though on their way to giving and accepting forgiveness; of course I liked the drama, mystery and suspense as well. I'm looking forward to the next action adventure story from Robin Caroll.

The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org

Robin was one of the first people I met when joining the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers - h[..]) sooo many years ago and at the time, she was a newbie herself, learning and growing in her craft, being mentored by some of the best suspense writers out there. Now, she's come into her own and IS one of those best suspense writers! :)

It's been fun getting to know her along the journey and cheering her on. We Southern gals have to stick together!

I truly enjoyed this novel, it was suspenseful and intriguing but not "scary" and for scaredy cats like myself, that's exactly what I want in a suspense. (after all, suspense is not thriller) ::grin:: I highly recommend this novel and others by Robin for anyone looking for a sturdy read, relatable characters, heart-pounding suspense, and exciting twists and turns. Robin does a little bit of it all!

I look forward to more of her books!