8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery and romance that thrill, chill, and hook you..., May 13, 2001
This review is from: Shadows Fall (Paperback)
From the moment, I read the first two paragraphs of Shadows Fall I was hooked. What I had anticipated from a genre of a romantic mystery was a gentle heroine who discovered the object of her affection had a mysterious background. To find Beth Gray, the heroine, standing over a dead body with a loaded gun in her hand was shocking.
Fifteen years later Beth and her own daughter Abby are back. The thriller begins after Beth, who was convicted for murder and then released early, returns to her family estate "The Wilder Mountain Lodge" which is located on the west slope of Shadow Lake in California. The property value could be a clue to the identity of the real murderer.
Fourteen-year-old Ollie was involved with Beth's sister Vicky. At thirteen Vicky was enchanted by the handsome boy, and refused to forgive her sister. Her brother Matt, though he loved Beth dearly, testified against his sister at the trial. The traumatic events created an emotional dilemma for the young man.
Her romantic interest is introduced so casually in Chapter One that readers may not notice the connection between the two. It is ethereal, but perfect because we have all experienced that "there is something about her/him that I can't explain" feeling.
I will not provide a list of suspects and motives. Rest assured that there are a plethora of clues (and some red herrings) that will keep you turning pages. In many ways, this book reminded me of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians." There are only a limited number of people who could have killed Ollie. In self-protection, the killer will strike again. Beth, Abby, and everyone she knows is in danger or dangerous.
Although there are a few cliché descriptions in Shadows Fall they do not detract from the plot, characters, surprises, and puzzle. This is a crime solver's delight; a romance that touches our hearts. This, most likely, will become a movie in which Winona Rider would be the perfect Beth.
If you start reading at dawn, suddenly it will be time to turn on some lights. The excuse will be that it is getting too dark to read. Too dark to be in the house with a killer -- the characters are so real that you know they are there with you.
Do not just wait for the movie -- let your heart race with this 5 star book that should become a New York Times Best Seller.
Victoria Tarrani
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect mystery/romance!, August 11, 2001
This review is from: Shadows Fall (Paperback)
As the wife of a mystery author I get to read a lot of "his" books. This one, however, is my kind of mystery. The characters are painted in exacting detail, the scenery is grand, and the story is as complex as it is satisfying. Since I am a California girl, the only thing this author could have added is a map to Wilder Mountain Lodge. Halfway through the first chapter I wanted to go there... still do.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good book even if it is long, July 8, 2001
This review is from: Shadows Fall (Paperback)
SHADOWS FALL is a wonderful book! Normally I don't read a book this long but this one held my interest all the way through.
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