Customer Reviews

Stealing Shadows

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Psychic Cassie Neill has made a career of helping the L.A. police department catch killers-a career that she puts aside after a terrible mistake leaves a child dead.

Cassie decides to start over by moving to the small town of Ryan's Bluff, but to her surprise, a killer is loose in the town, and Cassie has tapped into his mind-seeing the victims...before, during and after their deaths.

For fear no one will believe her, Cassie, turns to the one man she thinks she can trust, judge Ben Ryan.

Not knowing what to think, Ben is intrigued by Cassie's story, and when some local girls start turning up dead he realizes he will need her help to stop this monster.

Combining the story line of the killer, and some mysterious history to Cassie's family past; "Stealing Shadows" keeps readers guessing until the end. It is a fast-paced novel that will undoubtly be read in one sitting.

Kay Hooper is making the jump into thriller territory ruled by Tami Hoag, and she is making this jump successfully.

Readers will enjoy this novel, and look forward to the next two in the series being released in October and November.

Nick Gonnella

Kay Hooper has always been an excellent author, but she has outdone herself in Stealing Shadows. Ms. Hooper is apparently making her move from romance to thriller in an exciting book that will keep you glued to an explosive story that involves an intriguing cast of characters.

Psychic Cassie Neill moves to a small, secluded town in North Carolina from L.A. after she misreads the mind of a serial killer that results in the death of an innocent child. Blaming herself, she wants to isolated herself from the world and never be called upon to experience the terror she feels when using her psychic ability to enter the mind of a killer. Her aunt, who had spent the last twenty years hiding from the world because of her own psychic abilities has left her a house in the isolated countryside upon her death. Luck goes against Cassie as she begins to experience visions of a madman who is about to begin a killing spree. Cassie, knowing what skeptism is instored for her, goes to the local sheriff and prosecutor trying to warn them of what is ahead. Expressing doubt and disbelief, they are stunned to find out Cassie is right. There is a serial killer amid their small town stalking and brutally murdering women.

Kay Hooper has written one of the best novels I've read this year--if not the best. It amazes me how she has taken such a large, complex cast of characters, intertwined their lives, and still maintained the high level of terror and suspence in the plot. The suspense in this book never lets up. I'm glad there are two more novels folloing this one. I can't wait to see what Ms. Hooper has instored for her readers.

Grab this book, isolate yourself for a couple of hours, and get ready for one of the most exciting stories you'll ever read.

When I first read the back of this book, I scoffed at the idea that an author would be able to successfully make a plot like this work. A psychic who runs across country to forget her past and finds herself in the midst of the same thing she was trying to escape? How appropriate. An attraction to the extremely handsome district attorney who is helping to solve the case. Where have I heard this before? It may be formulaic at best and trite at worst, but I could not put this book down. The pace was very fast, the suspense non-stop and the villian not an easy one to unmask. Kay Hooper seems to have found a very nice niche when it comes to the genre of romantic suspense novels and it seems to be one that fits her very well indeed.

Telepath Cassie Neil knows the potential cost of helping the police catch the monsters butchering and killing innocent people. She realizes she risks her mind and her soul every time she goes into the mind of these beasts. A soul weary Cassie has entered the brains of too many malevolent beings. She quits the deadly game and moves to quiet Ryan's Bluff, North Carolina.

Cassie finds some peace and tranquility for the first time since she first hunted psychopaths. However, her rest and relaxation abruptly ends when a local resident relishes his first kill. Cassie taps inside the twisted pervert's mind and learns he will turn into a killing machine unless stopped. After the town sheriff rebuffs her appeal, Cassie asks Judge Ben Ryan for help. He believes her, especially when the killings start. Together they seek a homicidal murderer terrorizing the community.

Kay Hooper's books always contain a special spark so that her current powerful and fascinating tale will not surprise anyone. The para-psychic heroine comes across as vulnerable, leading to readers feeling very sympathetic towards her demons. The story line takes an unexpected twist, especially in the climax. STEALING SHADOWS steals the hearts of its audience as few novels can.

Harriet Klausner

Ms. Hooper is an automatic buy for me when it comes to her romantic paranormal suspense reads. As per usual I've come to this series in a roundabout way but lo and behold I seem to have picked this series up in order.

Cassie Neill is a psychic that just wants peace and quite in her life. After a case goes bad she runs as far and as fast as she can to North Carolina. Here she finds a small little town and the peace that she seeks. Or at least she did until a serial killer starts hunting in her backyard and killing neighbors. This is all bad enough until the killer connects with Cassie. Now she feels obiligated to help and goes to Ben Ryan hoping he will understand her talents and accept her help.

Ben Ryan is drawn to Cassie. He knows that she is the real deal and he doesn't want her tangling with the mind of a serial killer. Unfortunatly what he wants and what he gets are two different things. Now as more and more dead bodies turn up and the fear and anger of the town increases his self appointed job of keeping Cassie safe is getting harder and harder to achieve. Than the unexpected happens will Ben be able to save the life of the first woman he's ever loved?

This was a very fast-paced read and it goes without say that the storyline was unique and engrossing. Ms. Hooper is a truly talented author and her characters are larger than life and very vivid. As a result the reader will easily be transport to Ryans Bluff, North Carolina and the make believe world that Ms. Hooper has created.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

I curled up in my easy chair, turned on the Olympics and then picked up Stealing Shadows...thinking I would read during the commercials. WELL...guess what? I watched the Olympics only when I got scared and had to take a breather from the book. I loved this one. Never having been a believer in psychic abilities (I've never called up the Psychic Hotline), this book almost made a believer out of me. Have already ordered the next one, Hiding in the Shadows.

Cassie Neill is a pitiful, precious, fragile, haunted young woman trying to escape her "abilities" and the terror and heartache that accompany them. She moves to a quiet little town and is immediately plunged into the middle of a serial killer's escapades. She wants to help catch him, so she works with the sheriff who thinks she's nuts...and on and on it goes. Of course, she proves everyone wrong about her abilities.

Trust me, you will love this. To say anymore about the plot would give it away. Needless to say I don't know who won springboard diving and don't care!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Ms. Hooper didn't just jump from writing romance to writing suspense, she's leapt, soared, and landed solidly on both feet. What a wonderful book! I highly recommend it to all readers who enjoy stories about credible people who act logically and with compassion. The protagonist's gift is handled with sensitivity and authority. Bravo, Ms. Hooper! And thank you for a great read.

I am obviously in the minority here but I found this book predictable. The characters were wooden - no surprises. The main character seems to answer in the same monotone no matter what the situation or addressee. None of the characters, including the serial killer, were compelling. Events and relationships seem thrown in, just to have them there. I love this genre and was looking for a substitute because my favorite author's last two offerings were a departure from her usual page-turner's (and you know who you are Patricia Cornwell) Sorry to the fans! I am glad so many people enjoy these.

The was my second Kay Hooper novel and it was one of my favorite novels that I have ever read. I found it incredibly interesting that the whole book revolved around the "psychic" way of solving crimes. That was so cool! Not many authors have their protaganists, such as Cassie Neill, someone who can predict murders before they even happen. My eyes were transfixed to the pages the whole time. I can not wait until HIDING IN THE SHADOWS comes out on October 3 and for OUT OF THE SHADOWS coming out on October 31. Both of these novels include FBI Agent Noah Bishop from Stealing Shadows. Kay Hooper has definitely made it to my favorite author list!

Psychic Cassie Neill's hard won peace in Ryan's Bluff, North Carolina, was shattered when she accidently connected with a local murderer before his first killing. District Attorney Ben Ryan knew Cassie could help find the multiple murderer, but at what cost to Cassie?

Hooper has a wonderful talent in portraying paranormal talents and activities (see any of her old LOVESWEPT books). Her logic and careful restrictions are understandable. The chemistry between Cassie and Ben is there, but their relationship was developed slowly and correctly. Hooper is one of the few former LOVESWEPT authors who have kept me eagerly looking forward to her next book. As much as I loved Matt and Ben, the two main men in the book, I found FBI agent Bishop intriguing. His story will be concluded in the third book of this trilogy, OUT OF THE SHADOWS. I can't wait!