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Tainted [Paperback]

Brooke Morgan (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews) |
Price: $14.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2009

In a dazzling tour de force of suspenseful storytelling, first-time novelist Brooke Morgan ingeniously peels away layers of artifice and deception to reveal the fears and uncertainties that live in the hearts of us all.

Holly Barrett first saw Jack Dane early one morning—tall, tan, and so heartbreakingly handsome he took her breath away. He also seemed like the last person to disrupt her quiet, uneventful days with her sensitive daughter, Katy. But the charming, enigmatic Englishman has blown into her small Cape Cod town like a brisk summer wind off the bay.

He sweeps Holly off her feet, and is soon touching the lives of everyone she deeply cares about. But is Jack the considerate, concerned gentleman he appears to be—or is there a very different creature lurking below the surface? Has a monster entered her life . . . and how far will Holly have to go to save the person she loves more than anyone else in the world?

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The real-life murder case of British toddler Jamie Bulger helped inspire Morgan's excellent debut, an impeccably paced suspense novel set on Cape Cod. When 17-year-old Holly Barrett becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with 18-year-old Billy Madison, Billy, who comes from a privileged background, splits after learning the news. Five years later, Billy returns to Shoreham, Mass., eager to be a father, but Holly's not interested. Having endured the loss of her parents and not trusting Billy, she's content living on Birch Point with Katy, her five-year-old daughter; her granddad, Henry; and Henry's dog, Bones. After meeting a handsome Englishman, Jack Dane, Holly dives headfirst into a quickie marriage, despite signs Jack isn't who he says he is. Henry, who's initially pleased, begins noticing Jack acting inappropriately with Katy. Morgan, a U.S. ex-pat living in the U.K., successfully exploits the classic woman-in-jeopardy (plus child) theme. (Dec.)
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Review

“[T]his sneak-up-on-you page-turner packs a suspenseful wallop that will chill your soul.” (People )

“An impeccably paced suspense novel ... successfully exploits the classic woman-in-jeopardy (plus child) theme.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 Reprint edition (December 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061853372
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061853371
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

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Brooke Morgan
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Holly Barrett has not had the best of luck with men. Quiet, shy and serious, she studied more than she flirted in school. Now a single mom living in a small Cape Cod town with her beautiful young daughter Katy, Holly leads an uneventful life until one morning bus ride when a drop-dead gorgeous man sits next to her. Conversation leads to an impromptu side trip. Although their first unplanned date ends with a boom, the mysterious Englishman Jack Dane later sweeps her off her feet in a whirlwind. Even her family cannot resist his charm. As Holly seeks to carve out a new life for herself and her daughter, disturbances interrupt the potential picture of wedded bliss. After abandoning Holly when she most needed him years, Katy's biological father re-enters the scene, causing friction to the newly formed family. Jack's parenting skills are awkward and clumsy at best. Despite these troubles, Holly truly shines with a new confidence now and her family seems whole. Are these bumps in the road just a normal process of bringing together a family or are they a sign of deeper trouble to come? Is Jack the wonderful man he appears? Does his unknown past hide a deep dark secret? Has Holly made a marriage in heaven or has she just given a dangerous man access to her family? How far will she go to protect those she loves?

Brooke Morgan's debut novel TAINTED is one amazing work of psychological suspense! Written in an easy to read beautiful prose style, TAINTED turns romantic fantasy into a shattering nightmare that sends chills through the spine. One can't help but fall for the characters. Holly could be any woman. The questions she asks are questions anyone would ask. Her hopes are our hopes. The scenes with her extended family warm the heart and her daughter Katy's innocence is the reader's innocence --- and yet through the author's clever use of perspective change, the reader sees the subtle warnings, the slight disjunctures that hint at trouble on the horizon. Skillful, emotional twists keep a reader glued to the pages but nothing can prepare a reader for the shocking truth as it unravels. Scene by scene, Brooke Morgan takes the reader on a wild journey of hope and fear as hints of Jack's mysterious past encroach upon the lives around her. What a perfect ending! Brooke Morgan knows how to deliver the final masterstroke that leaves a suspense lover delightfully stunned!

On each and every page, TAINTED is psychological suspense at its best. Rather than relying on gratuitous gore or horror for shock value, Brooke Morgan builds the suspense by delving into her characters' deepest dreams and fears. Each twist and turn, each change in point of view is expertly handled for maximum effect. Brooke Morgan reveals just enough to keep a reader on the the edge, but never too much or too early. TAINTED haunts the imagination long after the final word.

Brooke Morgan's TAINTED would make an excellent choice for stimulating book club discussions. The figure of Jack's present and past and more importantly the author's expert handling of all the questions and characters surrounding him pose fascinating questions while leaving readers room for reflection and animated discussion.

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is very engrossing - the characters are well developed, the descriptions of the Cape are beautifully rendered, and the story has some real surprises. I couldn't wait to get home each night to continue reading it, to return to Shoreham and to get back into the lives of Holly and Jack. I found the juxtaposition of innocence and evil quite haunting, and I think Morgan's pace of unfolding the mystery was just right.
Interestingly, my husband and I rarely enjoy the same books, but we both loved this one, as did our daughter - it is a must read!
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Brooke Morgan's debut novel, Tainted, is a thrill ride in a small, shoreline town in Massachusetts -- Shoreham -- as Holly Barrett meets the man of her dreams on a bus. Jack Dane is dashing, charming, and British -- an accent to die for -- but there is something below the surface that is not so inviting.

Holly's had a tough youth from getting pregnant at a young age to losing her parents and struggling as a single parent. Jack swoops in and casts a spell that she is unwilling to break, despite the objections of her family and friends and only knowing him for about three weeks. Morgan's writing is upfront and engaging, though at times chapters shift from the point of view of Holly, her five-year old daughter, her grandfather, and others.

Readers will eat up these pages, trying to uncover Jack's dark secrets, while at the same time wishing they could shake Holly into her right mind. At times, Holly is very naive about Jack and moves too quickly into a relationship, which can be attributed to her inexperience with men and her self-imposed isolation. However, there are a number of occasions where Holly sees clear red flags in Jack's behavior and chooses to ignore them, reminiscent of abused women. Morgan's debut novel, Tainted, is a solid thriller with many twists and turns that will have some readers guessing until the very end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A little predictable, but readable.
The characters really aren't that likable, and not very well developed. Most major plot points are easily predicted, and the foreshadowing is almost blatant. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Kristina
Brooke Morgan is Excellent
Best book I've read in a long time. Definitely a page turner -- I couldn't put it down. It was like watching a really good movie, very smooth, very well thought out. Read more
Published 19 months ago by RachelsStar
Holly and Jack a Match Made in Hell
Holly is a very smart plain-Jane who made the huge mistake of letting a popular boy in high school have his way with her on the beach one night. Read more
Published 21 months ago by R. McFeeters
mybookaddiction.com
Given the synopsis of the book, as well as what is on the back of the book, obviously it has already given a huge spoiler. Read more
Published 21 months ago by OurBookAddiction
Good Summer Read -- but not Great
Tainted is well-written and the plot moves fairly swiftly. Morgan does a good job of introducing all of the characters and making each stand on their own. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Felicia
a good summer thriller
Tainted by Brooke Morgan is a tense thriller about a single mother who is swept off her feet by a charming British man she meets by chance when he moves to her small town. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Christine B.
Excellent Debut
I can't really add to all of the great reviews of this book, except read it, you won't be sorry. This is a well paced book of suspense, with rich characters that will stay with... Read more
Published 24 months ago by S. L. Parker
A solid debut novel...
Brooke Morgan showcases her writing talent with a first time suspense novel set in Cape Cod. The story centers around Holly a 23 year-old, single mom who is struggling with the... Read more
Published on April 28, 2010 by mcryan
A Great Read!
I read this book in two days, I couldn't put it down. It does take a little time to get really into this book. The characters are introduced to the reader a little at a time. Read more
Published on March 19, 2010 by HistoryTeacher
Slow to start, but worth the wait
I started reading this book a few months ago and it takes a while to get interesting, so I had set it aside until recently.

I'm glad I picked it back up. Read more
Published on February 8, 2010 by Gothic Valentine
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