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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Realistic heroine, April 9, 2002
This review is from: Walking After Midnight (Mass Market Paperback)
Heroine: voluptuous, tall Thirty-six-year-old lush and lovely Summer McAffee, lingerie model/cleaning woman, has had the unfortunate happenstance of pulling the graveyard shift at work. Literally. Her cleaning business "Daisy Fresh" has been hired for a job at Harmon Brothers' Funeral Home, and thanks to some no-show employees Summer has to fill in and tackle the assignment all on her own. The eerie surroundings have had Summer completely spooked all night and she is utterly grateful to be on her way out the door, when she suddenly realizes that she has forgotten to turn the light off in the embalming room. The young woman returns to correct her error, her jitteriness filling her with self-doubt as she peers into the chamber. {Was that naked corpse in the room earlier? Surely it wasn't. When did it get here? Did it just move?!} Stepping in for closer inspection Summer is shocked to find her wrist held captive by the "corpse", and is soon dragged from the premises by this reputed cop-gone-bad and taken on a hair-raising, bullet-laden chase through the countryside. Can Summer catch her breath and gather her wits fast enough to discover which side of the law her mesmerizing captor is really on? What worked for me: I found myself enjoying the suspenseful twists and turns in the plot, particularly the very end of the book when all the loose threads are tied into a pretty little bow. (This story would make a great Lifetime Movie Network feature.) I really felt for Summer because of her history of diet abuse. She was once an underweight model, and later was a bulimic, emotionally-abused housewife. Still, I'm glad that the book didn't dwell overmuch on her past eating troubles, but rather focused on who she is now: heavier, healthier, and proud of who she is. And I just loved the way Summer's curviness was always described in glowing terms! :^) What didn't work for me: I'm not generally a fan of Stockholm syndrome stories, although I can understand how Summer came to feel sympathetic with her captor in this particular case, especially once we get to know more about him and the circumstances that drove him to do what he did. The concept of the ghost was interesting. In fact, since the book opened with a scene featuring her, I was somewhat surprised and disappointed that she didn't appear more often in the story. Overall: "Walking After Midnight" was a fun read, and fans of mystery/suspense/thrillers should enjoy it. Be forewarned that it does contain some coarse language and steamy sex scenes.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely a worthwhile purchase!, June 16, 1998
This review is from: Walking After Midnight (Mass Market Paperback)
Karen Robards has not disappointed me yet! Who would think that you'd choose a book which begins with a cleaning woman in a funeral parlor in the middle of the night, for a romance escape? Purchasing the book, on the previous escapes provided by Ms. Robards was yet another great choice! The book has suspense, true 'cop-loyalty', humor (as always), twists and love. A bit hokey at times, but, so is life sometimes. Not as riveting as "Hunter's Moon", but still a good read! Thanks Karen for turning them out, and allowing me to escape each evening after a LONG work day. ... Also, love how you always incorporate your husband and sons in your dedication. What else is more important? Wonderful ... like your books! Your hard work away from them is appreciated by me. My sanity restored by authors, like yourself is greatly appreciated by MY family! Thanks!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
This story should be a compelling romantic suspense to keep readers on the edges of their seats, but never quite delivers, April 20, 2006
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Summer is a divorced young woman, formerly a model, who now cleans toilets for a living to make ends meet. Her biggest contract is with a local funeral parlor. When her cleaning crew bails on her, she is left to do the job herself. As if a funeral parlor in the middle of the night isn't creepy enough, finding a dead man who isn't really dead, and who takes her prisoner, is a terrifying experience for the young woman.
Steve is local hero, fallen on hard times as a result of one bad decision that tears his life apart. Now he is on the run from drug lords, dirty cops, and then some when he is attacked and left for dead in the funeral home. Believing Summer to be an accomplice to his assailants, he takes her hostage to make his escape. On the run from more bad guys than one can count, they take to the woods where staying hidden until the case is solved can mean their lives. Neither Summer nor Steve expect that in the middle of it all, a passion would blossom between them that they are unable to fight.
Walking After Midnight is a dark tale, filled with violence and conflict, but tempered with softer moments. Muffy the dog steals the show on more than one occasion, as does a certain ghost who pops up frequently. The plot is strong, with multiple threads seemingly unrelated that when woven together provide a surprisingly complex story. The romance however, doesn't quite live up to the expectations of readers. There is not enough development of Steve and Summer's relationship to make their new love feel believable, when all they do is whine and snipe at each other
This story should be a compelling romantic suspense to keep readers on the edges of their seats, but never quite delivers. Perhaps that is due to the medium here in which it was presented, and the narrator of the tale. Ms. Williams' performance left something to be desired. Summer's role is much better portrayed, and the narrative portions are very well done. However, the narrator seemed unable to master the masculine portions of the dialogue, making Steve sound rude and domineering, and completely full of himself.
However, loyal fans of Karen Robards will be sure to snap this book up and enjoy adding it to their collection.
? Kelley A. Hartsell, February 2006. All rights reserved.
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