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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What's Done in the Dark...Will Come to Light, February 21, 2006
This review is from: What's Done In The Dark (Paperback)
First there was Cain and Abel in the Bible. Then their sibling rivalry, a consistent theme in literature, turned deadly. Then there was Jane and Blanche in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" played by those divas, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. But you have yet to see the likes of the Reese sisters, Katrina and Celeste of New York, who give a whole new meaning to the term. Intense sibling rivalry is the madness of What's Done in the Dark by Gloria Mallette.
Katrina has always resented Celeste, hated the fact that she was born and has set out to do everything she can to make her life miserable. The ultimate betrayal and the final straw for seventeen year-old Celeste was when Katrina, three years older than she, seduced her boyfriend. Celeste, whose actions so often were reactions to Katrina's disdain of her, figures it is just best to stay out of Katrina's way. This works fine as the women grow up, marry, have children and go their separate ways, managing to avoid any big blow-ups by keeping their distance. Fast forward about twenty years when Celeste and her husband are about to take a well-deserved, overdue vacation to Jamaica. Just hours before their departure, Willie is found murdered in a seedy motel where it becomes obvious he had been with another woman. Celeste is devastated, hurt and bitter to no end. Just as she is trying to come to grips with her plight, her parents insist she go to the aid of Katrina, who has her life turned upside down when her husband becomes seriously ill in Washington D.C. This is the last thing Celeste wants to do as Katrina's heartless words regarding Willie's death is still ringing in her ears. But browbeaten and weary, Celeste heads to D.C. to see what she can do for Katrina.
Now the tables have turned as Katrina has to face the fact that her once perfect life, a marriage to a successful businessman, three children and a beautiful home in the suburbs, has just been shattered. Gordon, her husband, has committed the ultimate betrayal as it appears he has been living a double life. Katrina finds she needs her sister to help her navigate the mess she has been left to clean up. But the truce is to be short lived. When Celeste returns to New York to work with the police to find her husband's killer, vital evidence is discovered and everyone's life is irrevocably changed as Katrina and Celeste's contentious relationship comes full circle with a final showdown. It is shoot-out time at the OK Corral. Who will be left standing?
What's done in the dark will surely be brought to the light as secrets, lies and betrayal are discovered. This reviewer kept looking for a redeeming quality in Katrina, anything that would portray her other than the devil incarnate. Her dastardly deeds were over-the-top to the extreme. She was foul mouthed, completely self-absorbed, her love was conditional (she turned against her fifteen year-old daughter) and she alienated everyone who came into her presence. This was a drama-filled, turn-the pages story that can be devoured in one sitting, causing one to be irritated by any interruptions. At times the constant arguments and bickering were drawn out and tedious but this reviewer could not let go, anxious to see how it would all end. I also would like to comment about a constant theme that has filtered into many a writer's storyline of late; the theme of the down-low factor. This novel was satisfying and complete without bringing in that topic. It would not have been missed had it been left out of the story. However, fans of Mallette will be pleased with this offering and inpatient to find out what she will be coming up with next.
Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Uncovered heartaches, January 6, 2006
This review is from: What's Done In The Dark (Paperback)
Unseen! Untold! Unknown! Gloria Mallette's seventh novel, WHAT'S DONE IN THE DARK, shows 'what you don't know won't hurt you'. Conversely, it also shows that when secrets are seen, told, and known, reason and rationale become foreign to those who are victimized.
The backdrop for WHAT'S DONE IN THE DARK is a story of hatred between two sisters, Katrina and Celeste. For years they have avoided each other, because of Katrina's betrayal when they were teenagers. Celeste always wanted to be friends but Katrina always hated that they were sisters, their only connection is because of their DNA. But the backdrop of this hateful sibling rivalry is just the tip of the iceberg; this story is immersed in family secrets, spousal deceit and callous infidelity. A deceit that gives the sisters an unwanted commonality.
Celeste's husband is killed in the throes of a sexual climax with his lover, and Celeste is shocked, humiliated, and mad as hell. Katrina who is summoned to the hospital bedside of her dying husband, learns of the double life he is living. When their husbands' secrets come to the light the lives of both sisters are turned upside down. The deaths leave many unanswered questions, but also the promise that the sisters finally can share something other than hate. When police investigate the murder of Celeste's husband, they uncover the answer to at least one of the questions, an answer so familiar, it intensifies the sister's hate for each other. It seems everyone has something they've been hiding. And while the sisters may have been able to overcome the past, can they overcome the present?
Gloria Mallete has a penchant for writing penetrating stories with real characters whom readers will not eagerly embrace. Her primary and secondary characters are realistically strong and weak, and share situations and personalities that hit too close to home. One of the strengths of this book is how Ms. Mallete shows that life is rarely as it seems and that most people are hiding something. WHAT'S DONE IN THE DARK is dramatic, captivating, mysterious and human. This story sheds light on the art, or lack thereof, of deception and an unprecedented sibling rivalry. Kudos to Ms. Mallette for another raw unabriged look at life. (Really a 4.5)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What's Done in the Dark by Gloria Mallette: An PeoplewholoveGoodBooks Review, January 4, 2006
This review is from: What's Done In The Dark (Paperback)
Celeste Dawson has spent her whole life trying to establish an loving relationship with her sister Katrina. Katrina for reasons of her own, despises Celeste and has spent her life making her miserable starting with seducing Celeste's boyfriend when they were teenagers. Now as adults, Celeste and Katrina lead separate lives with husbands and children and stay as far away from each other as possible. But Celeste has no idea just deep Katrina's hatred is for her until tragedy strikes. Celeste's husband Wille is killed in a seedy motel in a compromising position on the morning they are supposed to leave for a much-needed vacation. Despite what has happened Katrina and Celeste are still at odds and Katrina instead of comforting her sister, kicks her down even further. But then tragedy strikes Katrina as her husband Gordon becomes ill and falls into a coma. Rushing to be at his side, Katrina is shocked to find that his "wife" is already there. Now, Katrina must fight to prove she is the legal wife and after being forced by their parents, Celeste comes to her aid and for once, the sisters seem to be bonding. Little does Celeste know that Katrina is keeping an explosive secret and when the truth comes out, all hell truly breaks loose. Once again, Gloria Mallette has written an edge of the seat, suspense-filled drama that will keep you riveted from beginning to end. Ms. Mallette's writing is like an fine, aged bottle of wine--it just keeps getting better and better. If you loved Shades of Jade, or The Honeywell....you will love What's Done in the Dark. It is already one of my picks for the Best of 2006! I give this book 5 stars! It is a must-read!! Reviewed by Shay C of PeoplewholoveGoodBooks
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