I figured out the 'whodunit' in this book about halfway through (although I didn't find out I was correct until the end), but it was very good. Suspenseful and a bit creepy, I stayed up to finish this book.

Wow!

This book started out with a bang, them I kind of lost interest. I almost put it down, but kept reading. I am soooooo glad I did! They mystery was great and it had an ending I didn't see coming! The author led you in so many directions - when I found out who the "bad guy" was, I was shocked! I think its the only book that when the mystery was revealed, I shouted, "OH MY GOSH!" (yes, sitting in my den alone, I shouted!)

Eight years ago someone broke into the Farr home in Point Pleasant, West Virginia killing the parents and stabbing preadolescent Celeste. Since teenager Teresa Farr was untouched, the police and the media assume she killed her father, stepmother and failed at murdering her stepsister. However, serial killer Roscoe Lee Byrnes confesses to the murders after he is caught. He is convicted and placed on death row awaiting state execution while Celeste has remained silent since the assault.

However, just before Byrnes is to be executed, he renounces his confession in the Farr homicides. Meanwhile Teresa begins receiving notes insisting she will soon face "justice" while mute Celeste recognizes a unique smell and begins to talk for the first time in eight years; insisting her stepsister is not only innocent, she saved her life. However others do not believe the traumatized child including the note writer as someone wants to divert attention to Teresa for the killings; if necessary even set up a murder suicide scenario that will eliminate the survivors while casting culpability on the older soon dead stepsibling

This is a tense suspense thriller that grips readers the moment that Teresa enters her home to find a nightmare that awaits her. Everyone except for Celeste believes she is the cold blooded killer even after Byrnes confessed. The story line is fast-paced as the killer raises the ante to insure no one alive knows the truth. However, fans will be irritated with the heroine's denial that danger is mounting although her reaction seems psychologically realistic since Teri cannot emotionally deal with a second deadly encounter until she has no choice. Still Carlene Thompson provides an engaging romantic suspense thriller.

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Theresa Farr has a serious problem - someone is trying to kill her. Theresa survived an attack eight years ago that killer her father, step-mother and severely wounded her step-sister. Now someone is terrorizing her and dropping pieces of the past on her porch.

I thought I had this figured out early in the book but the author kept throwing out false clues to muddle the air. The ending was truly a surprise but it nicely cleared up the remaining mysteries.

A few times in the book I was frustrated by the unnecessary repetition of things. But overall a good read. I would definitely read Carlene Thompson again.

Exceptional

I liked the story, but sometimes the writing style and word choices got in the way. The pace of the story line was twisting and turning, but many times the movement felt forced and frantic. I don't know how else to describe it. This is the first time I've read anything by this author so I don't know if this is her usual style or something unique to this book. There times when particular words, especial adjectives, jumped off the page and disturbed the flow of the prose. At those times I was reminded of when someone uses larger words in conversation not because they really understand the meaning but because they want to appear intelligent and impressive. I liked the plot enough to try something else Ms. Thompson has written, but if this is her usual style I may not give her a third try.

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