Official Review: The Deepest Dark by Joan Hall Hovey

[claire mckay]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Deepest Dark" by Joan Hall Hovey.]

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The Deepest Dark by Joan Hall Hovey is an excellent thriller centered around the tragic figure of Abby Miller who has recently lost her husband and only child, Ellie, in a car accident. She is struggling to cope with the pain of such a huge loss and has only her sister, Karen, to lean on for support and the sleeping pills the doctor gave her. As her thoughts turn increasingly to ending her pain, Abby decides to go to their isolated family cabin at Loon Lake to see if she can find peace there and possibly start writing a new book but also takes her bottle of sleeping pills as an alternative solution to end her torment. However, three men have escaped from a nearby prison and are headed her way full of evil intentions and one of them in particular seems to have a hidden agenda behind targeting Loon Lake. Will Abby find the comfort she needs and when she finds herself alone and in danger can she summon the urge to fight for her life?

This is a short punchy book ( about 100 pages) that sets a fast pace and is a very exciting thriller. Hovey is particularly adept at creating well rounded characters that aren't just extras in the background but that have a little story arc of their own. This makes the whole book feel more authentic although I did think some of them were going to influence the story more as they were so carefully described that I wanted to know more about them. It did help create more suspense though as I was never sure what was going to happen next as there were quite a few characters in the story that could have become involved in the plot twists.

The main character Abby is easy to empathize with and the emotions that she is facing are convincingly portrayed. Her grief is very genuine and moving and when under threat her reactions are both believable and realistic. I also really liked her sister Karen who was direct and full of action as you would be if you believed your sister was in danger. The villains of the book were also strong, diverse and interesting as they were three very different characters. One of them actually gained my sympathy while the other two were very chilling in different ways.

The plot is simple but very strong and full of suspense. I could tell there were twists coming and that there was more to the prisoners than first appeared but I was surprised when the plot unfolded and the suspense kept me absolutely hooked throughout. The ending is exciting but the scene in the motel had me especially engrossed and I'm sure I forgot to breathe during part of it!

The book also made me think about the absolute devastation of losing your partner and especially your child. As a parent myself I felt her pain was described very eloquently and convincingly and I have a lot of sympathy for her contemplating suicide as I cannot imagine myself coping in these circumstances. It was especially interesting to see her instinctive reactions kick in when her life was threatened although I wonder if if she would have reacted differently if it hadn't been obvious that wouldn't be an easy release from her suffering.

I give this book 4 out of 4 stars as it is a highly entertaining thriller that will draw you in with its well written characters and fast paced action. Above all it is full of suspense and an absolute page turner. I warn you not to start reading it unless you have time to read the whole book! I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller and I certainly want to read more books from this author.

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Buy "The Deepest Dark" on Amazon

[autumnmarie]

Thanks so much for the review!! This sounds particularly suspenseful and you hooked me in a lot of different places

[claire mckay]

Thanks so much for the review!! This sounds particularly suspenseful and you hooked me in a lot of different places

Thanks that's very kind but it is a terrific book and just one of those books that you have to keep reading!

[joanhallhovey]

Thank you for your wonderful review of my latest suspense novel 'The Deepest Dark'. Very much appreciated, and so glad you enjoyed it and hope your readers will as well.

Joan
Joan Hall Hovey

[claire mckay]

Thanks Joan, you're very welcome! It had that magic ingredient that made me just want to keep reading which I love!

[ALRyder]

This definitely looks interesting. Great review!

[reads-a-lot]

This sounds as if it will be a terrific read. Maybe this will be the one I carry with me as I finish
my chores around the house. Your review has me very intrigued.

-- 11 Jun 2014, 12:13 --

This sounds as if it will be a terrific read. Maybe this will be the one I carry with me as I finish
my chores around the house. Your review has me very intrigued.

-- 11 Jun 2014, 12:13 --

This sounds as if it will be a terrific read. Maybe this will be the one I carry with me as I finish
my chores around the house. Your review has me very intrigued.

[joanhallhovey]

Only .99 cents today on amazon from my publisher BWL Books. Enjoy.

[Timea]

I really enjoyed your review, this looks like a pretty interesting book

[claire mckay]

Thanks that's very kind!

-- 01 Sep 2014, 15:44 --

Thanks that's very kind!

[ananya92]

Thanks for the review. The book sounds really good and full of suspense. Will definitely give it a try.