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Author: Kay Hooper
ASIN : 0553586009
Sales Rank : 2290
Studio : Bantam
Binding : Mass Market Paperback
EAN : 9780553586008
ISBN : 0553586009
Number Of Pages : 384
Publication Date : December 29, 2007
Release Date : December 29, 2007
Publisher : Bantam
Manufacturer : Bantam
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Bantam
| Fear has never been so close.…
New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper returns with a relentless thriller that brings her readers face-to-face with fear itself. In this terrifying new novel, a psychic special agent finds herself caught up in a tangled web of secrets, lies . . . and evil.
Riley Crane woke up fully dressed, a gun under her pillow, and covered in blood. Even more frightening, she didn’t remember what happened the night before. In fact, she barely remembered the previous three weeks.
An ex—army officer, now a federal agent assigned to the Special Crimes Unit, Riley was a chameleon–a clairvoyant who could blend in with her surroundings, be anyone or anything she chose to be. The SCU’s expert on the occult, she’d been sent to the beachfront cottage on Opal Island by her enigmatic chief, Noah Bishop, to investigate reports of dangerous occult activity.
But that was three weeks ago. Now she’s awoken to discover that she’s got a sexy new man in her life and an unreliable memory, and that the clairvoyant abilities she’s always depended on to protect her are MIA. Worse yet, with SCU resources stretched thinner than ever before, Riley is alone and without backup, feeling her way through a deadly game of blindman’s buff, where no one around her is quite who or what they seem. And a bizarre murder is only the first jarring reminder of how high the stakes really are.
Bishop wants Riley off the case. So does powerful local D.A. Ash Prescott. Both her old retired army buddy Gordon Skinner and Sheriff Jake Ballard believe she can catch a vicious killer. But one of these four men knows exactly what’s going on in this coastal community, and that’s knowledge Riley desperately needs. For what Riley can’t remember is more than enough to cost her her life. This time evil isn’t just closer than she thinks–it’s already there.
From the Hardcover edition.
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December 14, 2007.
LOVED it!.
Rating: 5
As a mother (and pregnant with #2), this book tore at my emotions. I was expecting a sappy love story and had it not been given to me as a gift, I never would have picked it up. I fell in love with Claire and Cornelia. I found the description of the mother's illness very convincing as a person who has seen it first hand. This was just a truly enjoyable read for me. I loved it.
December 07, 2007.
Beautifully written.
Rating: 4
This is book that deserves to be read if for no other reason than the reading of it. The prose is beautifully constructed and the author's poetic roots are evident. The book does have a few problems that mar the beauty of the writing.
As stated in earlier reviews, the chapters alternate between Cornelia's first person narrative and Clare's third person accounts. Cornelia is an odd bird and I had trouble buying into her character. I can see Sarah Jessica Parker playing her in the self-absorbed, coolly detached, uber-urbanite way she plays all her characters and it will serve Cornelia's character well. (I'm not a SJP fan.) Clare's character is a beautifully written and realized but wholly unbelievable 11 year old girl. She is simply too precocious to be believed but she must act and think in this way to further the story. A 16 year old girl, an age that Clare's thoughts and actions could justify, wouldn't need Cornelia or react to her Viviana's illness in the way that the author needed to carry her story. The author had quite a problem - she needed a maturing female voice to carry the book but she also needed the presence of girl who was still a child. Unfortunately you can't have it both ways and the story loses a sense of authenticity because of how Clare's character was written. I did enjoy Clare's voice and character but I did so from an adult perspective - she was unconvincing as a child.
The book has a few surprises and a few plot twists that the reader didn't anticipate which will hold a reader's interest. The biggest problem with the book that its basic premise is very hard to believe. I didn't know that severe mental illness could come on so quickly and with such force and then be resolved so quickly, even with the help of good meds. As a mother I have a hard time buying into the relationship between Clare and Viviana and the relatively easy transition Viviana has back into her child's trust. All that being said, it is worth the time to read this book. This book deserves three stars for characterization and plot and 5 stars for beauty of prose so we will compromise with the four rated here.
December 06, 2007.
The worst novel I've ever read.
Rating: 1
It's sappy and it's improbable and everything magically turns out perfectly.
She falls in love with a child, inherits a house exactly when she needs one, has a warm loving family who "understand" her, a brother in law who falls in love with her and a best friend who always seems to show up exactly on time for each crisis. Allow me to vomit.
It's full of writing cliches, the characters are one-dimensional and dull
and what happens could never, ever happen, especially in such a cartoonish, happily-ever-after way.
I was shocked that the book is so popular. Shows you that the general public has no taste.
While reading it, I felt like I was stuck inside a jar of honey and couldn't claw myself out.
It's superficial, unbelievable and as sappy as a dumb fairy tale.
Where's my barf bag?
December 05, 2007.
Love Walked In.
Rating: 5
I was pleasanty surprised by this book which I bought on a whim. I don't usually read love stories which this book is..but not completely. It's mostly about the relationship of a young woman and a little girl who desparately needs someone she can rely on. I think the Mariia de los Santos is a wonderful writer and I loved this book.
December 03, 2007.
Fun, Fast Read.
Rating: 4
Local book club selection. Fast read and everyone enjoyed it. Some thought the author tried a little too hard with the comedy and overused the movie and book references. Personally, I thought the author was telling the story the way she would sit down and tell it to a friend over a cup of coffee. Endearing characters and touching story. We all agreed it would make a good movie. Very nice first novel for this author. Hope she writes more!
December 14, 2007.
A unique experience, though not a particularly positive one.
Rating: 3
This is the only piece of the erotica genre I've ever read. I had heard of the book and the controversy that surrounded it upon its release many years ago in France and the subsequent debate about the book in the following decades; however, only recently did I read something about the book, its story line and the anonymity of the author that struck my curiosity enough to cause me to pick up a copy and read it.
Of course the story is about sexual domination, submissiveness and slavery and those who elect to participate in such a lifestyle. Honestly, I found the story line to get a bit tired after a bit. It didn't stir my senses too much as I read about the sexuality of the relationships between the characters. However, what I did find of interest, and the only reason I elected to rate three stars rather than two, was the author's development of the protagonist 'O' and the psychology involved with her transformation from her man's lover to a domination/submissive lifestyle out of an apparent unwavering love for her man. She (Reage) gave insight into the mind of the woman who is being developed into this relationship of sexual slavery, willing to endure nearly any 'punishment' out of love and loyalty.
All in all, I don't feel that I've gained much in life by reading this book, other than some insight into the mindset of people who elect to live the master/slave relationship. Then again, I don't know that I've really lost anything by the experience either. Anyone who decides to read it should keep an open mind, regardless of their own personal moral position on the type of relationships displayed in the book, and realize the story is not about a sexual style but about relationships between people, about what is requested from one woman in love and her willingness to display total - very total - commitment.
December 07, 2007.
Not really what I expected.
Rating: 2
I don't quite know why this book was actually considered one of the best French Books of the 1950s. Yes, it talks about sexual slavery and people taking seriously their fetishes, but to be honest, I found it quite beyond boring, and it was almost a torture to force myself to keep reading it. I am planning to rent the movie soon, maybe it ends up being better, but the book is slow, it's about two hundred pages of a story that could be told a lot better in just twenty!
December 13, 2007.
adult book.
Rating: 2
This novel is very well written. It's a very unusual erotic s&m novel written by a woman in a time when this was pretty much unheard of. I was a little disappointed in the book because it was very short and glossed over everything instead of going into more details of the characters. I felt it did not delve into their motivations or backgrounds or really let you know them. There was no hero or heroine and no one that you cared about. What really upset me about this book though, is that one is cheated out of the ending! This book is missing the ending. There supposedly are two but they have been censored from this edition! I would not buy this book again and do not recommend it because of that. I feel as though I have been cheated and would not have bought it if I knew that I would not get the ending ahead of time. Shame on Amazon for not warning customers that the ending has been censored out of this book!
December 02, 2007.
Not What I Expected.
Rating: 2
My two-star rating is one of more personal preference, than a commentary on whether this book was in fact, quality. I may be a bit biased, as I read Anne Rice's Beauty trilogy first before tackling Story of O, and in my opinion, Mrs. Rice's trilogy was O, refined and improved. O seemed like a lot of hard usage and battery of the heroine with minimal tenderness. Maybe that does it for some people, but I preferred the teasing (not to be mistaken for vanilla), affectionate approach Rice took on the theme Reage seemed to set the framework for. To be fair, Reage wrote O decades earlier in a more conservative age, and perhaps didn't have the wealth of inspirations/comparative cultural freedom that the eighties afforded Anne. For me, this book didn't live up to the hype, except, perhaps in shock value.
December 24, 2007.
Where de Sade left off ....
Rating: 5
"O" takes you on a journey through the darkest parts of the human beast. From the woman's point of view, "O" takes strides into the private spaces of a women's mind, spaces that even most modern women will not dare to go. This story has an eerie depth to it, filled with horrific torture, and yet, what is done to the body pales in comparison to what an obsessive love can do to the mind. "O" is not simply a physical masochist, seeking pleasure in the pain her body feels, she is a submissive and an emotional masochist ... her desire for pain deeply embedded into her psyche. Love for "O" must be a torture all encompassing in its magnitude, and for that to be, one must surrender everything: mind, body, and soul.
A brilliant work.
December 17, 2007.
A good concept gone bad.
Rating: 1
I don't know where to begin. Sarah Dearly, the heroine borders on TSTL. And can't seem to fix any of the messes she finds herself in. Oh, but there's always someone else around to help her out. That I could probably deal with for a while, because MJ Davidson's Queen Betsy is just coming into her own.
What I can't handle is the "love interest" for Sarah. There is no chemistry between the two, but even worse, he does something so unforgivable in this latest book, that it would truly take a stupid woman to take him back.
I hope Quin's story is better.
December 17, 2007.
Vampy fun!.
Rating: 4
Fanged & Fabulous was every bit as good as the first book Bitten and Smitten. Sarah Dearly and all the other characters are so entertaining and I'd love to see a sequel to this series. The next book, the spin-off looks like it will be just as good!
December 17, 2007.
You're going to love this paranormal romance.
Rating: 5
Sarah Dearly never asked to be turned into a vampire, and all she had wanted was her normal life back. However, the month before she was turned into a vampire by a bad blind date. Then, by total accident, she started a war between the "adorable, pointy-toothed bunnies" and the vampire hunters who have nicknamed her the Slayer of Slayers. Sarah didn't want this reputation; she doesn't want to be constantly hunted by vampires and slayers like a "monster in a video game." She just wants a normal immortal life with her vampire boyfriend! Was that too much to ask for?
Sarah has just received a job offer from another ancient vampire named Nicolai, who has a long- standing rivalry with her current boyfriend, Thierry. Since Sarah is the "Slayer of Slayers," Nicolai would like her to join a vampire organization called The Ring, a group of vampire counseling elders.
That evening Sarah's apartment blows up, she loses her "shard," the only thing she can actually see her reflection in, and her second-hand pair of Pradas. All she's left with is her ratty bathrobe and a pair of fuzzy pink slippers. Good friends George takes her and her werewolf dog, Barkley. Never mind the boyfriend who keeps blowing her off more and more as time goes on, along with her hot-fanged friend, Quinn who is trying to turn her self-defense lessons into make-out sessions.
Now someone's killing vampires, vampire hunters and humans, bodies drained of blood, with puncture marks on their necks. Two bodyguards hired by her 600-year-old vamp boyfriend are following her. Then she finds out the leader of all the vampire slayers, Gideon Chase is hot on her tail, too. What's a vampire to do?
This book is a funny and witty tale of a "baby" vampire who isn't exactly thrilled of her new "condition." I laughed out loud all through the book. The dialogue by this bestselling author is sarcastic and hilarious and the characters will leave you waiting impatiently for the next installment. This is the sequel to Bitten & Smitten, and I enjoyed reconnecting with those characters and seeing how their lives have changed since Sarah's transformation.
Armchair Interviews says: If you like paranormal romances, you're going to love Fanged & Fabulous!
December 12, 2007.
Still Smitten.
Rating: 4
Michelle Rowen delivers another fun tale of life as a newbie vampire. Rowen is hilarious, and her characters are full of wit and sarcasm. I disagree with the other reviewer that Sarah Dearly is a Betsy (from the Undead series) knock-off.
Where Betsy is shallow and overly sarcastic, Sarah is thoughtful, loving and witty. It's kind of like saying that Coach is knocking off Payless... Doesn't make sense.
This book continues on with the Quinn/Theirry/Sarah love triangle thing... The only thing that I don't get is why in the hell does Sarah want to win Theirry's affections so bad when she has the hot Quinn after her?
Oh well. The story is well written. A funny and thoughtful paranormal romp!
December 12, 2007.
As charming as the first book.
Rating: 5
I'm a big fan of Michelle Rowen's funny, self-deprecating humor, so when FANGED & FABULOUS came out, I had to get it. Don't let the back cover fool you - this book is less about a love triangle between Sarah and her men as it is about Sarah growing as a person/vampire. That being said, I went into this expecting the love triangle, but I was not disappointed in the slightest.
FANGED AND FABULOUS starts out with Sarah Dearly trying to enjoy a jog, when she's attacked by a vampire slayer. He backs off once he realizes exactly who she is - the Slayer of Slayers (or so he thinks). This starts a whole chain reaction in the vampire community - those that aren't terrified of Sarah want to kill her just to prove they can. Given that Sarah's generally incompetent, this poses a big problem for her.
To add to Sarah's problems, Quinn is professing love for her, and Thierry keeps pushing her away. What's a girl to do? Not the expected, that's for sure.
This is a light-hearted, very fun romp of a novel. It's not dark and angsty and full of soul-mates, so if you are looking for something more 'serious' than BITTEN & SMITTEN (the first novel), you'd best look elsewhere. However, this is a book that is pure breezy fun, and I found myself laughing aloud in several spots.
Fun, frisky read. Looking forward to her next book, LADY AND THE VAMP.
December 08, 2007.
Just Sleeping...fear not necessary.
Rating: 3
I am a huge fan of Kay Hooper's writing in general, and specifically enjoy the Bishop/SCU series. However, this latest work was not up to her usual standards. Clearly with paranormal suspense, the suspension of disbelief is necessary. However, you can't get rid of DNA testing - all military & law enforcement DNA is on-file, which is a huge kink in the story (sorry if I gave away too much). I'll continue to reader her books, but this wasn't as good as anything she's written thus far.
December 15, 2007.
Not so good.
Rating: 3
If you only compare this book with the other two of the trilogy you'll see that something is missing in this one. Maybe is not so thrilling or too many Powerbars -I read the e-book and it has the feature to count words, 24 times is written this word. In the other hand I can't tell you you won't enjoy it if you like paranormal readings.
December 14, 2007.
Memory problems frustrate a psychic sleuth.
Rating: 4
This is my first Kay Hooper novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It opens in a way similar to some other stories or video games - Resident Evil - for example, where the heroine wakes, know remembering what is going on. In this story, she awakens in bed fully clothed and covered in blood. Furthermore, and to her surprise, she has taken a lover and does not remember why. She doesn't know who she can trust. And to frustrate things, her psychic abilities are on the blink.
This makes for a fast-moving, exciting mystery.
December 14, 2007.
Hooper Continues the Magic.
Rating: 5
I'm actually quite surprised over the negative comments SLEEPING WITH FEAR has garnered. I, for one, love the Bishop/FBI SCU stories, and thought this book was an excellent addition to the series.
Riley Crane wakes up in bed at her rental cottage in Opal Island, only to realize she's covered in dried blood and has no memories of the last three weeks. Apparently, she was on the island to investigate supposed black magic/occult activities while claiming she was on vacation--but she has no recollection of that fact. She also doesn't remember that she's become romantically involved with Ash Prescott, Hazard County District Attorney.
Bishop and the rest of his agents are spread thinly across the United States working on their own investigations, so Riley is on her own, without a partner or any back-up. As situations turn deadly and a body is found tortured and mutilated in a small woods, Riley knows that she must uncover what has been happening to her the last three weeks, and uncover it quickly.
As her mind plays tricks on her, even leading to blackouts where she loses hours of her day (besides the very important memories she's already lost), Riley knows that something evil is happening on Opal Island. It is up to her, and her blind trust in Ash, to figure out what that evil is, and stop it before it ends up killing her.
SLEEPING WITH FEAR is an excellent addition to the SCU series, and I, for one, am glad I picked up a copy of the book. I can't wait to see what Ms. Hooper has in store for Bishop and his team next.
December 26, 2007.
Sleeping with Fear .
Rating: 5
I am a recent convert to Kay Hooper books. The ones I have read have been entertaining and suspensful! I love the Bishop/FBI SCU stories she has written.
The ending on this one is a little foggy...but it makes one great midnight read!
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