Monday, October 3, 2011

You'll Stay Awake for Waking Hours!


Waking Hours
The East Salem Trilogy
Lis Wiehl with Pete Nelson
(Thomas Nelson Publishers)
ISBN: 978-1595549402
October, 2011/336 pages/Hardcover/$26.99

All towns have secrets. Some have demons.

Welcome to East Salem: A deceptively sleepy town where ancient supernatural forces are being awakened.

A high-school girl is found murdered in a park in Westchester County, New York. The shocking manner of her death confounds the town and intrigues forensic psychiatrist Dani Harris, who is determined to unravel the mystery. All the suspects are teenagers who were at a party with the girl—yet no one remembers what happened. Could one of them be a vicious killer? Or is something more sinister afoot—something tied to an ancient evil?

But it's not just Dani’s waking hours that challenge her. Each night, her eyes open at 2:13 due to troubling dreams—dreams filled with blood, water, and destruction. Is it a clue—or a sign?

Across town, former NFL linebacker Tommy Gunderson finds his security system has been breached by an elderly woman who attacks him with preternatural strength. Before he can process the attack, someone close to him is implicated in the high-school girl's murder. He agrees to help—and finds himself working with Dani, the only girl who could resist his charms when they were in high school.

It will take astute analysis and forensic skills to solve the crime. But Dani and Tommy suspect there's more to the mystery than murder, more to their growing friendship than chance . . . and more to the evil they're facing than a mere human killer.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Lis Wiehl is a Harvard Law School graduate and former federal prosecutor. A widely popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel, Wiehl appears regularly on The O'Reilly Factor and was co-host with Bill O'Reilly on the widely-syndicated radio show, The Radio Factor, for the past seven years.


Pete Nelson is the author of Left to Die, which won the 2003 Christopher Award for books that celebrate the human spirit. He was listed in the Esquire Register of Best American Writers and nominated for an Edgar Award.






MY THOUGHTS:
Wow. When I open a Lis Wiehl book, I know I won't be going to bed early! Her books absolutely sweep me in from page one and captivate me until the last page is turned. I loved her first series, The Triple Threat Club, which she co-wrote with April Henry, so I was excited to see she's beginning another series, this time with Pete Nelson. I generally avoid books with supernatural overtones, but while there were a few moments that gave me the creeps in this story, I absolutely could not put it down. This is not your formulaic "who done it" mystery. The plot contained multiple layers and plenty of twists and turns, all of which kept me guessing on the resolution. And while that resolution tied things up somewhat, a few threads were left dangling to be picked up in the next book. I can't wait to find out what happens next in East Salem!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze/Thomas Nelsonl as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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1 comment:

keri said...

Great review. I agree--fantastic book. Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson are a winning team when it comes to writing suspense! I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it was somewhat creepy. It was a great reminder that evil does exist in this world, and is actively seeking to destroy what is good. I loved the main character, Dani, and genuinely felt scared for her when weird stuff would happen. All of the characters were very well developed and realistic because they didn’t always do what you’d expect. By the way, the author has the first chapter available to read, for free, at her website: http://liswiehlbooks.com