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jennabeebs79's review
5.0
Wow this book! It was a lot for sure. I’m still reeling from the rush if it all. Gerri Hill has written another action packed thriller. I could not put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen next. This book is not for everyone as it touches on some hard to read topics, and for me it was a lot, but I needed to finish it. The writing is excellent and the characters engaging. I found Grace and Faith to be amazing as well as Mason and Lucy. Wow!
charlieavocado's review
4.0
We all know I love Gerri Hill, right? So no surprise that I bought this book without paying heavy attention to the blurb, but the blurb also undersells that the **spoiler alert but not really** book is paranormal. Listen, paranormal stuff freaks me out to no end. And this book was terrifying to me. If you liked Keepers of the Cave and Weeping Walls, the first which I loved, the second which creeped me out to a lesser extent than this book, then you will most likely like this one.
It's very light on the romance imo and one of Hill's most tame books that I can remember off the top of my head. But it was a page turner.
My biggest mistake was starting this thing at 10pm. It's WAY longer than most of her books so I wasn't expecting that, and I couldn't sleep when I tried to put it down since it had scared me to death already, so I was up past 3am finishing it. Can't recommend any of that.
It's very light on the romance imo and one of Hill's most tame books that I can remember off the top of my head. But it was a page turner.
My biggest mistake was starting this thing at 10pm. It's WAY longer than most of her books so I wasn't expecting that, and I couldn't sleep when I tried to put it down since it had scared me to death already, so I was up past 3am finishing it. Can't recommend any of that.
tricia_r's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
julie7's review
2.0
2⭐ = Below Average.
I loved the relationship between Mason and Grace, but just found the paranormal side challenging as it ran alongside the investigation of a serial killer.
I will try another by this author though.
I loved the relationship between Mason and Grace, but just found the paranormal side challenging as it ran alongside the investigation of a serial killer.
I will try another by this author though.
00leah00's review
5.0
This was an excellent paranormal romance thriller. Gerri Hill is just about flawless in my opinion and this is no different. The writing is so well done I couldn't wait to read what would happen next.
Mason is a police officer in a small Colorado town. The town has been dealing with the murder of kids and teens for 23 years. Grace, a medium, is brought to town as a last resort to find the murderer.
I really loved the pacing of story, it kept it me entertained and on the edge of my seat for the whole story. It isn't drawn out, I think most of the story happens in about a week or two. Grace's presence escalates the murders as the killer knows she's there and can put an end to his killing.
The side characters are all very well done, especially Faith and Thomas. I hope if Hill ever writes a sequel, we find out what happens with Faith.
The paranormal thriller part of the story was so clever. I had no clue how it was going to end. I tried to guess a few times and was wrong every time. The romance part was nice, it isn't the main plot but I didn't mind it. As a mostly romance reader, I was still happy with the story and would highly recommend this book.
Mason is a police officer in a small Colorado town. The town has been dealing with the murder of kids and teens for 23 years. Grace, a medium, is brought to town as a last resort to find the murderer.
I really loved the pacing of story, it kept it me entertained and on the edge of my seat for the whole story. It isn't drawn out, I think most of the story happens in about a week or two. Grace's presence escalates the murders as the killer knows she's there and can put an end to his killing.
The side characters are all very well done, especially Faith and Thomas. I hope if Hill ever writes a sequel, we find out what happens with Faith.
The paranormal thriller part of the story was so clever. I had no clue how it was going to end. I tried to guess a few times and was wrong every time. The romance part was nice, it isn't the main plot but I didn't mind it. As a mostly romance reader, I was still happy with the story and would highly recommend this book.
amargari's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
motaki's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child death, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Child abuse
jaimien's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
judeinthestars's review
5.0
I’ve been a big Gerri Hill fan for a very long time now, but unlike most reviewers I know, I like her romance novels best. At Seventeen is one of my all-time favourites. I don’t remember when or why I stopped reading her thrillers, whether that happened when I took a break from anything violent (I mentioned that here a little) or if it was before. I don’t remember if the style was the problem – I can’t imagine how that would be since I love it in romance – or if they were too gruesome for me.
Either way, Gillette Park is my first Hill thriller in many many years. And I loved it. I had to shut my mind at times against what the victims went through, but once I had managed to distance myself from that part, it allowed me to enjoy everything else.
For the last twenty-three years, children have been disappearing from the small town – now small city – of Gillette Park. Between May and October every year, at least two kids, sometimes as many as five. Most are found dead a few days later, a couple never showed up.
Mason Cooper was ten when the first victim, one of her school friends, was killed. That same year, Mason’s father left. Mason’s mother turned to alcohol and the young girl found a family at her uncle Alan’s. Today Alan is the Sheriff of Gillette Park, and both Mason (after a few years in Los Angeles) and her cousin Brady are deputies. This year, the chief of police and the FBI have convinced Sheriff Cooper to bring a psychic in. And the task of keeping an eye on her falls to Mason.
The mystery itself is gripping, the paranormal elements simply make sense. As much as Mason tries to not believe at first, they’re undeniable. Gerri Hill ties up all the loose ends and the few questions I have been left with have more to do with human nature than with the plot she conceived.
If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I’m very character-driven. Which is probably why I enjoy romance novels so much, I love when an author makes me care about their characters, their well-being, their happiness. Mason and Grace, and to a lesser extent little Faith, are an enormous part of why I enjoyed this book so much.
Mason is both no-nonsense and open-minded. She’s thorough and considerate. Despite her parents’ desertions, she never lacked love as a child but every family has its secrets. Grace’s experience of life is very different. Almost as soon as she became aware of her “gift”, she learnt to hide it. From her own family at first, lest they thought her crazy. Later from would-be friends or lovers. Anytime she tried to let anyone close (with one very notable exception), it backfired and she’s now convinced she’ll never be seen as anything other than a freak.
One of the things I enjoyed the most is the way Grace and Mason interact and how that changes as they learn to see beyond each other’s façade. That Mason isn’t as laidback and together as she seems, and how that might explain why she’s not completely closed to the idea of… something other than reality as she knows it. That Grace is not only able to talk to dead people but is also witty and funny. How natural they feel together, be it fate or just life doing its job.
I’m not shying away from Hill’s thrillers anymore after this excellent one. I might even go back in time and see what I’ve missed.
Either way, Gillette Park is my first Hill thriller in many many years. And I loved it. I had to shut my mind at times against what the victims went through, but once I had managed to distance myself from that part, it allowed me to enjoy everything else.
For the last twenty-three years, children have been disappearing from the small town – now small city – of Gillette Park. Between May and October every year, at least two kids, sometimes as many as five. Most are found dead a few days later, a couple never showed up.
Mason Cooper was ten when the first victim, one of her school friends, was killed. That same year, Mason’s father left. Mason’s mother turned to alcohol and the young girl found a family at her uncle Alan’s. Today Alan is the Sheriff of Gillette Park, and both Mason (after a few years in Los Angeles) and her cousin Brady are deputies. This year, the chief of police and the FBI have convinced Sheriff Cooper to bring a psychic in. And the task of keeping an eye on her falls to Mason.
The mystery itself is gripping, the paranormal elements simply make sense. As much as Mason tries to not believe at first, they’re undeniable. Gerri Hill ties up all the loose ends and the few questions I have been left with have more to do with human nature than with the plot she conceived.
If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I’m very character-driven. Which is probably why I enjoy romance novels so much, I love when an author makes me care about their characters, their well-being, their happiness. Mason and Grace, and to a lesser extent little Faith, are an enormous part of why I enjoyed this book so much.
Mason is both no-nonsense and open-minded. She’s thorough and considerate. Despite her parents’ desertions, she never lacked love as a child but every family has its secrets. Grace’s experience of life is very different. Almost as soon as she became aware of her “gift”, she learnt to hide it. From her own family at first, lest they thought her crazy. Later from would-be friends or lovers. Anytime she tried to let anyone close (with one very notable exception), it backfired and she’s now convinced she’ll never be seen as anything other than a freak.
One of the things I enjoyed the most is the way Grace and Mason interact and how that changes as they learn to see beyond each other’s façade. That Mason isn’t as laidback and together as she seems, and how that might explain why she’s not completely closed to the idea of… something other than reality as she knows it. That Grace is not only able to talk to dead people but is also witty and funny. How natural they feel together, be it fate or just life doing its job.
I’m not shying away from Hill’s thrillers anymore after this excellent one. I might even go back in time and see what I’ve missed.
elvang's review
4.0
Well that was fun. A town with multiple child abductions and deaths every year for over twenty years and people still live here? No evidence has ever been found to link a serial killer to the crimes and the locals have reached the "don't talk about it or it might hit my family" stage of denial.
Mason Cooper left town at eighteen and returned to Gillette Park after a breakup leaving LA to work in the Sheriff's office. When the local FBI office enlists the help of psychic Dr. Grace Jennings, Mason gets handed the job of shadowing, babysitting and very quickly protecting the psychic from things that go bump in the night, in broad daylight and in every stream and forest trail. Gillette Park is one spooky place.
I'm not a paranormal fan but I got a kick out of this mystery/romance with a dash of Woo Woo. I found the story dragged at the beginning. Too much hand wringing and not enough speculation on what or who was causing all the mayhem in town. Once Grace gets a chance to flex her formidable skills and Mason steps back and lets her roll the story picks up and the clues and connections begin falling into place. I liked the scary bits so clearly I've grown up enough not to be afraid of what is hiding in my closet but only just. The evil was plenty scary and it added to this fun read. I'm always a fan of an action packed ending and we get that too.
I'll be screening the birds who visit my feeders next winter. Hard to know who to trust anymore.
Mason Cooper left town at eighteen and returned to Gillette Park after a breakup leaving LA to work in the Sheriff's office. When the local FBI office enlists the help of psychic Dr. Grace Jennings, Mason gets handed the job of shadowing, babysitting and very quickly protecting the psychic from things that go bump in the night, in broad daylight and in every stream and forest trail. Gillette Park is one spooky place.
I'm not a paranormal fan but I got a kick out of this mystery/romance with a dash of Woo Woo. I found the story dragged at the beginning. Too much hand wringing and not enough speculation on what or who was causing all the mayhem in town. Once Grace gets a chance to flex her formidable skills and Mason steps back and lets her roll the story picks up and the clues and connections begin falling into place. I liked the scary bits so clearly I've grown up enough not to be afraid of what is hiding in my closet but only just. The evil was plenty scary and it added to this fun read. I'm always a fan of an action packed ending and we get that too.
I'll be screening the birds who visit my feeders next winter. Hard to know who to trust anymore.