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kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
As Night Falls by Jenny Milchman is a pulse pounding psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the story's dramatic conclusion.
The night begins like any other night in the Tremont household. Sandy is putting the finishing touches on dinner while waiting for her husband Ben and daughter Ivy to return home. Ivy arrives first and after a bit of an argument with Sandy, she storms upstairs to her room. Sandy and Ben enjoy a rare dinner alone after Ivy refuses to come downstairs and eat with them. However, their evening takes a frightening turn when two strangers enter the secluded house through the unlocked front door as Sandy and Ben are cleaning up the kitchen. The two men, Nick and Harlan, are escaped convicts who want something that only Ben can provide but violence erupts when Ben fights to protect his family from the intruders. Just when it seems nothing else can go wrong, an early snowstorm wreaks havoc on Nick's plans and the Tremont's terror continues unabated for the next several hours.
Nick and Harlan are cellmates and although Harlan is the one everyone first fears, it soon becomes apparent that Nick is the brains behind the escape while Harlan supplies the brawn. Nick is highly intelligent and personable until things begin to spiral out of control and he is quick to respond to any threats with cold, calculated violence. Harlan is a gentle giant but his less than average intelligence leaves him vulnerable to Nick's manipulation. He obeys Nick without question although he is uncomfortable with what he is being ordered to do.
Sandy is a therapist and she employs some tricks of the trade as she tries to drive a wedge between the two men. Some of her endeavors are moderately successful but she completely underestimates Nick's ability to read any situation. Many of these attempts backfire, further endangering the family. Ben's instinct to protect his wife and daughter is overwhelming and he refuses to quit fighting even in the face of escalating violence. Ivy's survival instincts are equally strong and she never stops trying to escape her captors.
One of the questions that drives the story is understanding why Nick targeted the Tremont family. On the surface, the answer appears clear early on, but the real reason behind Nick's motive for selecting the Tremont's is quite shocking. Equally perplexing is the reason the men were incarcerated in the first place. Flashbacks provide valuable insight into Nick's behavior from the time he was quite young and while it is obvious that he most likely committed a heinous crime, the truth is absolutely stunning. Harlan's crimes are completely unrelated to Nick's and surprisingly, he is a very sympathetic character despite his participation in Nick's twisted plan.
While As Night Falls is not a traditional whodunit, there are numerous secrets to uncover and Jenny Milchman masterfully keeps readers off balance with a number of unexpected plot twists. Cleverly written with plenty of action, this riveting novel poses some very thought-provoking questions about what drives a person to commit acts of violence. A very intriguing high octane thriller that fans of the genre do not want to miss.
As Night Falls by Jenny Milchman is a pulse pounding psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the story's dramatic conclusion.
The night begins like any other night in the Tremont household. Sandy is putting the finishing touches on dinner while waiting for her husband Ben and daughter Ivy to return home. Ivy arrives first and after a bit of an argument with Sandy, she storms upstairs to her room. Sandy and Ben enjoy a rare dinner alone after Ivy refuses to come downstairs and eat with them. However, their evening takes a frightening turn when two strangers enter the secluded house through the unlocked front door as Sandy and Ben are cleaning up the kitchen. The two men, Nick and Harlan, are escaped convicts who want something that only Ben can provide but violence erupts when Ben fights to protect his family from the intruders. Just when it seems nothing else can go wrong, an early snowstorm wreaks havoc on Nick's plans and the Tremont's terror continues unabated for the next several hours.
Nick and Harlan are cellmates and although Harlan is the one everyone first fears, it soon becomes apparent that Nick is the brains behind the escape while Harlan supplies the brawn. Nick is highly intelligent and personable until things begin to spiral out of control and he is quick to respond to any threats with cold, calculated violence. Harlan is a gentle giant but his less than average intelligence leaves him vulnerable to Nick's manipulation. He obeys Nick without question although he is uncomfortable with what he is being ordered to do.
Sandy is a therapist and she employs some tricks of the trade as she tries to drive a wedge between the two men. Some of her endeavors are moderately successful but she completely underestimates Nick's ability to read any situation. Many of these attempts backfire, further endangering the family. Ben's instinct to protect his wife and daughter is overwhelming and he refuses to quit fighting even in the face of escalating violence. Ivy's survival instincts are equally strong and she never stops trying to escape her captors.
One of the questions that drives the story is understanding why Nick targeted the Tremont family. On the surface, the answer appears clear early on, but the real reason behind Nick's motive for selecting the Tremont's is quite shocking. Equally perplexing is the reason the men were incarcerated in the first place. Flashbacks provide valuable insight into Nick's behavior from the time he was quite young and while it is obvious that he most likely committed a heinous crime, the truth is absolutely stunning. Harlan's crimes are completely unrelated to Nick's and surprisingly, he is a very sympathetic character despite his participation in Nick's twisted plan.
While As Night Falls is not a traditional whodunit, there are numerous secrets to uncover and Jenny Milchman masterfully keeps readers off balance with a number of unexpected plot twists. Cleverly written with plenty of action, this riveting novel poses some very thought-provoking questions about what drives a person to commit acts of violence. A very intriguing high octane thriller that fans of the genre do not want to miss.
wombat_88's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mrs_george's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy.
Wow! What a rollercoaster of a read! It held me captive from the very beginning. Can I say the character who frightened me the most was probably Barbara?! So many fun twists and turns. Way different than my feelings about Cover of Snow…although I’d agree that this also has a bit too many mentions of snow although it seemed more pertinent to this story.
Wow! What a rollercoaster of a read! It held me captive from the very beginning. Can I say the character who frightened me the most was probably Barbara?! So many fun twists and turns. Way different than my feelings about Cover of Snow…although I’d agree that this also has a bit too many mentions of snow although it seemed more pertinent to this story.
cnorbury's review against another edition
4.0
Tension-packed from page one. Excellent use of place as a character. A fine example of a small-scale story still being powerful and compelling. By small scale I mean: small number of characters; small amount of time (one evening, plus flashbacks) small geographic location (basically the home of the protagonist and the surrounding neighborhood), and a small, personal conflict (one man against one woman, with some sub-plots and undercurrents connecting the threads very well.
This reads very fast and easy. I can see why it was included on a list of 30 great beach reads for this summer (name of the list-publisher escapes me for now).
This reads very fast and easy. I can see why it was included on a list of 30 great beach reads for this summer (name of the list-publisher escapes me for now).
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
There's something to be said about a book that keeps you up long past your bedtime. Despite many "why are you doing this stupid thing?" moments (of course, those are part and parcel of the genre), something kept me wanting to read it all now. There was also a little too much actual violence when the threat of violence would have been enough, and the ending really didn't ring true (no spoilers, but I didn't think it could have ended the way it did).
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
jillyfay's review against another edition
4.0
If give it 3.5 stars - it dragged on a lot, but then ended abruptly and oddly. There were parts to the story that were obvious and others that weren't. There is one character who I have no idea what his purpose was. Parts of the story are unrealistic - like how did he find her, or the size of Harlan, or attributes about Ben - and others make sense.
jen_e_fer's review against another edition
4.0
This book had great suspense and I enjoyed the chapters that were about Nick's past. I figured out the mystery elements of the story but it was very satisfying.
areyousureaboutthat's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway. This book was good I got hooked on it as soon as I started reading it. I guess when you read the back it gives away the fact that one of the escaped prisoners is the main characters brother. I could tell right away that the guy was totally worshipped by his mom and that he could do no wrong in her eyes. That kinda stuff annoys me like no other just because that's how my mom is towards my brother. I totally recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers. Oh yah and Harlan reminds me of Lenny from "Of Mice and Men"
how1710's review against another edition
3.0
Loved how both storylines were woven to were the reader was left wondering how do they intersect. I was mostly intrigued by the mother in the story. The flashbacks to how she raised her children was the most interesting. It had some suspense but was not "oh man I can't put this book down" kind of book.
readinggrrl's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know what it was about this book but it just didn't grab me at the beginning and I struggled with it all the way through. I liked the plot but the characters really lacked something. My favorite character was Harlan, the dimwitted muscle man who seems to have his own set of values. Nick was a sociopath with no charisma and everyone else just seems to be unmemorable. It was disappointing to me that I didn't like the book when the summary seemed so great.
I wouldn't say this book is terrible. It had its good points like the plot but honestly I think this might make a better film than a book, it just was lacking something.
I wouldn't say this book is terrible. It had its good points like the plot but honestly I think this might make a better film than a book, it just was lacking something.