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A review by petra_reads
The Dark by Valentina Giambanco
4.0
[b:The Dark|25324551|The Dark (Alice Madison, #2)|V.M. Giambanco|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1449611054s/25324551.jpg|42384601] starts off just a month after the ending of [b:The Gift of Darkness|17665904|The Gift of Darkness (Alice Madison, #1)|V.M. Giambanco|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1363868384s/17665904.jpg|24659662] and continues the story of a cold case from 20 years ago, when three boys were abducted. When new evidence emerges and attorney Nathan Quinn, who is still recovering in hospital, makes a public appeal regarding the murder of his little brother, David, all those years ago, Seattle Homicide Detective Alice Madison is suddenly faced with a number of cases involving torture, murder, and arson. It appears that somebody is trying to tidy up to avoid further information coming to light.
I think it's possible to get into this even if you haven't read [b:The Gift of Darkness|17665904|The Gift of Darkness (Alice Madison, #1)|V.M. Giambanco|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1363868384s/17665904.jpg|24659662] first, but with all the information about Alice, Nathan, Cameron and the abduction case that's provided in the first book, you'll probably enjoy this more if read in order.
This one is nowhere near as slow moving as the previous book. While it is still a very detailed police procedural/thriller, the pacing is much better and I actually finished it within a couple of days although it's another 500-pages book. The storyline is really creative and I enjoyed getting the different perspectives. With Cameron sitting in prison awaiting trial in this one, another different layer was added. I have become quite attached to Alison, Nathan and Cameron. Their relationship dynamics are just fascinating without the author introducing the standard romance angle. But I'm seriously hoping that all three will still feature in the next book.
My one niggle, stick with one name for a character. Cameron, is it John or Jack?
This is turning into a very compelling crime series. I gave the first book 3.5 stars. This one is definitely a solid 4, maybe even 4.5. I'm looking forward to the third book, [b:Blood and Bone|25166925|Blood and Bone (Alice Madison, #3)|V.M. Giambanco|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1426671054s/25166925.jpg|44871703].
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think it's possible to get into this even if you haven't read [b:The Gift of Darkness|17665904|The Gift of Darkness (Alice Madison, #1)|V.M. Giambanco|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1363868384s/17665904.jpg|24659662] first, but with all the information about Alice, Nathan, Cameron and the abduction case that's provided in the first book, you'll probably enjoy this more if read in order.
This one is nowhere near as slow moving as the previous book. While it is still a very detailed police procedural/thriller, the pacing is much better and I actually finished it within a couple of days although it's another 500-pages book. The storyline is really creative and I enjoyed getting the different perspectives. With Cameron sitting in prison awaiting trial in this one, another different layer was added. I have become quite attached to Alison, Nathan and Cameron. Their relationship dynamics are just fascinating without the author introducing the standard romance angle. But I'm seriously hoping that all three will still feature in the next book.
My one niggle, stick with one name for a character. Cameron, is it John or Jack?
This is turning into a very compelling crime series. I gave the first book 3.5 stars. This one is definitely a solid 4, maybe even 4.5. I'm looking forward to the third book, [b:Blood and Bone|25166925|Blood and Bone (Alice Madison, #3)|V.M. Giambanco|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1426671054s/25166925.jpg|44871703].
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.