A review by paulataua
Whispers in the Dark by Laurel Hightower

3.0

Came to this after being impressed by the originality and excellent writing I found in Hightower’s ‘Crossroads’. This one started well enough with Rose McFarland, a SWAT markswoman, taking the shot that puts an end to a tense situation. What seems an ordinary day in the force suddenly turns strange when, unbeknown to her, there appears to be some strange link between shooter and target. The first third of the book is awesome as Hightower establishes the story, but then loses its tension as the story spreads out. I really couldn’t understand why the author needed to involve so many characters. Just on the male side there were McFarland’s divorced husband, second husband that died in a car crash, present lover, negotiator friend, other detective, FBI investigator, son of FBI Investigator, one brother, one half-brother, one son, and others I have probably forgotten. There were fewer female characters, but there were still daughters, sisters, and mothers-in-law to mention some. So many characters really spread the story too far and the tension got lost. Shame! This really didn’t work for me, but I will be there for her next book.