REVIEWS FROM ROBYN GLAZER

SHOCK WAVE            
JOHN SANDFORD        
G. P. Putnam's Sons   October, 2011

It is Virgil Flowers' turn for Sandford's attentions and SHOCK WAVE certainly showcases the best of Virgil. Even though Virgil was supposed to be off, he gets assigned to look into a bomber who is wreaking havoc on a small town. PyeMart is a superstore that wants to open in Butternut Falls, Minnesota, but the locals are not happy about it. It is clear just how unhappy when the headquarters of PyeMart are bombed. It is Virgil's job to find out who has the most to lose if PyeMart were to open, but he needs to be careful that he isn't caught in the crossfire.

SHOCK WAVE is filled with suspense and enough plot twists to keep the reader intrigued. Although the momentum in SHOCK WAVE took a little while to get going, the rest of the story more than made up for it. Virgil is always good for a laugh and his laid back attitude is extremely appealing. Sandford is wonderful at building his worlds so clearly that the reader feels immersed in them. SHOCK WAVE is another great read by John Sandford.

DOWN THE DARKEST ROAD         
TAMI HOAG         
Dutton Books   December, 2011

Lauren Lawton is living every mother's worst nightmare. It has been four years since her daughter disappeared with no trace, her husband committed suicide and the man that she believes is responsible for her daughter's disappearance is stalking her. Lauren has decided to move herself and her sixteen-year-old daughter to Oak Knoll, hoping to be able to find some peace. However, tragedy continues to follow Lauren and the downward spiral of her life gets even more out of control. Lauren must try to regain control before she loses her remaining daughter... and her life.

DOWN THE DARKEST ROAD is a scary book, one that has many twists that kept me guessing until the end. Lauren can be extremely unlikable at times, but her character is still intriguing and Hoag makes it impossible not to wish her the ability to find some sort of peace. It was great seeing the returning characters from other books that take place in Oak Knoll and Detective Tony Mendez is so charismatic that he jumps off the page. DOWN THE DARKEST ROAD has only whetted my appetite for more books by Tami Hoag.