A 6-7 hour trip to Cedar City seemed like a good time to listen to a book on tape. Since my mother and daughter, Alyson, would be riding with me, I knew I had to allow lots of time for visiting in addition to listening time. That ruled out the 10-hour audio of Memoirs of a Geisha, which was my first choice. I made a long list from books that have been recommended to me and a list of my favorite authors, then headed to the library. Needless to say, our library, which is fabulous for a rural community, didn't have the ones I was looking for. After skimming the shelves, I checked out Darkness Peering.It was not the best choice I could have made. First of all, there were lots of expletives (swear words), which I don't like to hear when I'm alone, but listening to them with my mom and daughter made them even more unpalpable. Secondly, the first half of the book was boring.Murders that occur eighteen years apart in a small Maine town both point to Rachel's brother, Billy. The first murder of a mentally retarded girl, was investigated by Billy's father who committed suicided during the investigation. The murder was never solved. Rachel becomes a police detective and decides to reopen the case. Shortly after a new and horrible murder occurs. This is when the book became interesting.My recommendation: don't bother. There are other mysteries that aren't so objectionable.
The dead girl lay face up on the edge of the pond, a snake coiled in the muddy hollow of one arm. For Police Chief Nalen Storrow, it was a shocking reminder of the violence he thought he'd left behind when he moved his family to Flowering Dogwood, Maine. Then, Storrow's investigation leads to a chilling possibility...the murderer might be his own son, Billy. Eighteen years later, a different cop is obsessed with the unsolved case--Rachel Storrow, Nalen's grown daughter. But no sooner does Rachel reopen the investigation than another young woman disappears. Once again Billy is a suspect--but not the only one in a town with long-buried secrets. A cunning psychopath is moving undetected through Flowering Dogwood, taking Rachel on a relentless journey of suspicion, doubt, and bone-deep fear. And nothing can prepare her--or the reader--for the staggering revelation that awaits. (cover blurb)Unfortunately, I did not review this book when I finished it. Some five years later, I don't recall enough of the details to review it now. Oh well.
Do You like book Darkness Peering (2000)?
story of the unsolved murder of a young retarded girl and how her death affects the family of the investigating sheriff. Son of sheriff is guilty and when the sheriff realizes this he commits suicide. Younger daughter grows up to be deputy in the same town. She investigates a murder at the local school for the blind where an alumnus seeks revenge for childhood blindness from emergency room doctor by kidnapping, raping and killing his daughter. The near 20 year old plan to seek revenge seemed a b
—Ruth
Not bad. Not great either. There were just such an excessive amount of weird similes and descriptions. They totally ruined the book (which was never that great anyway). The author compared the sky to the colour of celery at one point. Uh, is she delusional or has she just not yet realised that celery is green. "Dark curls as thick as sausages clung to her forehead" "He exploded like popcorn""Grateful, Nalen lifted his head to the light and sat for a while, as if he were waiting for a turkey sand
—Chelsi
http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_1310536...This review originally appeared in the BOULDER CAMERAThirteen horrifying reads for Halloweenby Vince DarcangeloPosted: 10/24/2008 02:34:00 AM MDTOctober is the time of year to indulge those horror cravings. As the leaves turn, and a haunting chill fills the evening air, there's nothing better than curling up with a good thriller, be it a psychological mystery or supernatural scare, a genre gore-fest or high-minded literary horror.We've compiled 13 can't-miss Halloween reads that will have you sleeping with the lights on. To get into the spirit of the season, crack open one of these terrifying tomes ... if you dare."Darkness Peering" -- Alice BlanchardBlanchard's 1999 crime novel is one of the most promising debuts ever.Sadly, she has yet to live up to this standard with her later works, but "Darkness Peering" is a mind-bending psychological thriller set in rural Maine (classic Stephen King country). Detective Rachel Storrow is still haunted by an 18-year-old unsolved murder that happened when she was a child, and a recent disappearance has brought that case back to the forefront. For Storrow, the killer might be closer than she thinks. If ever a book was written for a stormy October night, this is it.
—Vince Darcangelo
