The Dead Angel

Rating:
Summary: Texas Fan
Review: Despite a negative segment involving my state, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There was a great deal of intrigue. I was holding my breath during the _________ oops, can't say that, don't want to give anything away, but I was scared just reading it! Hill has a easy writing style that makes her story easy to read, not necessarily easy to follow because there's so much to keep track of. In the end, she ties the ends up nicely and throws in a surprise or two. I'm looking forward to her next book. Is there going to be one?

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: Detective Hannah Bell, called to the scene of an apparent suicide, is struck by the perfect arrangement of the body of deceased Angela Allen, as well as her youth and beauty. Suspicions arise at the unemotional reactions of Angela's mother, Mariah, and twin sister, Gloria, to her death, as well as the mother's declaration Gloria killed Angela. Dr. Garrett Adams, forensic scientist at the scene, suspects foul play but dies suddenly of a heart attack after confiding this to Hannah. Hannah begins an intense investigation of Angela's death, unsettled that the deceased has stirred up memories for her concerning her own twin sister's sudden disappearance at the age of eleven. The investigation intensifies and becomes more complex, with questions arising concerning Mariah's secret meetings with several powerful men in their community and suspected dealings with the illegal immigration of Irish workers. When Mariah is found dead, apparently having choked to death, things only grow more complicated.

Ms. Hill delivers a nice mystery here, with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns to keep the reader on edge. Hannah is a likable character, a young woman determined to make her mark in the investigative world while trying to deal with the loss of her twin during childhood. A very good read guaranteed to entertain the reader, one I recommend highly.


Rating:
Summary: The Dead Angel
Review: Hannah Bell is a detective with the Chicago Police Department. She and her partner, Detective Walker, are investigating the death of twin Angela Walker at her mother's home. This investigation is the main thrust of this work. However, Det. Bell is also a twin whose sister had been missing for twenty-five years. What intrigued me about this story was the difference between the two families, the Allens and the Bells. I don't know if that was part of the author's intent in writing this story, but it screamed at me. The Allen family was totally dysfunctional, while the Bell family functioned well within the norm of what most of us think a healthy family does. One of the true tragedies in this book is Hannah's father who took his daughter's disappearance to be entirely his fault. When we find out what happened to Heather Bell, and get a closer understanding of why his gut told him this, the tragedy is even greater.

I genuinely liked the characters in this book, the good and the bad. They were well-developed and real. I look forward to more.

Rating:
Summary: Professional reviews? Where are they?
Review: I agree with the other reader reviews about this book. I am puzzled as to why there are no professional reviews or even comments by the publisher. Most other books have these things. Why not this one? The book was easy to read, intriguing, well-balanced. I especially liked the tie-in chapter at the end with other talents possessed by Detective Bell. Reading the last page of this book won't help those of you who like to to that.

Rating:
Summary: Would like to read more
Review: I always get frustrated when I like a book a lot and then can't find anything else by the author. I found the dual storyline enticing, unexpectedly so as I'm not a big mystery fan. It was recommended to me by a friend so I borrowed her copy and read it. It had enough suspense to keep me interested and there's some real humor in this story, if you're quick-witted enough to catch it. I read the book in two sittings. It was hard to put down.

Rating:
Summary: Characters are real
Review: I am the fourth member of my family to read this book and like the others I loved it. My first thought at the end of the book was that I wanted to read more. Will there be more? We can't find any other books by Carolyn Rowe Hill.

Ms. Hill's characters are so real I felt I could touch them. Detective Bell is a caring detective who still isn't used to dead bodies. I always think of detectives and police officers as becoming hard and cynical (well, she's a little cynical) but she cares about the little things. I liked her way with Mandy the housemaid. I hope they do travel around the U.S. together one day. Detectives Bell and Walker are a good pair. I also hope someday Det. Bell and her boss will get together.

This book was easy to read. The type was larger than most other books I've read and Ms. Hill's writing style flowed very nicely. I found it hard to put the book down. I read it in three sittings one weekend.

My family and I are looking forward to the next book by this author.

Rating:
Summary: What a cover!
Review: I bought this book because I saw the cover and had to read it. It was worth it. Rowe Hill has crafted a wonderful story with real people, most of whom have both good and not-so-good aspects to their personalities. I liked the international intrigue with the Irish Connection. I liked that Detective Hannah Bell was musical. I'm still in love with Darren Brannigan. I liked the two story lines. One can draw his or her own conclusions about family dynamics from the subliminal messages that intertwine the two very different families suffering losses in this story. I cried for Angela and Heather. I liked the fact that you had to pay attention while reading The Dead Angel. There's a lot to digest. I really liked this book!!!...

Rating:
Summary: Not too bad...
Review: I enjoyed reading this one. I found it to keep me on the edge of my seat and wanting to read more. It was one of those I just couldn't put down, and that for me is rare.

Rating:
Summary: Kept me glued
Review: I started to read this book one evening and planned to read only for an hour or so. Well, I didn't put the book down until I finished reading it. I just wanted to keep finding out what was going to happen next. I also liked the bigger than usual print. There are two stories in this book that the information on the cover doesn't tell you. Ms. Hill wove a tale of pain and suffering in two families. One family was the case she was investigating. The other family was her own. I truly enjoyed the book and recommend it highly. When does the next one come out, Ms. Hill?

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing new author for this reader
Review: I was genuinely surprised how much I liked this book. It's my first female detective story and was recommended by a friend who said it was fast-moving, had lots of plot twists, and a couple doozy surprises. The dual plot made the book much more interesting than some others I've read, and I found the depth of the entire story kept me on my toes. Bless me, I don't know what's wrong Mimi from Falls Church, VA. I find it hard to believe she actually read this book.