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Rating: 
Summary: The Darkness Gathers
Review: After reading "Angel Fire" I was curious about "The Darkness Gathers". I found this book well written and captivating. This writer has the gift of rising the interest of the reader and keeping that interest fed. It is a page turner and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a good book. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Rating:
Summary: The Darkness Gathers
Review: After reading "Angel Fire" I was curious about "The Darkness Gathers". I found this book well written and captivating. This writer has the gift of rising the interest of the reader and keeping that interest fed. It is a page turner and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a good book. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Rating:
Summary: The second time is even better.
Review: Darkness Gathers has many ingredients for success: an appealing heroine, the heroine's ambivalent relationship with a male love interest, colorful settings, and an intriguing opening salvo: a tape recording mailed anonymously to the heroine. I really wanted to like this book, as we need more new authors and more detectives. And I hope the author takes the next step to write a breakout novel next time. I'll let other reviewers describe the plot -- and I agree with those who say it's "ambitious," even audacious. What stopped me was pacing. I kept wanting to take my own blue pencil to the copy and cut, cut cut! The book opens with a long flashback, which didn't seem necessary. Lydia's childhood traumas may have led her to become a journalist of crime, but that deserves a sentence or two. Think of Ranger Anna Pigeon in the Nevada Barr series. We learn early that the heroine was widowed early and tragically -- but from New York widowhood to Park Service Ranger is a story that was left untold for six or so volumes, and we didn't miss it. After reading Sol Stein's books on writing, I've become more conscious of redundant words and phrases, so perhaps I'm overly sensitive. I noticed that Lydia wore a "jade black hair clip" in her "black hair." Um...what other type of clip would she wear? How about just "pulled into a knot with a shiny black clip?" You can pick almost any page, if you're so inclined:
"He took hold of her hand and rolled over onto his back, displaying his enviable abs and pecs..." Or "She reached over ... with fingers cool and moist from the sweating plastic cup she held." Less description, more action -- especially if the author uses the omniscient viewpoint, where we readers are like outsiders watching a show. And description can be presented with action.
My other quibbles:
We're told over and over again that Lydia has a special sense -- but it's not clear how she uses that sense in her work. Anyone who receives an anonymous tape, referring to a kidnapped girl, might be just a wee bit curious! I had trouble with the far-flung plot -- Albanian kidnappings tied in with a villain from Lydia's dark past. I'd also like to see more sides to Lydia and Jeffrey. Instead of tagging along on Lydia's hare-brained ideas, Jeffrey needs to work his own caseload. He comes across as a little wimpy -- chasing after a woman who has her own agenda. Lovesick is fine for a tale or two but at some point we need gumption! These two need to get into a solid fight and stop speaking sometime! If Jeffrey wants a relationship, he'd better start poking around...and let Lydia sulk and question her own feelings. And I didn't buy the detective opening his heart and files to two out-of-towners, just like that. The author has talent and imagination. With a heavy dose of editing, and some complexity of character development, her next book could be a breakthrough.
Rating:
Summary: Total Pageturner...
Review: I picked up this book and could not put it down. It really has it all; richly developed characters, exciting action, snuff films (which is an interesting topic), Albanian pyramid schemes, and evil corporations. Add to all this Miscione's engaging writing style and you really have a winner. I fully recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: The second time is even better.
Review: I read the first Lydia Strong story, "Angel Fire," and I had such a good time I got this next one the minute it came out. And I was pleased to find that the series (at least I sure hope it will be) is getting better all the time -- the relationship between Lydia and Jeffrey getting stronger, the stories even more complex and intriguing (and scary, too). Miscone takes on a lot in her plots, but she makes it all work beautifully in the end.
Rating:
Summary: Another winner
Review: I recently read Lisa Miscione's first novel, 'Angel Fire' in which she introduces Lydia Strong and Jeffrey Mark. I was so impressed by that book that as soon as it was published I purchased 'The Darkness Gathers'. I'm often disappointed when I revisit charachters of whom I am fond because the second attempt is rushed and not as clever. This new Lydia Strong mystery does not dissappoint. It has the same crisp and somewhat dark style and well drawn characters. The story is suspenseful and intriguing. It takes the reader from the cool streets of New york to the hot Miami nights and to the ravaged country of Albania. The action never stops. I stayed up way too late to finish this one. I highly reccommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling!
Review: I won't give a summary of the book, since that has been done, but suffice to say I found Miscione's portrayal of the chaos in Albania as well as the trafficking of women and girls into sexual slavery realistic and compelling. Distractors were the author's penchant for dropping brand-names throughout the book and the fact that Lydia's boyfriend willingly follows along, even when she places them into dangerous situations. And he should know better - he's a former FBI agent. But all in all, this is a good book and shows the author has done her research well.
Rating:
Summary: Best mystery that I have read in a long time....
Review: This book grabbed my attention from the very first chapter, and kept a hold of it all the way through. Miscione's creative storyline makes this book much more interesting than the typical private detective mysteries out there. With plot twists and different locations being explored by the multidimensional characters, this book really stands out from everything that I have read recently.
Rating:
Summary: strong gritty tale
Review: True crime writer Lydia Strong has won a Pulitzer Prize, but is most proud of her reputation as a supporter of the underdog. Following an author tour, she receives a tape from someone named Tatiana and a letter from an anonymous person asking Lydia to come to Miami to help Tatiana and "all the other girls in need of rescue". Lydia's sixth sense tells her this is no hoax and an Internet search leads to Tatiana Quinn, the stepdaughter of a wealthy Miami industrialist, who has disappeared without a trace. Lydia and her significant other Jeffrey Mark fly to Miami and meet the local police detective in charge of the case. He wants their help because his investigation is going nowhere. When they interview the Quinns, they feel something is wrong in their reactions. They question the maid who is killed before she can give them any information and when her daughter meets with them she is murdered also. The Miami police, the FBI and the Albanian Mafia warn them off but they refuse to heed the advice. They remain determined to find Tatiana alive or dead, a decision that puts them in jeopardy many times over. Lisa Miscione is a bright new star in the mystery constellation, a writer who tells a good story while creating characters that readers will care about. Romance fans will love THE DARKNESS GATHERS because interwoven into the dark and gritty story line is the beautiful relationship that just keeps getting stronger between Jeffrey and Lydia. This is only the author's second hook and it is not difficult to predict that Ms. Miscione will be tomorrow's superstar. Harriet Klausner
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