Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Blind Spot by Brenda Novak Narrator: Therese Plummer
Series: The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #4
Published by MacMillan on August 27, 2019
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Length: 10 hours, 8 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
With Jasper Moore, the privileged boy who attacked her when she was only 16, finally caught and in prison, Dr. Evelyn Talbot, founder and head psychiatrist at Hanover House (a prison/research facility for psychopaths in remote Alaska), believes she can finally quit looking over her shoulder. She’s safe, happier than she’s ever been, and expecting her first child. She’s also planning to marry Amarok, her Alaska State Trooper love interest and the town’s only police presence. But before the wedding can take place, a psychopath from the much more recent past comes out of nowhere and kidnaps her in broad daylight.
Instead of planning her wedding, Evelyn finds herself doing everything she can to survive, save her baby, and devise some way to escape while Amarok races the clock to find her - before it’s too late.
I’ve always really enjoyed the books of Brenda Novak. Her world building and characters are well written and inspired my emotions. This Evelyn Talbot Chronicles series is a bit of a different genre. It’s more mystery and suspense than romance. Evelyn does develop a romantic relationship over the series. I would read the series in order or you wouldn’t get all the characters and the relationship dynamics.
OK while I want the mystery / suspense in the books, I’m tired of Evelyn being kidnapped. It isn’t easy when she is pregnant eitber. Amarak is out of his mind for good reason. The rest of law enforcement and the medical community are not doing the best job to help. But he does have some great local support. I wish they could have had a little more fun planning their wedding before this happened. But that doesn’t make for an exciting story.
Blind Spot is gripping and suspenseful. I was terrified for Evelyn and other victims. I actually felt a little, just a very little, sorry for Jasper. It might be said he is getting what he deserves finally. I was happy to see more family connections for both Amarok and Evelyn. And I wish I had my own Amarok.
Narration:
I have loved this narrator on another series and was thrilled to find I enjoyed her here. Sometimes I can’t listen to a narrator on more than one series. Therese Plummer gave the characters their own voices and it was a pleasure to listening. The male and female voices felt authentic. I listened comfortably at 1.5x speed and enjoyed the performance which added to the emotional impact.
Listen to a clip here:
About Therese Plummer
Therese Plummer is an actor and voice over artist living and working in New York City. Favorite roles to date include TV: Rose Nerrick, The Good Wife, Andy in Law and Order SVU. Stage: Celebrity Row; New York Theatre Workshop, Under Tillage, The Irish Repertory Theatre. Off-off Broadway credits include The Vagina Monologues, Suzanne in Twilight of the Gold’s and Madeline in the Award Winning Samuel French Short play The Sweet Room. Comedy Credits include Improv at Upright Citizens Brigade and Stand-up at Caroline’s Comedy Club. Therese also performed her one woman show, Ribbons Undone, at the Here Arts Center.
Therese records audio books for Audible.com, Recorded Books and Talking Books, Inc. As an adolescent counselor, Therese spent five years utilizing Drama therapy techniques in individual and group settings before moving to New York. She shares a passion of creating, helping and entertaining and feels incredibly lucky to do all three.
About Brenda Novak
Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. A New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of fifty novels, Brenda Novak has been nominated for a prestigious Rita Award three times and won The National Reader’s Choice Award, the Bookbuyer’s Best, the Bookseller’s Best, the Writer Touch Reader Award, the Golden Quill, the Hold Medallion and the Award of Excellence, among others.
Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. When she’s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fund-raiser for diabetes research—an online auction held on her Web site (www.brendanovak.com) every May. To date, she has raised over $2 million for this cause.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- 2019 Releases
- COYER Hunt
I have read all of the earlier books in this series, listening to two of them. Plummer does do a fantastic job with this series. I kind of felt like this series should have ended with the last book so I haven’t decided if I want to read this one or not. I probably will at some point but having all of these killers out to get Evelyn. I do adore Amarok. Glad you enjoyed this one!
My feelings aren’t so different from yours. I enjoyed this story but I felt like it was the same thing over again. If the series is continuing, I want it to cover some new ground.
I think I tried a book by the author because the name of the author does ring a bell but I don’t remember which one so I’ll have to take a look
I enjoy her contemporary romances, and romantic suspense titles. This is a bit different for her, but I have enjoyed the stories.
LOL, yeah, it’s probably not the best thing when you say ‘another kidnapping’. I’ve got the first couple of books and just need to read them. I loved Theresa Plummer in the Aurora Teagarden series so I would probably like these. Sometimes I struggle about a narrator I’ve already enjoyed in another series starting a new series.
I am not sure why but there are some narrators who only work for me in one role, some who I love no matter what they do, and some I enjoy but take me so fully into the story I hardly notice them. This is a combo of the last 2. I do love this narrator. I became aware of who she was on the Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong. And I LOVE LOVE those.
I’ve only read the first book and I have the second one. Thanks for reminding me to get back to these.
These are closer to horror than most of the books I read. I chose them because I like the author and mystery/thriller but they have the taste of horror in them.
I’m with you about being weary of Evelyn being kidnapped. The previous book should have ended this stuff but I’m looking forward to revisiting these characters. Excellent review, Anne!
Thank you. If there are more books, I need a new plot line, some other direction. I enjoyed this one all the same.
i love novak’s work too and everything about this book really makes me want to read it. jasper sounds like one of those guys i love to hate and i think it’s great when the bad guy can tug at my heartstrings
Jasper has been terrifying and despicable throughout the series but he has run into his own bad situation here, something new for the golden boy who was always able to charm anyone.