Review of Down The Darkest Road by Tami Hoag

Down The Darkest Road

Tami Hoag

Dutton

ISBN13:9780525952398

432 pages

Lauren Lawton is between a rock and a hard place, she knows who kidnapped her oldest daughter Leslie four years ago when this nightmare she now calls her life started but she just can’t prove it and to the dismay of all the police departments she’s managed to alienate she now gets to add one more under her belt as she’s just moved to picturesque Oak Knoll, but then she’s never dealt with a cop like Tony Mendez before. Tony not only sympathizes but he’s inclined to believe Lauren too, but there’s that pesky thing called evidence that seems to be missing. Tony has another ally in detective Danni Tanner from Santa Barbra the scene of the original crime. Plus there are crimes in Oak Knoll that puzzle them until a pattern emerges. Tony and Tanner combine efforts and with a few friends find facts and pieces that seem to keep being missing in action and that’s not the least of their worries either when the would be villain is constantly pulling the victim card to the cops. Lauren now has one daughter left to protect and she’s vowed to do whatever it takes to do just that. Will she be able to get justice for the daughter that’s gone and protect the daughter that is still here, will she find the light at the end of the tunnel or will she continue “Down The Darkest Road”.

Ms. Hoag gives us a tale that could easily be taken from the front pages of any news paper, it has all the elements that a crime drama fan wants in a storyline, twisting turning scenes, a narrative that will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and unforgettable characters whom fans will remember some from her previous Oak Knoll novels and new ones that will delight and terrorize in equal measures. The spotlight shines on her co-protagonist Lauren Lawton, who is evangelist for her missing daughter and avenging angel for the one left behind, but there’s also a noir-ish feeling about her too and that makes her even more attractive to readers. Tony Mendez we who have read the previous two novels are quite familiar with, like and respect and his unsuspecting cohort Danni is as entertaining as she is frustrating. Plus we get to catch up on other characters lives we’ve read about before too.

Tami Hoag has been a favorite author of mine ever since I picked up my first book in my second life as a reader. She like many other women authors started writing romance and she went on to romantic suspense where some of the scariest villains I ever read about came from her imagination, she now writes these genre thrillers that absolutely thrill me and other fans as well. If you like Lisa Gardner, John Sandford, Andrew Gross or Nelson DeMille you will love this author. If you are a fan of crime drama or thrillers this is one you’ll not be able to put down.
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