Waking Hours (East Salem)

The sleepy little town of East Salem is startled into fear by the gruesome murder of a teenage girl (note: it's probably safer to avoid small, East Coast towns called Salem: I'm started to think the five letters are shorthand for `and now, everybody dies!'). Criminal psychologist Dani Harris must find the killer before he strikes again. Meanwhile, former NFL player Tommy Gunderson is finding himself embroiled in a strange series of events that just might be connected to the killing. As Dani and Tommy join forces amidst an atmosphere of increasing paranoia and inexplicable encounters, the world takes another step toward the worst-

-Well, I can't really tell you what, because you have to find out for yourself.

I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The plot is intricate and deftly woven, managing neither to fall into the pit of campy horror nor to careen off the other side into hackneyed thriller. Yes, the story is centered around a murder, but Wiehl doesn't force her readers to wallow knee-deep in gore and mutilations (unlike some other authors I could mention in this genre). The characters are likable and have lives of their own. And the book's clean-no sex, no cursing-so it's a bright spot in a genre usually loaded with both.

I'd highly recommend it-with one caveat: I said earlier that the book isn't as graphic as it easily could have been, but don't take that to mean there's no violence. If books had movie ratings, I'd give this one a PG-13. We hear plenty about the nature of the girl's death that's just disturbing, there's no other way to put it. But even so, it's not as graphic as some of Ted Dekker's later works or Kathy Reichs, definitely not as much as a James Patterson.

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, I am disclosing that I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My opinions are my own, and I am not required to write a positive review.

The grotesque murder of a teen girl puts, Dani Harris, a forensic psychiatrist, trying to find the killers or killer. Early in the case, she runs into Tommy Gunderson, an ex-football star, a high school crush that seems to still be intact. They agree to team up in trying to find the killer or killers. During the case, they are haunted by strange dreams and paranormal experiences.
Two people, Dani and Tommy share the viewpoint of this book. They are both from the second person. The book is advertised as a supernatural thriller and I must say that I was rarely thrilled and felt that the elements were not particularly strong, though the end feels like that element will be stronger in the second two books in the trilogy.
I had a hard time with the romantic part of the book at first, it seemed a bit naive, but it was manageable. The some of the writing was rather chunky, going on about unimportant things. The first half should have been about half as long as it was. It was hard to get into until about the second half. Overall it was very enjoyable and I am looking forwarded the next book in the trilogy.

The grotesque murder of a teen girl puts, Dani Harris, a forensic psychiatrist, trying to find the killers or killer. Early in the case, she runs into Tommy Gunderson, an ex-football star, a high school crush that seems to still be intact. They agree to team up in trying to find the killer or killers. During the case, they are haunted by strange dreams and paranormal experiences.
Two people, Dani and Tommy share the viewpoint of this book. They are both from the second person. The book is advertised as a supernatural thriller and I must say that I was rarely thrilled and felt that the elements were not particularly strong, though the end feels like that element will be stronger in the second two books in the trilogy.
I had a hard time with the romantic part of the book at first, it seemed a bit naive, but it was manageable. The some of the writing was rather chunky, going on about unimportant things. The first half should have been about half as long as it was. It was hard to get into until about the second half. Overall it was very enjoyable and I am looking forwarded the next book in the trilogy.

I've been a fan of Wiehl's writing ever since I read the first "Triple Threat" novel a few years ago, so I was hoping for something along those lines. In some ways, I wasn't disappointed. There is plenty of mystery and suspense in this story, which focuses on the murder of a New York high school student. Was another teenager responsible for her death? It's up to Dani Harris, a forensic psychiatrist, to solve the case. Reunited with an old high school love interest, there's a healthy dose of romance thrown in, as well as a mysterious, supernatural bent to this murder, and another crime in town.

In some ways, this reads like a Christian version of Castle, (or the corresponding Nikki Heat books), so you'd think I'd love it. But I'm not a huge fan of supernatural mysteries, so I had a more difficult time getting into this story than you might expect. On the other hand, if you're a big fan of books like this, (think Frank Peretti), you'll probably love it. Like the "Triple Threat" books, it's well-written, has good characters, and will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Dani Harris is a forensic psychiatrist. In previous cases she's been the wing man to her boss, but not in this case. A homicide that has the sleepy town of East Salem scared. A group of teens have a party one night and one of them ends up dead in a grotesque fashion. The problem is the teens say they can't remember what happened on the night of the murder. Dani is reunited with the one person from High School she liked, Tommy Gunderson. Tommy was a Pro-Football player that walked away from the game after an accident. He is well known and pestered by the paparrazi frequently. Can these two solve the mystery surrounding this homicide?

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very well developed and the storyline was easy to follow and interesting. It was a little creepy at times, but seemed to fit into the season of Halloween.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...]

A departure from the style and genre of the successful Triple Threat novels written with April Henry, the first book in this new series written by Fox News Correspondent Lis Wiehl with Pete Nelson is no less of a thrill.

It's probably no surprise that there is a supernatural undertone throughout this book since it is set in a sleepy East Coast town named Salem, and at first glance that concerns me (thinking the book is going to be a rehashing of tales from similar settings). Fortunately the plot doesn't end there. This has a real element of suspense with just a bit more than a touch of the supernatural evil that is popular in publishing today.

I really enjoyed the book, and though it is not quite as good as Lis' other series, it has me waiting for the sequel--which by the way the book ends, looks to be even better than the first in the series. I am giving this book a strong 4 stars.

See for yourself what the book is all about (no spoilers):

The DA has called Forensic Psychiatrist Dani Harris in to help unravel the mystifying case of a gruesome
murder that apparently took place at a high school party. The twisted circumstances surrounding the case leave everyone including Dani wondering how a seemingly normal teen could have pulled it off.

Tommy Gunderson, former NFL player and local boy come home is having his own set of unexplainable circumstances across town at his very secure estate. How could his state of the art security system have been breached by an elderly woman mumbling what seems to be Latin phrases, and where did she get the strength to attack him like that?

Soon Tommy's own problems are eclipsed when a boy he has been helping is accused of the party murder. Insistent on proving the boy's innocence, Tommy inserts himself into the case and back into the life of Dani, the girl he found quite interesting back in High School.

When Dani and Tommy team up to figure out what really happened they are going to get much more than they bargained for...with the case and with whatever it is that is going on between them. And just how does the attack at Tommy's house fit into the answer?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary galley of this book from the Amazon.com Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: A high school girl is found dead in the town park. And forensic psychiatrist Dani Harris wants answers. All the suspects are teenagers who were at the party with her the night before--but who woke up the next morning with no memory of what transpired. Even though evidence confirms they were all at the scene of the crime.

My Thoughts: This is Book 1 in the East Salem trilogy, and is considered to be a Christian thriller. While I'm not normally a fan of Christian thrillers, I found this one mostly readable - it is not preachy, and it's characters' Christianity is not overwhelming, but rather simply a part of their lives. However, there were parts that really made me angry - for instance, one character was talking about how "Saint" Adrian destroyed paganism in England by showing the pagans how much better Christianity was - because their gods only caused misfortune and disease while Yahweh was about love. Love? OK, "I love you, so do exactly what I say or I'll burn you forever in fire"? That sort of love? As opposed to the eternal bounty of the Earth? Yeah, whatever. But I digress... (I tend to do that)

There are distinct aspects of the paranormal in this story - Dani has several highly meaningful dreams, there is an appearing/disappearing angel, and a mysterious force that walks through walls in the middle of the night. There are plenty of red herrings in the search for the murderer, but eventually it becomes pretty obvious whom the culprit is. I liked the forensic psychiatric aspects of the story and found that very interesting. I also rather liked most of the characters; Tommy, especially, is hilarious. He made me laugh all the time. Fans of Christian fiction will enjoy this book, fans of paranormal thrillers will probably find it readable. While I enjoyed it well enough, I don't think I'll be continuing the series, as it seems like it is going to go into end-time theories and that's not something I am really interested in reading.

When I chose this book to review, I was excited to get a chance to read it because I admire Lis Wiehl on Fox News. However, I was disappointed to learn that she had a co-writer. That was my first disappointment.

The book didn't keep my attention very well at first, but to be frank, it's hard to keep my attention. Still, I expected more from a crime/suspense novel in the first few pages.

The story is about a high-school girl who is found murdered in a shocking way in a park in Westchester County, New York. None of the teens who were with her at a party the night of the murder can remember what happened, and they are all suspects.

Dani Harris is a forensic psychiatrist who is obsessed with the murder and is also struggling with troubling dreams filled with blood, water, and destruction. She wonders if these are clues or signs, but she doesn't know. Her old high school crush, Tommy Gunderson, is also attacked by an old woman with supernatural strength. He begins to help Dani solve the crime.

Once I got past the first few chapters the story was definitely a page turner, and even though Wiehl didn't write it alone, the writing and pace of the story is stellar. It leaves you wanting to read the next one, and I will.

I give this book 4 stars for several reasons: its inclusion of technology, motorcycles, and modern social networking. If you are a geek you'll like this book. If you are a CSI fan, you'll love it, too. And I you're into computers and gadgets, you'll appreciate the author's knowledge of such things. It's nice to read a crime novel that's realistic and in touch with what people actually use to communicate.

The story has just enough spookiness to make you a little nervous reading it in the dark. All lin all, it's a very good crime novel.

Tommy and Dani are re-united after nearly 12 years apart after their graduation from High School--where Dani was able to resist Tommy's charms and the connection she felt at the homecoming dance. Now, 12 years later, they partner to help solve a gruesome and tragic crime--the shocking and gory murder of a local high school girl. The only suspects are other teenagers who were at a party with the girl; however, none of them claim to have known her well and none of them can remember what happened that night. It becomes apparent to Dani and Tommy that there is more to this case than meets the eye and that supernatural and spiritual connections can no longer be considered impossible. One thing they do know is that it would take a very disturbed and evil person to do what was done to Julie Leonard. Is it possible that the killer isn't even human? The case forces Dani and Tommy to evaluate everything they believe in and face the possibility that the murder that they are trying to solve may have a demonic connection to the unseen.

As I began reading "Waking Hours", I felt like the story that Lis Wiehl was most likely going for was very interesting; however, it didn't take me long to realize that she may have not been able to accomplish all of her ideas for this story. While the concept of demonic activity in relations to a murder was interesting, and her portrayal of the unseen was extremely creepy and, at many points, definitely scared me to the point to where I nearly stopped reading and strongly considered writing a review stating that I was incapable of finishing the book, it seemed as if, overall, nothing ever really happened throughout the story. The plot was weak and the ending was borderline intense and was over in an instant. I expected that with a story about demonic influences on a human, that the ending would be almost too much for me to handle; but as soon as the "intense" ending started, it was over within 2 pages. I think the story had a lot of potential if written by the right author; however, I think it may have been a little much for Lis Wiehl.

I did love the characters of Dani and Tommy. As a matter of fact, it was their characters that kept me reading and gave me the will to finish the book even though it creeped me out. Tommy is every girl's dream and I found that with every page, I wished more and more that he was real haha. The growing relationship between Dani and Tommy is very sweet but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who likes a good love story because that is just on the side. Someone who favors love stories would be more likely to not be able to handle the creepiness and the demonic aspects of the story.

Also, as a psychology student who has strongly considered forensic psychology several times throughout my education, I really enjoyed Dani's character as a forensic psychologist. If you like crime-solving stories and tv-shows that only focus on the solving of a crime but don't really go anywhere, then this is your kind of book. The crime-solving aspect was very interesting and it kept me wanting to know what happened next enough to keep me motivated to read; however, if you are looking for a well-developed plot, you won't find it in "Waking Hours".

Overall, I'd say I'd give the book 3 stars. I give it that because I did LOVE the characters of Dani and Tommy and I enjoyed the crime-solving--since I enjoy a couple of more comical crime-solving stories and tv-shows such as "The Mentalist" and "Psych"; and I could see myself as possibly reading the rest of the series for the characters and crime-solving; however, mainly it's because I try not to start a series and not finish it; so it's possible that you may see reviews for the rest of the series as they are released. Also, the last page (I can't provide information without a spoiler), only added more to the possibilities of the story line. Can Lis Wiehl salvage this story and do everything that she has most likely imagined for the story?

There are many authors much higher on my "to-read" list for now; so if I ever do pick up another book for this series by Lis Wiehl, hopefully she will have found a way to strengthen the plot.

*Thomas Nelson Publishing provided an advanced copy of "Waking Hours" in exchange for my honest review* Truth Be Told: The Art of Story: [...]

The story is interesting, but the writing is a bit poor, and overly descriptive in some parts. I don't know if I will read the rest of this trilogy or not. I am curious as to how it ends, but don't know if I want to go through the frustration again. Maybe it get's better, I'm not sure though.