User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This series has a continuing story arc and I recommend you read the books in order for maximum enjoyment.Who knew that after the end of the last book Evelyn would face more perils? With Jasper safely stashed away, I thought Dr. Evelyn Talbot, head psychiatrist at Hanover House, the maximum security prison in Alaska, could finally relax and devote her time to researching serial killers at this facility she designed and developed for this purpose. When she’s abducted as she arrives home (this is disclosed in the opening pages), it’s not only a question of why but by whom. She’s six-months along in her high risk pregnancy and preparing to marry Sergeant Benjamin (Amarok) Murphy in a few days. No one knows where she is and Amarok races against the clock to try to find and save her.
At first, I was disappointed to learn Evelyn was abducted once again but this story soon took on different dimensions from the past. It took a minute to figure out the who, then the how and finally if some very bad things would happen before she was found (even that wasn’t guaranteed). We got several points of view throughout the book, which really made this even more interesting. I opted for the audiobook for the first time and now I’m committed to this format because Thérèse Plummer was just outstanding in every aspect of her performance. When things got really tense, she adjusted her cadence, pace and tone to match, making my heart race and consistently delivering a 5-star narration!
It takes a while for the story to build up and Amarok is going to drive you nuts with his frenzied investigation. But the payoff is huge as I didn’t want to stop listening, especially during the last 30% of the book. It was very good up to that point but impossible to put down once I reached it. This is a unique series and continues to bring the chills. It, yet again, surpassed my expectations.
(Thanks to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Rating: really liked it
I'm such a fan of The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles series! The previous three books were dark, compelling suspense at its best, setting the bar high. In
Blind Spot, book 4, we find Dr. Evelyn Talbot once again in dire danger - kidnapped by an old enemy. The story unfolds with Amarock fighting the clock to find her - without a clue where to start searching. I wanted to love this one as much as the previous books, but it just fell short for me. I think partially because of the repetitive theme of Evelyn being held against her will and threatened by a psychopath. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark of believability for me. I really missed the depth of plot and level of suspense found in the other stories. As much as I've loved this series,
Blind Spot doesn't quite meet the high level set by previous books in my opinion. Having said that, I look forward to more by this author as I've enjoyed many of her other books.
Rating: really liked it
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Blind Spot is a fast-paced and very suspenseful addition to The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles. It picks up directly where the previous book left off, and the race against the clock starts. Evelyn is kidnapped and Amarok doesn't know where to start with his search. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The author did an incredible job in making the reader feel the urgency of the situation. The multiple POVs was great and told the story from different perspectives, including the villains, and it added an extra layer to the story. I always love to get a insight into the minds of these psychopaths. It was interesting that Jasper added important insights in regards to the kidnapping case. I was intrigued by why he was inserting himself in the situation, so I was glad that his POV was included in this book as well.
Evelyn has grown so much in this series, and you can really see the growth in this book. She has come a long way, and she is a very strong woman that will fight 'til the end. She doesn't give up and will do anything to save her unborn child and herself. There were a couple of incidents that could've moved the case along faster, but it felt like not everyone was working very well together. In my opinion it sometimes took them too long to figure things out, which annoyed me a bit. I also missed seeing Evelyn and Amarok together. I really love their dynamic so I felt disappointed when I didn't get the opportunity to see a lot of them together. Hopefully, we will get more of that in the next book. Blind Spot was overall a great addition to this series, and I am still very invested in the characters, including the bad guys. This book added some extra insight into the interaction between prisoners at the Hanover House.
Rating: really liked it
Great book that kept me interested enough to listen to the entire thing in a day! This is the first one I have read in the series and there is definitely stuff that I missed, but you get enough background to not be lost. In fact, with some of the memories that Evelyn mentions, I kind of don't want to go back and read them because it made me cringe!
Another well written novel by this author!!
Rating: really liked it
This is the 4th book in the series featuring psychiatrist Dr. Evelyn Talbot. Although not quite as suspenseful as the previous ones, it was fast-paced and dramatic as Amarok (Sergeant Benjamin Murphy) races against time to find the kidnapped Evelyn. Since Evelyn is a captive for almost the entire book, the nature and scope of her work at Hanover House was absent. No new demons were introduced, and it seems Evelyn's story has come full circle, so I can imagine that this might serve as the conclusion if that's meant to be.
I don't feel that there were any surprises in this novel as everything turned out as one might expect given the set-up and the story arc. I didn't find the plot and the narrative as compelling as in the previous books. Most of the action focused on Amarok and his attempts to find the pregnant Evelyn before the bad guy finished her off. I think most readers assumed that he would be successful, right? Since I had already invested myself in the saga having read 2 other books in this series, I already knew what Evelyn was like and nothing new was revealed. You could easily read this as a standalone as there is a huge amount of historical background given that provides all the details about Evelyn's past, the romance between Evelyn and Amarok, and Evelyn's previous encounters with the psychopaths mentioned in this installment. I hope we are done with most of the serial killers on whom the previous books have focused and, if this is to continue, that there is more about Evelyn's work. It's hard to keep up my interest rehashing the same old thing with Evelyn constantly being in peril because a sociopath has fixated on her. Surely every sick man in the world isn't obsessed with Evelyn? Anyway, I enjoyed this for what it was and probably will read more books by this author in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book ARC to read and review.
Rating: really liked it
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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:https://soundcloud.com/macaudio-2/bli...
Rating: really liked it
Dr. Evelyn Talbot, psychiatrist and founder of Hanover House, can finally breathe and live her life to the fullest. When Evelyn was sixteen, Jasper Moore kidnapped her and nearly killed her after viciously tormenting her. It has taken years, with Jasper close on her tail, and managing to finally grab her, but Jasper has finally been caught and is in prison. Although Evelyn works with the psychopaths who are in her facility, she finally feels safe. Evelyn is now engaged to Alaska State Trooper Amarok, and they are expecting their first child.
After heading home from work one day, Evelyn is kidnapped. Now that she is far along in her pregnancy, it is all Evelyn can do to stay alive and to keep her baby safe. Amarok is beside himself because it seems like Evelyn disappeared into thin air. Evelyn doesn't know who has taken her, and what his ultimate motive is. So, Evelyn does all she can to escape.
I have followed this series from the very first novella,
Hanover House, and am just as impressed with this as I have been with every other book in this series. When I finished the last book,
Face Off, I really felt that Evelyn and Amarok could lead normal lives.
When it comes to the kidnapper, prepare to be surprised. While this book could do okay s a standalone, this story, and what happens to Evelyn definitely ties back to a previous title. I think readers will be as pleased as I was if they were to read the entire series.
I really hope that this series continues, and just as as I read this book months ahead of the release date, no doubt I will do the very same thing again. Brenda Novak's books are not the type of books to sit on one's TBR for too long.
Many thanks to St. Martin's and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Rating: really liked it
FINAL DECISION: This book is really a coda wrap up of the series after the resolution of the Jasper story line. I liked this one but it was my least favorite of the series because I missed the Evelyn and Amarok relationship here.
THE STORY: Evelyn and Amarok finally look to have their happy ending. Preparing for the birth of their child and their upcoming marriage, the two believe that with the incarceration of Jasper, the serial killer who has stalked Evelyn for years, they can relax. Just at that moment, Evelyn is kidnapped.
OPINION: This book is organized as having three points of view as others in the series: Evelyn, Amarok, and Jasper. The characters are placed in a new situation so their viewpoints are fresh here. I didn't like this book as much as others in the series because I missed Evelyn being an active driver of the story rather than being the victim. It's an interesting perspective solving the issues from the "victim" but I didn't think Evelyn was as compelling here. Also, I missed Evelyn and Amarok together which was my favorite part of the series. Too much time apart that could have used a few extra scenes at the end of the book to resolve. I did like that this book wrapped up a bunch of loose ends from the series. I also thought this book was scary, but not too graphic. I am sorry to see the series end.
WORTH MENTIONING: Amarok was my favorite part of this book. I thought we got more insight into him here than in any of the other books in the series.
CONNECTED BOOKS: BLIND SPOT is the fourth and final book in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles. This book can be read as a standalone as the story is self-contained but the story is a continuation of plots from the prior books.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
Rating: really liked it
Oh, I have never read a Brenda Novak book that I didnt love. And this one is no exception. My only regret is that I finished it and I want more. I love the Dr Evelyn Talbot series and salivate until the next one is out.
The continuous story of Evelyn and the serial killer, Jaspar Moore, finds him finally in prison, in Hanover House where Evelyn is head psychiatrist. But when she goes missing and Jaspar is still behind bars, her plans to marry Amorak who is also the police is put on hold. Now Amorak's only job is to find Evelyn before this other psychopath kills or maims her.
The story kept my on edge, turning page after page - one of the things I love about Novak's books. If you havent read any of them you are missing out on an awesome read. Want to know more about her? Check out her website at https://brendanovak.com/
Rating: really liked it
Jasper Moore, who had been tormenting Evelyn for years is finally where he belongs, behind bars. But just when Evelyn and Amorak are staring to feel safe, and looking forward to a normal life, Evelyn is kidnapped. Amorak has to find her before it’s too late.
This was part of a series but it could stand alone, although there are ties to a previous book in the series. The identity of the kidnapper will surprise you. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
Rating: really liked it
Blind Spot is the fourth book in The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles by Brenda Novak. As you know, the story follows Evelyn Talbot the founder and head psychiatrist of the Hanover House, but the story contains the point of views of other people as well. It's not a stand-alone novel and I will advise you to read the previous books first for a better understanding of the story.
If you have read my review for the previous book, you will know that I was hoping that the series would end soon, because I was getting tired of Evelyn's story. Well, this book ignited my interest once again and I am hoping for a fifth and final book. The end of this book could serve as the end of the series, but I want to see more of Evelyn's research and there many plots that aren't finished yet and some things must be told.
Faceoff ended with Evelyn's kidnapping if I recall correctly since this book begins with Evelyn as a captive. The narrative of the story kept changing from Evelyn's point of view to Amarok's to Emmet's and then to some other people whose names I won't reveal and it was interesting. It gave me a deeper understanding of what was driving each character to act the way they did and it made the pace faster. It was very interesting. Evelyn is trying to escape, Amarok is trying to find her and the other people who narrate also have a role in the story and for obvious reasons I won't say anything else.
The focus of the story is how Evelyn will survive from the kidnapper before it's too late as the blurb says, so there is no character growth. You can't grow as a character when they have you locked up and can't act rationally when the woman you love and your child are in grave danger.
This book is one of the strongest ones in the series and I would recommend it.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 Stars--See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
Blind Spot was a nail-biting thriller that had my emotions all over the place–and frantically reading through the pages to get to the conclusion. And what an incredibly moving yet explosive ending it was for what it sounds like could be the final book in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles!
It’s true that I’m a *huge* fan of Brenda Novak’s work. I do also love a good psychological thriller. So this series has been a dream for me, with the multidimensional characters, the complicated plots, the wonderful romance between our hero and heroine, and the level of details regarding psychopathy Novak included to make it all ring true. Read More
Rating: really liked it
Weak, predictable and disappointing. Looked forward to reading the latest Evelyn Talbot book but was so disappointed. The storyline was weak and relatively boring. At one point I genuinely wondered if the book had been written by someone other than Brenda Novak as it lacked the suspense and excitement of all the other books in the series.
Rating: really liked it
Oh man oh man.
I love this series, I’ve continued to recommend it to people and that’s not something I do too often.
This has me on my toes the entire time.
If you love a fast paced thriller, you’ll love this.
Kidnapping, ice pick lobotomy, serial killers. What more do you need?
But now I’m left with more questions and I need to know if there’s going to be another book.
Rating: really liked it
I said I was not going to read any more books in this series when they came out and I should have stuck to my guns. It is redundant and boring now. I mean, just how many times can Talbot be abducted and "almost" get killed? Novak has dragged this one out much too long.
