by Stacy Green
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Source: Author
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
IT’S THE MOMENTS FROM OUR PAST THAT BIND US Branch Manager Emilie Davis is having a day like any other–until two masked men storm into WestOne Bank demanding cash. Her hopes of a quick end to her terror are dashed when she realizes one of the men has no interest in the bank’s money. Emilie is his prize, and he’s come to claim her. When hostage negotiator Nathan Madigan and Las Vegas SWAT enter the bank on a rescue mission, Emilie’s captor makes a shocking escape into the abyss that lies beneath the city: the Las Vegas storm drains, a refuge for the downtrodden and the desperate.
HOW WILL IT END?Who is the man the media has dubbed the “Taker?” Why is he after Emilie, and what is the connection he’s convinced they share?Emilie can’t run from the Taker, and she can’t escape her own past. As her life closes in on her, she has nowhere to turn but to Nathan. The lines of professionalism blur as Nathan becomes determined to save Emilie. Together they venture into the depths beneath Las Vegas and discover a shocking piece of the puzzle. But the Taker remains one step ahead. Desperate for the threat to emerge from the shadows, Emilie makes a bold move to reclaim her life, and it may cost her everything.
I love romance wrapped in suspense, danger, and mystery. I was intrigued by the synopsis for Stacy Green’s novel Into the Dark and agreed to review it. Set in Las Vegas, we interact with the LA police, FBI and get inside the mind and lives of victim Emilie Davis and her serial stalker dubbed the “Taker”. From the streets to the tunnels of Las Vegas this tale kept me turning the pages.
The tale begins when branch manager Emilie Davis gets flowers without a card, as she takes them to the front lobby two masked men enter the bank firing off rounds and an intense hostage negotiation begins between Nathan Madigan of the Las Vegas Swat team and the two perps. One of the masked men takes an interest in Emilie and she quickly realizes he is there for her. Incredible perception on Nathan’s part puts an end to the situation but not before the creepy perp makes a surprise escape into the cities underground. The cops slowly begin to realize this was a carefully laid plan to abduct Emilie, but Nathan worries about the primary detective getting the job done. His interest in Emilie is different, and it could land him in trouble with his commanding officers. The tale that unfolds was suspenseful and filled with well-fleshed out characters and a villain who gave me goosebumps.
Never have I met two primary characters with so much emotional baggage. Emilie left home at eighteen, is estranged from her mother and recently divorced. I liked Emilie but grew to admire her as she came into herself. Nathan blames himself for the death of his uncle when he was a teen and carries it with him everywhere. He is solid, dependable and really good at accessing people. I immediately connected with him. The interaction between them started off as you would expect a victim and the man who she sees as her savior would. Slowly their relationship grew into something more, and Green handled it well. It felt real, complicated and genuine. Suspects, bank employees, law enforcement officers and family members added to the suspense, and complexity of the characters. The Taker was downright creepy and his back-story and methodical methods gave me shivers.
Into the Dark took me on a fast-paced ride, and I enjoyed myself. The twists and turns into the psyche of the Taker and those who aided him were fascinating and tripped me up. I thought I knew who the inside man was and was surprised when all was revealed. The back-stories to Nathan and Emilie were interesting and added depth to both characters. While I am not sure all of it was necessary I liked the way the author weaved it into the tale. The relationship felt genuine and we got a little sweetness and a touch of heat. The climactic scenes towards the end kept me turning the pages and the conclusion left me satisfied.
Fans of romantic suspense and crime thrillers will enjoy Into the Dark. This is Green’s first published work and I look forward to reading more from her. Her next thriller will be a darker, grittier tale set in the Deep South.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
kimbacaffeinate
this was good, and I hope you enjoy it Mandy!
kimbacaffeinate
He was creepy and a little sad too
Meeeggg
I’ve never heard of this book before, but it sounds interesting, even though I’m not a big fan of the cover. 😛 Glad you enjoyed this overall, Kimba. Emilie sounds like the kind of character I’d love reading about, especially since it sounds like she goes through a lot of development as the story progresses! 🙂
Great review! 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
hahaha..Captn Mal <3
Kristin Clifton
A great debut, awesome!!! Why is it everytime I see the name Nathan I automatically picture Capt Mal? He can rescue me anyday, baggage or no baggage!!! Awesome review – glad you gave picked it up. I’m not sure how much grittier you can get with a creepy stalker, though – I’m afraid what the next one will be like 🙂
kimbacaffeinate
thanks Brandi I enjoyed this one.
brandileigh2003
Romance with suspense and danger sounds great to me, and I am glad to hear this delivered.
Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog
kimbacaffeinate
I loved that it developed slowly.
kimbacaffeinate
Agreed!
Diana Leigh
Ooo! I love romantic suspense, and this one sounds thrilling. I’m intrigued about her next book too.
kimbacaffeinate
oh gosh if you need recs email me..I love romantic suspense!!
kimbacaffeinate
You are welcome, and I would agree with Felicia, but once I read the book I got the cover.
Stacy Green
Thanks so much for the great review, Kimberly! And to the geekyblogger, interesting thoughts on the cover. I’d never considered that, but I do see what you mean. Thank you for pointing that out.
kimbacaffeinate
We are so cool…thinking alike *high five*
kindlemom1
I am glad you liked this one! I think we both had similar thoughts and feelings about it.
Great review Kim!
kimbacaffeinate
this was good, and the suspense/thriller aspect gets equal screen time. I know what you mean about covers though, sadly that is what draws me in for purchases, then the synopsis seals the deal.
thegeekyblogger
I would have never guessed that was Romantic Suspense from the cover. Thriller maybe but probably even more Horror/SciFi. Really covers do matter even though they probably shouldn’t!
That being said the story sounds intriguing and I am going to have to check it out.
kimbacaffeinate
Thanks Kay, I love romance wrapped in suspense and action too. It’s always fun discovering new books and authors.
Kay
Thanks for the very interesting review! I have not heard of this book before. I may have to check it out further. I love a romance when it is in a book that also has action and suspense.
kimbacaffeinate
Yes she does, they both due…and I like when that happens
Heidi
A romantic thriller is always fun. I love the Vegas setting. Holy cow that girl does have a lot of baggage. I am guessing she makes some progress and growth, which I always find rewarding!
kimbacaffeinate
Thanks Melissa, I enjoyed this and hope you get a chance to try it. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
kimbacaffeinate
right..that doesn’t happen very often
Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
It’s great that this managed to surprise you at the end! I love a good romantic suspense:)
Candace Robinson
Emotional baggage is one thing that can really make or break a book for me. As long as they aren’t too angsty about it all… I love a big surprise at the end too!
Kimberly
Holy smokes this sounds soooooo darn good I’m hoping I can read it soon. Great review Kimberly!
Christy (Love of Books)
Why can’t I have my own serial stalker? And then beat the crap out of him… or her. >:D I miss reading books like this.
kimbacaffeinate
Hehehe.
Stacy Green
Wow, checking back in to see lots of comments. Thanks so much to everyone for stopping by. Megan, bummer you don’t like the cover. I will be revealing the cover for my second book in a few weeks, and you can see the painting I commissioned for it on my FB page. I’m really excited about it.
Lauren, so glad to hear you say the Taker sounds creepy, because that was my goal. He’s also got an interesting back story, and my hope is that he evokes empathy in the reader as well.
Nova, enjoy the book if you choose to read.
LOL Christy, stalkers are terrifyingly interesting to me. I can’t fathom the mindset of obsession.
Sam, Kimberly, and Candace – if you choose to read the book, do let me know what you think of the emotional baggage. I hope I pulled it off!
Melissa, I was also really happy she was surprised. That is hard to do as readers are smart!
Melissa, Kay, and Kristen,
I hope you enjoy the book, and I have to admit, finding out about the Vegas tunnels and the homeless is what really made the book come together and added the depth it needed.
Barbara, Diana, Books Live and Brandileigh,
Glad to hear you liked Kimba’s review, and I am so grateful to her for sharing it. If you guys decide to check out the book, please let me know what you think.
I hope I responded to everyone! Thank you so much:)
kimbacaffeinate
I love character development too Megan, thanks for commenting!
kimbacaffeinate
ooh he was creepy and his back story was intense.
Lauren
I love romantic suspsense novels, and it’s been ages since I read a good one, so I really want to check this out. The Taker sounds super creepy, and Emilie and Nathan sound like interesting characters. Glad their relationship was handled well—that’s really hard to pull of when you have a terrifying kindnapping plot as the reason they met. Wonderful review!
kimbacaffeinate
thanks and this was more suspense thriller. I hope you get a chance to try it.
Sam
This sounds pretty good! I’m not sure how well I can deal with emotional baggage in a book like this, but I like the sound of the rest of it. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kimba. 🙂 Great review!
Jenea Whittington
Wonderful review. Sounds interesting and I love the cover too. Emilie and Nathan sound like very broken people, and I like that their relationship is something believable. Happy you enjoy this one. 🙂
Melissa (Books and Things)
Oh curious! I love a good thriller and I’ve been enjoying the romantic suspense genre. So going to have to check this one out. It looks like it fits me perfectly!
Barbara Walker
Great review! I’m looking for lots of romantic suspense recommendations since I’m falling behind on a challenge and it’s not a genre I’m familiar with at all. I’ll have to check this one out. 🙂
NovaReylin
I’ll stalk you Christy, but I prefer coffee and books instead of getting my butt kicked. <3