Darker Than Midnight

When Cassandra ‘Jax’ Jackson moves to Blackberry, Vermont, she’s told that it’s a quiet little town. She learns on her first night there, that “quiet” isn’t exactly the word she would use. Michael ‘River’ Corbett is an accused murderer and escaped mental patient and at the moment, Jax is hiding him from the police. River is a mess; he can barely stand on his own two feet. Jax should be turning him in, but there’s something about River that calls to her. If he was the dangerous criminal that everyone claims he is, it’s not likely that he would have stayed around to save her life. For this she feels she owes River the benefit of the doubt.

River isn’t convinced that he deserves Jax’s compassion or her help. All he knows is that he has to find out the truth about the night his wife and unborn child died. Even if he learns that he did indeed cause their death, he just has to know. Fairly quickly they discover that the details aren’t adding up. River is not a violent man, but that’s exactly what Ethan, his best friend and his doctor, keeps telling him. River is not insane, but the drugs he was given in the hospital would suggest otherwise. Something is definitely not right in this quiet little town.

Darker Than Midnight is the type of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished it. I think it’s a testament to Maggie Shayne’s writing that even after ‘The End’ for the reader, the thoughts and images the book has provoked linger. Everything that has happened to River is a travesty; yet, he’s not angry and he’s not bitter. What he is, however, is devastated and determined to discover the truth. River isn’t a self-pitying kind of hero, but who wouldn’t have doubts, when even your best friend is saying you murdered your wife and unborn child? Ms. Shayne writes these emotions so well; that you’ll want to reach through the pages and do anything you can to ease this man’s pain. River stole my heart. His ability to see the good in anything, much less open his heart to love again is remarkable. Jax is a formidable heroine. Forced at a young age to take charge, she is one cop you don’t mess with. More than capable of taking care of herself, Jax lets her guard down when it comes to River. The attraction between the two is powerful and just keeps building. Ms. Shayne moves this story along at a fast pace, with frequent shocking revelations. The feelings, the descriptions and the plot just make this a great book. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, Darker Than Midnight is a must read!

Reviewed by: Jaymi