Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Hoa
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Dutton (2011), 322 pages
Description
1980s California FBI agent Vince Leone taps into the powers of science-based forensic techniques to unveil dark secrets and stop a killer who is terrorizing the citizens of Oak Knoll.
Original publication date
2011
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User reviews
LibraryThing member shazjhb
Interesting series. Crime in the 1980's
LibraryThing member dragonflydee1
Typical Tami Hoag--scary stuff well written!
LibraryThing member Beecharmer
As noted in a previous review, this story is not great literature. If that's what you are looking for, read Shakespear. If you want entertainment and an edge of your seat story, read TAmi Hoag. I rarely give 5 stars, but this exciting story deserves nothing less. I reviewed the audio book and
This is the story of the torment a family goes through when a child has been abducted, but mostly it is the story of Lauren Laughten's obsession with catchng the man who stole her daughter. Mendez and Tanner are the cops on the case and they pyut the pieces together to realize Lauren Laughten is actually stalking the klller Rolland Ballencoa - not the other way around. Lauren has put herself and her only remaining child in a very dangerous situation and it's up to the two cops to catch them in time.
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Kirsten Potter is the narrator. She is a very talented voice who makes the story come alive. This is the story of the torment a family goes through when a child has been abducted, but mostly it is the story of Lauren Laughten's obsession with catchng the man who stole her daughter. Mendez and Tanner are the cops on the case and they pyut the pieces together to realize Lauren Laughten is actually stalking the klller Rolland Ballencoa - not the other way around. Lauren has put herself and her only remaining child in a very dangerous situation and it's up to the two cops to catch them in time.
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LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
Lauren Lawton is a woman on the edge. Her eldest daughter has been missing for four years, presumed abducted and dead. Her husband died in an automobile accident two years ago. She clings to life for the sake of her younger daughter Leah and strives to obtain justice for her missing daughter Leslie
Life isn't always fair and the justice system isn't always just. Lauren knows this better than others because the man she knows is responsible for her daughter's disappearance has never been arrested or tried for his crime, Roland Ballencoa. To make matters worse he had actually been able to get a restraining order placed against her. All Lauren wants is to know what happened to her daughter and receive justice. If the system won't give it to her then she may need to get it for herself.
Leah's life has been hell for the past four years since her older sister Leslie disappeared. Leah isn't allowed to be home alone or even go anywhere alone. The only thing good to come out of their recent move to a new town is she is allowed to work at a horse farm a few days a week. This work brings a new friend into her life, Wendy. Finally she has someone that understands the trauma her family has experienced and doesn't consider her a freak because of it. But Leah knows that she isn't dealing with the situation in a good way, and maybe she is a freak after all.
Detective Mendez feels sympathy for Ms. Lawton. He knows that there may be little the system can actually do against the suspect in her daughter's case simply because there is no evidence. His sympathy is the impetus needed for him to delve a little deeper into Leslie's disappearance. The more he digs, the more he understands Lauren's feelings. Will he be able to find evidence to provide the abduction before things get out of hand?
Down the Darkest Road is a glimpse into the mind of a family torn apart by tragedy. Lauren is so focused on getting vengeance, if not justice, for her missing daughter Leslie that she neglects the needs of her remaining child, Leah. Leah has a lot of hostility against her missing sister and against her deceased father. Unfortunately she doesn't really have an outlet for these feelings and can't disclose them to her mother. Ms. Hoag even provides glimpses into the motivation and mind of the prime suspect, Roland Ballencoa. Much of the action centers on a cat-and-mouse like game between Lauren and Ballencoa, and even Ballencoa and law enforcement. This back and forth builds the tension and kept me on edge during most of the book. Down the Darkest Road was a quick read but it is by no means an easy read due to the psychological tension and underlying darkness associated with child abduction and sexual predators. This may not be a book for everyone but if you want to read a good suspense/psychological thriller, this may well be the book for you.
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in Down the Darkest Road by Tami Hoag.Life isn't always fair and the justice system isn't always just. Lauren knows this better than others because the man she knows is responsible for her daughter's disappearance has never been arrested or tried for his crime, Roland Ballencoa. To make matters worse he had actually been able to get a restraining order placed against her. All Lauren wants is to know what happened to her daughter and receive justice. If the system won't give it to her then she may need to get it for herself.
Leah's life has been hell for the past four years since her older sister Leslie disappeared. Leah isn't allowed to be home alone or even go anywhere alone. The only thing good to come out of their recent move to a new town is she is allowed to work at a horse farm a few days a week. This work brings a new friend into her life, Wendy. Finally she has someone that understands the trauma her family has experienced and doesn't consider her a freak because of it. But Leah knows that she isn't dealing with the situation in a good way, and maybe she is a freak after all.
Detective Mendez feels sympathy for Ms. Lawton. He knows that there may be little the system can actually do against the suspect in her daughter's case simply because there is no evidence. His sympathy is the impetus needed for him to delve a little deeper into Leslie's disappearance. The more he digs, the more he understands Lauren's feelings. Will he be able to find evidence to provide the abduction before things get out of hand?
Down the Darkest Road is a glimpse into the mind of a family torn apart by tragedy. Lauren is so focused on getting vengeance, if not justice, for her missing daughter Leslie that she neglects the needs of her remaining child, Leah. Leah has a lot of hostility against her missing sister and against her deceased father. Unfortunately she doesn't really have an outlet for these feelings and can't disclose them to her mother. Ms. Hoag even provides glimpses into the motivation and mind of the prime suspect, Roland Ballencoa. Much of the action centers on a cat-and-mouse like game between Lauren and Ballencoa, and even Ballencoa and law enforcement. This back and forth builds the tension and kept me on edge during most of the book. Down the Darkest Road was a quick read but it is by no means an easy read due to the psychological tension and underlying darkness associated with child abduction and sexual predators. This may not be a book for everyone but if you want to read a good suspense/psychological thriller, this may well be the book for you.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
What would you do if your daughter had been missing for three years, the police think they know who did it but have no proof. The man is harassing you and the police don't believe you and soon they find you intrusive and hysterical? In her third Oak Knoll thriller, Hoag does a wonderful job
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portraying a woman at the end of her rope consumed by frustration and guilt, up against pure evil. She soon runs into Vince Leon, and Annie who do believe her and using the new techniques in forensics help her to find the answers she needs for closure. Top notch suspense with enough twists to keep thriller fans asking for more. This was an ARC provided by Net Galley. Show Less
LibraryThing member StarrReina
“Down the Darkest Road” by Tami Hoag
I’ve read Tami Hoag’s earlier work and did enjoy them. But after reading the first chapter of “Down the Darkest Road,” I couldn’t believe I was reading the same author. While I do not feel the vital changes were completely due to a different
Powerful…heart-wrenching…believable: just a few words to describe Hoag’s protagonist Lauren Lawton. She is faced with a mother’s worst nightmare when her eldest daughter Leslie is taken and never seen again. Her husband can’t stand the guilt and kills himself, leaving Lauren to take care of Leah, her youngest, and alone, nurse the hatred of the man who turned her life upside down, Roland Ballencoa.
Ballencoa appears blameless. He cannot be tied to the heinous crime and is free to stalk and select other prey. Lauren is out of her mind with grief and anger. She tries to turn the tables and go after Ballencoa herself. She hires a private investigator, who tracks down Ballencoa’s residence. And the stage is set. He invades her privacy…she invades his. He spies on her…she spies on him.
While Lauren is fixated on justice for Leslie, Leah suffers her own pain. Only fifteen-years-old, she is left without a sister and father and her mother doesn’t remotely appear like the woman who raised her.
While detective Mendez tries to help Lauren, he is unable to stop the bloodshed that would obviously come. Both Lauren and Leah fight the battle of their lives to save one other.
I believe the rating system is up to five stars, but I’m going outside that box and rate this book at least an eight. If you have time to read only one book, you really should make it this one. You won’t regret it.
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “Deadly Decisions”
I’ve read Tami Hoag’s earlier work and did enjoy them. But after reading the first chapter of “Down the Darkest Road,” I couldn’t believe I was reading the same author. While I do not feel the vital changes were completely due to a different
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series, I absolutely believe it was because Hoag found a voice that screamed success.Powerful…heart-wrenching…believable: just a few words to describe Hoag’s protagonist Lauren Lawton. She is faced with a mother’s worst nightmare when her eldest daughter Leslie is taken and never seen again. Her husband can’t stand the guilt and kills himself, leaving Lauren to take care of Leah, her youngest, and alone, nurse the hatred of the man who turned her life upside down, Roland Ballencoa.
Ballencoa appears blameless. He cannot be tied to the heinous crime and is free to stalk and select other prey. Lauren is out of her mind with grief and anger. She tries to turn the tables and go after Ballencoa herself. She hires a private investigator, who tracks down Ballencoa’s residence. And the stage is set. He invades her privacy…she invades his. He spies on her…she spies on him.
While Lauren is fixated on justice for Leslie, Leah suffers her own pain. Only fifteen-years-old, she is left without a sister and father and her mother doesn’t remotely appear like the woman who raised her.
While detective Mendez tries to help Lauren, he is unable to stop the bloodshed that would obviously come. Both Lauren and Leah fight the battle of their lives to save one other.
I believe the rating system is up to five stars, but I’m going outside that box and rate this book at least an eight. If you have time to read only one book, you really should make it this one. You won’t regret it.
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “Deadly Decisions”
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LibraryThing member cookiemo
Tami Hoag has said that she will keep writing about some of the characters in this book until it catches up with the knowledge we now have of DNA etc. I enjoyed reading about the adventures of Detective Mendez and Leone. Also Anne Leon who's adventures we read in an earlier book.
I think that anyone
I think that anyone
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could empathise with Lauren in tghe disappearance of her daughter Leslie and the actions she takes. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This one took a twist near the end that literally made me gasp, and that's rare in a murder mystery.
Lauren Lawton's 16 year-old daughter disappeared several years ago, her husband died and she's left with no answers and a suspect who appears to taunt her at every turn. She is also left with her
Into the mix comes Detective Anthony Mendez who can see the knife-edge that she's living with and wants to help.
A clever story well told.
Lauren Lawton's 16 year-old daughter disappeared several years ago, her husband died and she's left with no answers and a suspect who appears to taunt her at every turn. She is also left with her
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daughter Leah, who is trying to deal with a lot of survivor guilt, and trying to be a perfect daughter.Into the mix comes Detective Anthony Mendez who can see the knife-edge that she's living with and wants to help.
A clever story well told.
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LibraryThing member 1eye2read
The kindest thing I can say about the book is that it is not the most well-written that I have read. However, the plot held my interest and compelled me to finish reading in spite of Tami Hoag's shortcomings as an author.
LibraryThing member fearless2012
It's like therapy group, only better. ("Better".)
And while the difficult 'literary' stuff can have its merits, this is clean (not confused) and easy to read.
The therapy-group-aspect of it does take patience, (and I didn't actually *like* the book), but I tried to rate it for the quality of the
(9/10)
And while the difficult 'literary' stuff can have its merits, this is clean (not confused) and easy to read.
The therapy-group-aspect of it does take patience, (and I didn't actually *like* the book), but I tried to rate it for the quality of the
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writing. (9/10)
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LibraryThing member delphimo
This novel chilled me with the description of the killer. I wonder how many damaged souls walk around in the perimeter of normal individuals. After reading this breed of novel, I want to limit my contact with the outside world. The story is well written with glimpses in the mind of the killer and
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the victims. Who is to be trusted? Hoag does an excellent job with the characters and the setting. I felt the battle of Lauren Lawton a little too much. I wanted to tell Lauren to chill and pay more attention to her present life than the past life. Show Less
LibraryThing member librarian1204
Three of this series was too many. In the end they all read the same.
LibraryThing member dchamp
Too many words; too much repetitive sentiments and thoughts. Not enough action. The mother was pathetic and not a sympathetic character.
LibraryThing member desmondmarie32
Not as good as the first two in the series. It shows the struggles of the mother looking for answers of her missing daughter and the revenge she wants to seek against the person who took her.
LibraryThing member Carol420
Imagine having your sixteen-year old daughter abducted; disappear without knowing if or where she's alive. Imagine knowing who took her and not being able to do anything about it! This is the situation Lauren Lawton finds herself in for the last four years. had a hard time when starting this novel,
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seemed like so much sadness, anger, and fear. I am a staunch Tami Hoag fan, so I wouldn't give it up. WOW. It picks up and never stops until the last page. Show Less
LibraryThing member LyndaInOregon
Tami Hoag suspense novels are like champagne truffles dipped in crack. One sensuous nibble and you're gone. Whatever else you thought you were going to get accomplished today, forget it.
This one pushes several hot-buttons -- the loss of a child to a predator; the destruction of a family due to
Hoag keeps things moving well, though the reader may sometimes get a bit impatient with the pages and pages and pages when one character or another is dissolving in grief and closing themselves away from any comfort. And some of the details about the activities of The Bad Guy are a bit too graphic for comfort.
But when push comes to shove -- and you know it will -- the climax is bloody and violent. And final, unlike some of Hoag's other works, when she sets a tickler in the final paragraph that makes the reader question every conclusion reached up to that point.
The novel is listed as "Oak Knoll #3", but stands well alone. However, if one is set on reading them all, they should probably be read in order, as "Down the Darkest Road" not only brings back some characters from the first two books, but casually mentions the identity of The Bad Guy in those novels and specifies who lived and who died.
Overall, it's a compelling read.
This one pushes several hot-buttons -- the loss of a child to a predator; the destruction of a family due to
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loss; the feeling that the system is stacked to prevent the apprehension of the prime suspect; the threat to the remaining child. How can you not get suckered in by this?Hoag keeps things moving well, though the reader may sometimes get a bit impatient with the pages and pages and pages when one character or another is dissolving in grief and closing themselves away from any comfort. And some of the details about the activities of The Bad Guy are a bit too graphic for comfort.
But when push comes to shove -- and you know it will -- the climax is bloody and violent. And final, unlike some of Hoag's other works, when she sets a tickler in the final paragraph that makes the reader question every conclusion reached up to that point.
The novel is listed as "Oak Knoll #3", but stands well alone. However, if one is set on reading them all, they should probably be read in order, as "Down the Darkest Road" not only brings back some characters from the first two books, but casually mentions the identity of The Bad Guy in those novels and specifies who lived and who died.
Overall, it's a compelling read.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
This is the third Oak Knoll thriller. This one stars Detective Tony Mendez and has walk-ons from Vince and Anne Leone.
The story begins when Lauren Lawton and her daughter Leah come to Oak Knoll. They have gone through a very bad four years since Lauren's daughter and Leah's sister Leslie
There is a suspect - Roland Ballencoa - who the police liked for the crime but they had no concrete evidence to link him to Leslie's disappearance. A small spot of blood in his van might be Leslie's but DNA testing hasn't advanced enough yet in 1990 to test it.
Lauren is sure that Ballencoa is stalking her but, again, there is no proof. In fact, Ballencola has sued her and local police departments for harassment and won. He is a very smart criminal who knows how to skirt the edge of the law.
Tony gets involved when Lauren and Leah come to Oak Knoll. He believes her and is very frustrated about how much the police department can do and still uphold the law. Lauren is a woman at the end of her rope. She doesn't eat; she doesn't sleep; she drinks too much. Leah is also falling apart but in a much quieter way; she has started cutting to ease the pain. Anne Leone wants to try to help them but can't do much more than offer herself as a sounding board for Lauren and Leah.
This story was told from multiple viewpoints. Lauren is writing about the experience to try to ease some of the pain. Tony is trying to get background on Ballencoa and working with another police officer from a jurisdiction that was the previous home of Ballencoa. We also get Ballencoa's very creepy viewpoint.
This was an exciting page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked seeing Lauren's viewpoint as a woman obsessed with getting answers about the fate of her child. I felt sorry for Leah who felt abandoned by the mother she loves very much and who is very angry at her sister for the reckless behavior that led to her disappearance. I understood the frustration of law enforcement that felt that their hands were tied.
The story begins when Lauren Lawton and her daughter Leah come to Oak Knoll. They have gone through a very bad four years since Lauren's daughter and Leah's sister Leslie
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disappeared without a trace. The stresses were horrible as Lauren became totally focused on the hunt for Leslie. She harassed police departments in a number of jurisdictions because she didn't feel they were doing enough to find her daughter.There is a suspect - Roland Ballencoa - who the police liked for the crime but they had no concrete evidence to link him to Leslie's disappearance. A small spot of blood in his van might be Leslie's but DNA testing hasn't advanced enough yet in 1990 to test it.
Lauren is sure that Ballencoa is stalking her but, again, there is no proof. In fact, Ballencola has sued her and local police departments for harassment and won. He is a very smart criminal who knows how to skirt the edge of the law.
Tony gets involved when Lauren and Leah come to Oak Knoll. He believes her and is very frustrated about how much the police department can do and still uphold the law. Lauren is a woman at the end of her rope. She doesn't eat; she doesn't sleep; she drinks too much. Leah is also falling apart but in a much quieter way; she has started cutting to ease the pain. Anne Leone wants to try to help them but can't do much more than offer herself as a sounding board for Lauren and Leah.
This story was told from multiple viewpoints. Lauren is writing about the experience to try to ease some of the pain. Tony is trying to get background on Ballencoa and working with another police officer from a jurisdiction that was the previous home of Ballencoa. We also get Ballencoa's very creepy viewpoint.
This was an exciting page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked seeing Lauren's viewpoint as a woman obsessed with getting answers about the fate of her child. I felt sorry for Leah who felt abandoned by the mother she loves very much and who is very angry at her sister for the reckless behavior that led to her disappearance. I understood the frustration of law enforcement that felt that their hands were tied.
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LibraryThing member stephanie_M
Down the Darkest Road, by Tami Hoag
I had previously read "Deeper than the Dead" and "Secrets of the Grave" by Tami Hoag, and liked them both though their endings somewhat stretched my imagination... "Down the Darkest Road" was another entertaining if gloomy mystery.
I admit I never knew for certain
Mostly, I felt the rawness of Lauren's emotions, the heart-wrenching pain of a woman incapable of letting go, to the detriment of her one remaining living daughter. It was both hard and easy to relate to Lauren; hard as we, the readers, from a detached standpoint, could observe the waste of her life and the pain she unwillingly inflicted to her younger daughter, Leah, by not being there for her; and easy because I could so easily imagine myself in her place. Would I let go if my daughter disappeared? Could I let go? It's easy for people to say, it's time to let go, you must go on with your life, think of your other daughter. It's easy when it's not happening to you. What a living hell it would be to imagine that the man who took your daughter and did God knows what to her is living, breathing, enjoying life and possibly praying on other young women. And to know that you can't do anything about it.
About Tami Hoag, she knows her stuff and the power of raw emotions. For all that, there was a little too much rehashing of Lauren's feelings throughout the novel, we got the point early on, half way through the book the commiseration was full blast and I was ready for more action and less inner turmoil. Still, on the whole, a decently paced thriller well worth your time.
3-1/2 stars, for real Tami Hoag fans
I had previously read "Deeper than the Dead" and "Secrets of the Grave" by Tami Hoag, and liked them both though their endings somewhat stretched my imagination... "Down the Darkest Road" was another entertaining if gloomy mystery.
I admit I never knew for certain
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if the alleged guilty party was guilty or not, there was just that element of doubt, of uncertainty - what if the mother had decided the wrong man was guilty of her daughter's abduction? It wouldn't have been the first time the wrong man was convicted. It kept me guessing until the end and I admired the author for being able to throw that element of doubt in her narrative.Mostly, I felt the rawness of Lauren's emotions, the heart-wrenching pain of a woman incapable of letting go, to the detriment of her one remaining living daughter. It was both hard and easy to relate to Lauren; hard as we, the readers, from a detached standpoint, could observe the waste of her life and the pain she unwillingly inflicted to her younger daughter, Leah, by not being there for her; and easy because I could so easily imagine myself in her place. Would I let go if my daughter disappeared? Could I let go? It's easy for people to say, it's time to let go, you must go on with your life, think of your other daughter. It's easy when it's not happening to you. What a living hell it would be to imagine that the man who took your daughter and did God knows what to her is living, breathing, enjoying life and possibly praying on other young women. And to know that you can't do anything about it.
About Tami Hoag, she knows her stuff and the power of raw emotions. For all that, there was a little too much rehashing of Lauren's feelings throughout the novel, we got the point early on, half way through the book the commiseration was full blast and I was ready for more action and less inner turmoil. Still, on the whole, a decently paced thriller well worth your time.
3-1/2 stars, for real Tami Hoag fans
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Pages
322