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Nel folto del bosco
Un folle assassino colpisce con furia efferata donne, giovani, belle e indipendenti. Sulle sue tracce si mettono Eric Gaines, tenente della polizia newyorkese e Carol, sua amica. Ma quando Carol è pedinata da un misterioso personaggio, la vicenda precipita in un angoscioso incubo.
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
4 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Condé
13 books3 followersPen name of Robert J. Rosenblum with Robert Stuart Nathan
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 27, 2013
Children’s book author and illustrator, Carol Warren, never expected something like this could happen to her. She’d lived a normal life filled with good friends and family as well as success as an author. Everything changes when her best friend is found brutally murdered and Carol becomes involved in the investigation. At first she just wants answers about who killed her friend, but once she realizes someone she loves is a suspect, she will do whatever it takes to prove his innocence, even if it risks her own life.
The first thing I liked about this book is the heroine, Carol. Most books in this vein are focused on getting the heroine to fall for some hunky man working with her on the case and spawning an erotic romance as a side story, but that isn’t the case here. In fact, while Carol may date a few men in the novel, she’s not in the market for romance, and, actually, finds it very hard to get in the mood for it due to the dreadful crimes committed in the case. That is something that makes a lot more sense to me. Carol is also successful and independent, only relying on herself, and she has a great deal of self-respect and loyalty to her friends and family. However, this loyalty could also blind her to what is going on around her.
I also liked the fact that she had her own worries outside of the mystery, such as her father’s failing health and the fact that she’ll probably have to put him in a nursing home. She and her brother discuss it and wonder if it’s the right thing to do – and it’s very hard for Carol to imagine being ripped from her home in her final years. She has a very kind heart, loving deeply and honestly those who are close to her, and I felt for her in making that decision.
I thought the story was very suspenseful, and I whipped right through the novel because I needed to know what happened next. Is the killer who the police believe it to be, or is it an elaborate frame job? Was Carol really in danger of becoming the killer’s next target?
I also liked the scenes from the killer’s point of view and how he was styled. He is definitely creepy, especially in the point-of-view scene where he has his victim tied up in the woods and prepares to torture her. He reminds me a lot of Ted Bundy – how he uses the ruse of being somehow handicapped in order to gain the sympathy and trust of a would-be victim, and then gets the better of them. Also, his final act of murder as he begins to lose control toward the end of the novel is an obvious nod to the murders of nursing students committed by Richard Speck in the 1960s. The Green River Killer is mentioned in comparison to the killer in this novel, but I feel that there aren’t many similarities, aside from where the bodies are found.
I liked how the book dealt with the idea that a family member or friend that you’ve known your entire life could turn out to be a serial killer. Carol has to deal with the fact that the police believe her brother is the Deep Woods Killer, and another character reveals that they have a family member guilty of such atrocities. Even having someone in your family suspected of such crimes can do a number on the rest of the family, and of course, the suspect themselves – as despite the saying, “innocent until proven guilty,” in the public eye, it’s often guilty until proven innocent.
I’m not sure how I feel about the character of Paul Miller. He goes to elaborate lengths to disguise his true self and true intentions from Carol, despite asking her to trust and help him in his investigation. I can’t describe such over-the-top instances of this without giving away spoilers, but I can say that it is hard to accept that someone would go that far to keep up a façade. These actions felt like they belonged in some espionage thriller, not a murder mystery. Also, it was because of his constant lies that I couldn’t bring myself to like him by the end of the novel. I found myself falling for his lies along with Carol, so I felt equally betrayed when I would find out he was just spinning another web of deception.
The other thing I didn’t really like was the ending – I found it rather anti-climactic. I wanted a dramatic show-down between Carol and the killer, and instead it is over in an instant. I felt a bit let down after all of that built-up tension and hours of reading.
Overall, it’s definitely a great read and I recommend it for mystery buffs. It’s very suspenseful and keeps you guessing until the final few chapters, and even then, I was hoping there would be some twist and it would turn out to be someone else. Still, it was a well-written mystery that kept my attention, and I would probably read it again.
The first thing I liked about this book is the heroine, Carol. Most books in this vein are focused on getting the heroine to fall for some hunky man working with her on the case and spawning an erotic romance as a side story, but that isn’t the case here. In fact, while Carol may date a few men in the novel, she’s not in the market for romance, and, actually, finds it very hard to get in the mood for it due to the dreadful crimes committed in the case. That is something that makes a lot more sense to me. Carol is also successful and independent, only relying on herself, and she has a great deal of self-respect and loyalty to her friends and family. However, this loyalty could also blind her to what is going on around her.
I also liked the fact that she had her own worries outside of the mystery, such as her father’s failing health and the fact that she’ll probably have to put him in a nursing home. She and her brother discuss it and wonder if it’s the right thing to do – and it’s very hard for Carol to imagine being ripped from her home in her final years. She has a very kind heart, loving deeply and honestly those who are close to her, and I felt for her in making that decision.
I thought the story was very suspenseful, and I whipped right through the novel because I needed to know what happened next. Is the killer who the police believe it to be, or is it an elaborate frame job? Was Carol really in danger of becoming the killer’s next target?
I also liked the scenes from the killer’s point of view and how he was styled. He is definitely creepy, especially in the point-of-view scene where he has his victim tied up in the woods and prepares to torture her. He reminds me a lot of Ted Bundy – how he uses the ruse of being somehow handicapped in order to gain the sympathy and trust of a would-be victim, and then gets the better of them. Also, his final act of murder as he begins to lose control toward the end of the novel is an obvious nod to the murders of nursing students committed by Richard Speck in the 1960s. The Green River Killer is mentioned in comparison to the killer in this novel, but I feel that there aren’t many similarities, aside from where the bodies are found.
I liked how the book dealt with the idea that a family member or friend that you’ve known your entire life could turn out to be a serial killer. Carol has to deal with the fact that the police believe her brother is the Deep Woods Killer, and another character reveals that they have a family member guilty of such atrocities. Even having someone in your family suspected of such crimes can do a number on the rest of the family, and of course, the suspect themselves – as despite the saying, “innocent until proven guilty,” in the public eye, it’s often guilty until proven innocent.
I’m not sure how I feel about the character of Paul Miller. He goes to elaborate lengths to disguise his true self and true intentions from Carol, despite asking her to trust and help him in his investigation. I can’t describe such over-the-top instances of this without giving away spoilers, but I can say that it is hard to accept that someone would go that far to keep up a façade. These actions felt like they belonged in some espionage thriller, not a murder mystery. Also, it was because of his constant lies that I couldn’t bring myself to like him by the end of the novel. I found myself falling for his lies along with Carol, so I felt equally betrayed when I would find out he was just spinning another web of deception.
The other thing I didn’t really like was the ending – I found it rather anti-climactic. I wanted a dramatic show-down between Carol and the killer, and instead it is over in an instant. I felt a bit let down after all of that built-up tension and hours of reading.
Overall, it’s definitely a great read and I recommend it for mystery buffs. It’s very suspenseful and keeps you guessing until the final few chapters, and even then, I was hoping there would be some twist and it would turn out to be someone else. Still, it was a well-written mystery that kept my attention, and I would probably read it again.
April 13, 2017
So unrealistic and over-the-top that I spent most of the book rolling my eyes and shaking my head.
I seriously doubt that the police would allow the suspect's sister to walk around the "slaughterhouse" crime scene or wander, unsupervised, through the task force command center.
I seriously doubt that the police would allow the suspect's sister to walk around the "slaughterhouse" crime scene or wander, unsupervised, through the task force command center.
January 21, 2023
Un asesinato. O más asesinatos. ¿Ningún asesinato?¿El huevo o la gallina?¿Frío o calor?
Lógicamente frío. Fuck verano.
El libro no te deja frío la mayor parte de la historia en la que se trata de resolver la trama. Me confunde un poco los vaivenes emocionales y/o actitudes de ciertos personajes, pero no han asesinado a ningún ser querido mío así que no opino.
Es una temática que me atrae especialmente y por eso tiro al Rating alto, pero si el jodido Goodreads me dejase le ponía un 3,5. El final es aceptable, personalmente hubiese preferido otro, pero la vida es como es y la muerte igual.
Conclusión: He terminado exámenes y soy feliz.
Lógicamente frío. Fuck verano.
El libro no te deja frío la mayor parte de la historia en la que se trata de resolver la trama. Me confunde un poco los vaivenes emocionales y/o actitudes de ciertos personajes, pero no han asesinado a ningún ser querido mío así que no opino.
Es una temática que me atrae especialmente y por eso tiro al Rating alto, pero si el jodido Goodreads me dejase le ponía un 3,5. El final es aceptable, personalmente hubiese preferido otro, pero la vida es como es y la muerte igual.
Conclusión: He terminado exámenes y soy feliz.
September 17, 2025
Novela de suspense con algunos momentos de tensión si la lees en el entorno adecuado, pero flojilla y se ha quedado algo casposa con el paso del tiempo.
March 21, 2008
I read this through the night...woke my husband because I got scared. It had some real surprise moments for me.
November 28, 2019
Quite good. I really wasn’t sure who the killer actually was until right before the end. The ending was a bit abrupt, and I felt that there was a little too much sexual attraction with too many different people, for one person, but overall, very good. The. Writing was clean and there were no errors that I remember. Would not mind reading more of the author’s work.
August 2, 2020
3.5. Last chapter was a disappointment and unrealistic police procedure
July 27, 2022
it started slow but, by the end, I was speeding thru it. I will look other books by Conde
March 14, 2023
La storia romanzata del serial killer Ted Bandy vista sotto gli occhi dei diversi personaggi. Lettura scorrevole. Bello.
June 8, 2025
Definitely has you guessing pretty much the whole book
September 30, 2025
Well written but "the darkness" is just another strain of misogyny that plagues us all
May 22, 2011
Hmmm. I'm kindof iffy on how many stars to give this one, but I will go with 2 stars (i.e. "it was ok"). In terms of how much I think it would appeal to other readers, I'd probably give it a 3. But for whatever reason, I just did not connect with this one. I'd compare it to a cheesy movie with bad acting; you sit there and watch until the end, but the whole time, you're halfway bored and your mind is on other things. I was VERY bored during the majority of this book, but kept reading just so I could count it on my 2011 books read. But overall, kindof a waste of time for me.... there are much better books I could've been reading during these past two weeks that would have actually held my interest.
However, I will acknowledge that it could've been my mindset, and distraction with other things in life, that kept me from enjoying it. Other people seemed to have enjoyed it!
However, I will acknowledge that it could've been my mindset, and distraction with other things in life, that kept me from enjoying it. Other people seemed to have enjoyed it!
February 6, 2013
Carol Warren è una scrittrice e illustratrice di libri per bambini, che si ritroverà catapultata nella brutale vita reale a seguito dell'omicidio della sua migliore amica da
parte di un serial killer.
Mi è piaciuto molto il fatto di non riuscire ad essere certi fino alla fine di chi fosse l'assassino (ma poi, siamo realmente sicuri che sia stato proprio lui?), e avrei voluto dare un voto più alto, ma sinceramente sono stufa di leggere di protagoniste il cui unico tratto saliente è l'essere bisognose di protezione (da chi poco importa) che però vanno con ogni singolo personaggio maschile a cui non sono legate da legami di sangue. E basta!
(A difesa dell'autore devo ammettere, però, che questo libro ha più di 10 anni).
parte di un serial killer.
Mi è piaciuto molto il fatto di non riuscire ad essere certi fino alla fine di chi fosse l'assassino (ma poi, siamo realmente sicuri che sia stato proprio lui?), e avrei voluto dare un voto più alto, ma sinceramente sono stufa di leggere di protagoniste il cui unico tratto saliente è l'essere bisognose di protezione (da chi poco importa) che però vanno con ogni singolo personaggio maschile a cui non sono legate da legami di sangue. E basta!
(A difesa dell'autore devo ammettere, però, che questo libro ha più di 10 anni).
September 16, 2010
I found this on a shelf in a goodwill store (where I will take a 'stab' at a book based on the title, front cover, back page splash, etc) and found it was pretty good. I consider these types of stories a guilty pleasure, but there were some good ins, outs, and whathaveyous; more than enough to keep me reading.
Read
December 4, 2014August 2006 -- Monroe Public Library, Monroe, CT -- Terrified book about serial killers
September 20, 2010
thought it was very good
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews