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Even in Darkness
Joy Miller, once a famed TV evangelist, retired years before when two tragedies struck her family: the first leading her husband to suicide; the second leaving her son dead and his wife and daughter estranged from her.
She now lives a lonely, reclusive life, until a package arrives in the mail containing graphic photographs of three people she knew long ago - all brutally murdered. When Joy reads the note in the package, she knows immediately who it's from: a ghost from her past, a dangerous individual who knows far too much about the skeletons in Joy's closet. Then people start disappearing ...
She now lives a lonely, reclusive life, until a package arrives in the mail containing graphic photographs of three people she knew long ago - all brutally murdered. When Joy reads the note in the package, she knows immediately who it's from: a ghost from her past, a dangerous individual who knows far too much about the skeletons in Joy's closet. Then people start disappearing ...
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
10 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Hightower
43 books86 followersLynn Hightower grew up in Kentucky, and graduated from the University of Kentucky, where she studied creative writing with Wendell Berry and earned a degree in Journalism. She also teaches novel writing in the Writer’s Program at UCLA. Survival jobs include writing television commercials, catering waitress, and bartender for one day.
Her books have been included in the New York Times List of Notable Books, the London Times Bestseller List, and the W.H. Smith Fresh Talent Awards. She has received the Shamus Award, and been nominated for the Kentucky Literary Award, the Kentucky Librarians First Choice Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Hightower’s books have been published in numerous foreign countries, including Great Britain, Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Israel and The Netherlands.
Hightower spends ridiculous amounts of time curled up reading, but also enjoys small sports cars and tame horses. She is married to The Frenchman, writes full time, shares an office with her Belgian Shepherd, Leo the Lion, plays bad but fierce tennis, loves to dance and is learning to Tango.
Hightower enjoys canoeing and is witty after two glasses of wine. She has studied French and Italian, but is only fluent in Southern.
Hightower is a Kentucky native, and lives in a small Victorian cottage with a writing parlor.
Her books have been included in the New York Times List of Notable Books, the London Times Bestseller List, and the W.H. Smith Fresh Talent Awards. She has received the Shamus Award, and been nominated for the Kentucky Literary Award, the Kentucky Librarians First Choice Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Hightower’s books have been published in numerous foreign countries, including Great Britain, Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Israel and The Netherlands.
Hightower spends ridiculous amounts of time curled up reading, but also enjoys small sports cars and tame horses. She is married to The Frenchman, writes full time, shares an office with her Belgian Shepherd, Leo the Lion, plays bad but fierce tennis, loves to dance and is learning to Tango.
Hightower enjoys canoeing and is witty after two glasses of wine. She has studied French and Italian, but is only fluent in Southern.
Hightower is a Kentucky native, and lives in a small Victorian cottage with a writing parlor.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 18, 2014
I read Lynn Hightower's first stand alone, The Piper, last year and was distinctly unimpressed. It was a decent read, but far from perfect. This book was a drastic dramatic and ever so welcome improvement. Hightower writes primarily mysteries and so, while The Piper's horror might have been somewhat uneven, here with a serial killer story she is once again in familiar territory and therefore excels. This one I really liked. Strong realistic characters, excellent sustained suspense, great writing. No slipping into chick lit, like with The Piper, despite the main protagonist being a woman. At the heart of the book is a quite compelling meditation of the nature and nurture factors that go into shaping of an evil person and whether that evil person can still possess a choice over their actions. The only thing that didn't work for me is the warped logic of the way the entire plot came across in retrospect after the final (unforeseen and quite possibly unnecessary) revelation. I think the book would have worked better without it. But it was a solidly good read and a treat for any fans of thriller mysteries, particularly of the more psychological over gory variety. Recommended.
September 29, 2014
Title - Even In Darkness
Author - Lynn S Hightower
Summary -
Once a famous TV evangelist, Joy Miller retired several years before when two tragedies struck her family, leaving both her husband and son dead. Her daughter in law and granddaughter estranged from her.
She now lives in reclusion, until a package arrives. Photos of other ministers of the faith, bound and murdered. When Joy reads the note that came with the photos, she knows who it came from. Her daughter in law also receives a package, concerning the death of Joy's son and her husband. Joy knows who is sending her and her daughter and law these packages. The her daughter and law and her granddaughter go missing.
"...There are times I think the Dark Man will be the source of my salvation, but there is never any doubt that he is a curse. My curse. If I had the chance for a lifetime do-over, I would never have gotten into the evangelism business. It is easy to forget what a dangerous job religion can be.
Caroline Miller is missing. Along with her daughter, my granddaughter, Andee Miller. Andee, whose eyes, the shape of her nose, the way she has of tilting her head to one side when she does not quite believe you-these things she gets from my son. Thus from me.
The Dark Man is back. And I know it is the Dark Man who has taken them..."
Joy Miller knows who has her granddaughter and she knows he will kill her and her mother. She knows as well as she knows she cannot tell the FBI. The FBI and the police know she is hiding something. In fact they are beginning to think Joy may have something to do with the missing mother and daughter.
But Joy can't worry about the FBI. The Police. Or anyone else who believes she would have a hand in this. She has to save what is left of her family before they are taken from her as well.
Review -
I am for the most part, unenthused about Even In Darkness. It is in some parts a good little thriller. But overall lacks the depth and the suspense needed to hold a reader through such a novel. Joy does not warrant a sense of connection and her actions, in the face of the danger her granddaughter is in, seem foolish and selfish. Her pride at times getting in the way of trying to save the people she loves.
Yes she had a bad marriage. And yes her terrible husband showed himself again in her weak and angry son. And her caregiving cousin betrayed her and the only person she feels for is her granddaughter and the child's mother, who happened to kill her son. Warranted no doubt but that isn't really gone into. After just blaming a bad husband is all the explanation needed right?
The novel is small and some more effort to develop the underlying story that obviously had a tremendous impact on the story you are telling now is worth the time and trouble. Overall this weakness to the plot is like a slow cancer that eventually touches the story in whole. And weakens it.
A good story that could have been much better with a little more time and effort.
Author - Lynn S Hightower
Summary -
Once a famous TV evangelist, Joy Miller retired several years before when two tragedies struck her family, leaving both her husband and son dead. Her daughter in law and granddaughter estranged from her.
She now lives in reclusion, until a package arrives. Photos of other ministers of the faith, bound and murdered. When Joy reads the note that came with the photos, she knows who it came from. Her daughter in law also receives a package, concerning the death of Joy's son and her husband. Joy knows who is sending her and her daughter and law these packages. The her daughter and law and her granddaughter go missing.
"...There are times I think the Dark Man will be the source of my salvation, but there is never any doubt that he is a curse. My curse. If I had the chance for a lifetime do-over, I would never have gotten into the evangelism business. It is easy to forget what a dangerous job religion can be.
Caroline Miller is missing. Along with her daughter, my granddaughter, Andee Miller. Andee, whose eyes, the shape of her nose, the way she has of tilting her head to one side when she does not quite believe you-these things she gets from my son. Thus from me.
The Dark Man is back. And I know it is the Dark Man who has taken them..."
Joy Miller knows who has her granddaughter and she knows he will kill her and her mother. She knows as well as she knows she cannot tell the FBI. The FBI and the police know she is hiding something. In fact they are beginning to think Joy may have something to do with the missing mother and daughter.
But Joy can't worry about the FBI. The Police. Or anyone else who believes she would have a hand in this. She has to save what is left of her family before they are taken from her as well.
Review -
I am for the most part, unenthused about Even In Darkness. It is in some parts a good little thriller. But overall lacks the depth and the suspense needed to hold a reader through such a novel. Joy does not warrant a sense of connection and her actions, in the face of the danger her granddaughter is in, seem foolish and selfish. Her pride at times getting in the way of trying to save the people she loves.
Yes she had a bad marriage. And yes her terrible husband showed himself again in her weak and angry son. And her caregiving cousin betrayed her and the only person she feels for is her granddaughter and the child's mother, who happened to kill her son. Warranted no doubt but that isn't really gone into. After just blaming a bad husband is all the explanation needed right?
The novel is small and some more effort to develop the underlying story that obviously had a tremendous impact on the story you are telling now is worth the time and trouble. Overall this weakness to the plot is like a slow cancer that eventually touches the story in whole. And weakens it.
A good story that could have been much better with a little more time and effort.
February 26, 2014
**3.5 stars**
Release date: 1st April 2014 from Severn House
Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy via netgalley
Joy Miller, once a famed TV evangelist, retired years before when two tragedies struck her family: the first leading her husband to suicide; the second leaving her son dead and his wife and daughter estranged from her.
She now lives a lonely, reclusive life, until a package arrives in the mail containing graphic photographs of three people she knew long ago – all brutally murdered. When Joy reads the note in the package, she knows immediately who it’s from: a ghost from her past, a dangerous individual who knows far too much about the skeletons in Joy’s closet. Then people start disappearing ..
So a new author to me, I was looking forward to this one, the premise sounded great and I love a good mystery all wrapped up in the past. Joy Miller keeps herself to herself these days having faced tragedy – but someone is not done with her yet and when she receives a strange and sinister package in the mail, her life will take an unexpected turn.
I rather liked Joy as a character – without giving anything away, I can absolutely understand why she keeps herself locked away from life – but there was an intriguing depth there that made me wonder if all was as it appeared.
As a mystery novel this works well – there is enough going on to hold your interest and enough twists along the way to keep you off balance and wonder what the outcome will be. I also liked that for me, it was a fairly short but sweet read, and I was fascinated by the main protagonist.
As a “Buried past” novel I would say it sits somewhere in the middle of the pack – I have read quite a few like this lately and whilst this was not the best of them it was certainly a compelling read and I enjoyed it very much.
Happy Reading Folks!
Release date: 1st April 2014 from Severn House
Thank you to the author and publisher for the review copy via netgalley
Joy Miller, once a famed TV evangelist, retired years before when two tragedies struck her family: the first leading her husband to suicide; the second leaving her son dead and his wife and daughter estranged from her.
She now lives a lonely, reclusive life, until a package arrives in the mail containing graphic photographs of three people she knew long ago – all brutally murdered. When Joy reads the note in the package, she knows immediately who it’s from: a ghost from her past, a dangerous individual who knows far too much about the skeletons in Joy’s closet. Then people start disappearing ..
So a new author to me, I was looking forward to this one, the premise sounded great and I love a good mystery all wrapped up in the past. Joy Miller keeps herself to herself these days having faced tragedy – but someone is not done with her yet and when she receives a strange and sinister package in the mail, her life will take an unexpected turn.
I rather liked Joy as a character – without giving anything away, I can absolutely understand why she keeps herself locked away from life – but there was an intriguing depth there that made me wonder if all was as it appeared.
As a mystery novel this works well – there is enough going on to hold your interest and enough twists along the way to keep you off balance and wonder what the outcome will be. I also liked that for me, it was a fairly short but sweet read, and I was fascinated by the main protagonist.
As a “Buried past” novel I would say it sits somewhere in the middle of the pack – I have read quite a few like this lately and whilst this was not the best of them it was certainly a compelling read and I enjoyed it very much.
Happy Reading Folks!
March 29, 2014
Even in Darkness, due to be released by Severn House on April 1, was a very good psychological thriller. Although the writing was not as polished, it reminded me of Rosamund Lupton's books and Turn of Mind, by Alice LaPlante.
Hightower perfectly captured the voice of Joy Miller, a retired female evangelist, whose daughter-in-law and granddaughter have been kidnapped by a serial killer with some sort of personal tie to Joy. Hightower did a very good job of dropping hints as to the nature of this connection, and I thought that I had figured it out by the middle of the book, but I was taken completely by surprise at the end.
The primary sour note was Joy's interactions with a secondary character, Father Panatel of the Abbey of Gethsemani, an Indian monk who has also had a prior connection to the killer. I recognize that there can be some eccentricities of language when native Indian speakers speak English, but, in print at least, those quirks seemed heavy-handed and cartoonish. The episodes with Father Panatel did not significantly advance the plot and could have been cut without adversely affecting the story. On the other hand, Hightower's description of Joy's relationship with her dog Leo was spot on, and I found myself smiling in recognition of Leo's behavior.
I thoroughly enjoyed Even in Darkness and found it very hard to put down.
I received a free copy of Even in Darkness through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hightower perfectly captured the voice of Joy Miller, a retired female evangelist, whose daughter-in-law and granddaughter have been kidnapped by a serial killer with some sort of personal tie to Joy. Hightower did a very good job of dropping hints as to the nature of this connection, and I thought that I had figured it out by the middle of the book, but I was taken completely by surprise at the end.
The primary sour note was Joy's interactions with a secondary character, Father Panatel of the Abbey of Gethsemani, an Indian monk who has also had a prior connection to the killer. I recognize that there can be some eccentricities of language when native Indian speakers speak English, but, in print at least, those quirks seemed heavy-handed and cartoonish. The episodes with Father Panatel did not significantly advance the plot and could have been cut without adversely affecting the story. On the other hand, Hightower's description of Joy's relationship with her dog Leo was spot on, and I found myself smiling in recognition of Leo's behavior.
I thoroughly enjoyed Even in Darkness and found it very hard to put down.
I received a free copy of Even in Darkness through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2016
I won this book through Goodreads.com. High suspense and surprising plot twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and at 210 pages it's a quick read. Highly recommend for suspense fans.
November 24, 2017
I read this book to fulfil the goal read a book on evenagilsm. i wasn't sure i would like it retired tv evangilst and serial killer doesn't exactly scream good dreams. it wasn't so bad though. yes, it had its scary moments, but it also had a lot of trust, forgiveness, and fresh starts.
August 19, 2019
Very confusing story line . Struggled with it .
May 16, 2020
Didn't finish...
May 31, 2021
I like this book is great.
October 20, 2016
Even in Darkness by Lynn Hightower
3★’s
From The Book:
Joy Miller, once a famed TV evangelist, retired years before when two tragedies struck her family: the first leading her husband to suicide; the second leaving her son dead and his wife and daughter estranged from her.
She now lives a lonely, reclusive life, until a package arrives in the mail containing graphic photographs of three people she knew long ago - all brutally murdered. When Joy reads the note in the package, she knows immediately who it's from: a ghost from her past, a dangerous individual who knows far too much about the skeletons in Joy's closet. Then people start disappearing.
My Thoughts:
The best thing about this novel was that it was short. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. There just wasn’t enough “meat” on the bones of this book to keep it going.
The beginning did a great job of setting the plot but Joy’s interaction with some of the characters did nothing to bring it forward. Understanding the reasons that Joy isolated herself was easy but her reactions to her fellow “bookmates” didn’t come across with any ring of truth. Her relationship with her dog was, as our Brit friends would say, “spot on.” Actually thinking about it the dog was the best character in the book and added more to the storyline that the heroine. In a nut shell…it’s not a bad book…just not a memorable book. If you want to read Lynn Hightower at her best read The Piper.
3★’s
From The Book:
Joy Miller, once a famed TV evangelist, retired years before when two tragedies struck her family: the first leading her husband to suicide; the second leaving her son dead and his wife and daughter estranged from her.
She now lives a lonely, reclusive life, until a package arrives in the mail containing graphic photographs of three people she knew long ago - all brutally murdered. When Joy reads the note in the package, she knows immediately who it's from: a ghost from her past, a dangerous individual who knows far too much about the skeletons in Joy's closet. Then people start disappearing.
My Thoughts:
The best thing about this novel was that it was short. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. There just wasn’t enough “meat” on the bones of this book to keep it going.
The beginning did a great job of setting the plot but Joy’s interaction with some of the characters did nothing to bring it forward. Understanding the reasons that Joy isolated herself was easy but her reactions to her fellow “bookmates” didn’t come across with any ring of truth. Her relationship with her dog was, as our Brit friends would say, “spot on.” Actually thinking about it the dog was the best character in the book and added more to the storyline that the heroine. In a nut shell…it’s not a bad book…just not a memorable book. If you want to read Lynn Hightower at her best read The Piper.
August 6, 2016
I wasn't impressed with any part of this book. It wasn't very well edited and had a few flow issues. The plot was sluggish and a bit dry. The characters were so-so, nothing exciting. Overall it was an average read, good for passing the time but not quite worth an investment. I received an evaluation copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion and review. In no way has this influenced our opinion. Read more reviews, author interviews and enter giveaways on my blog.
April 18, 2015
The storyline itself seemed pretty good; I just really had a hard time fully immersing myself in the story. I knew there was a connection between the main character Joy and the "villain" but I was surprised by the ending.
July 14, 2014
From reading the reviews before reading this book, I decided to read it myself. A harsh review is pretty daunting, but I have to say I did enjoy this book. Not my usual genre but was interesting in it's own way.
June 20, 2014
Interesting storyline.. I like how it ended
September 22, 2023
at welty
June 8, 2015
Not one that I'll remember for ever. Decent enough read I suppose! A short one at least!
March 17, 2016
KY author using KY places. Good plot. Easy to pick out the bad guy but the ending was really good.
January 15, 2017
Not as good and intricating as the last one of Lynn Hightower that I read. Having said that, the ending was a nice turn-out and you end the book with a relief.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews