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Sloan Hastings har netop taget hul på sin specialisering i retsmedicin og bliver allerede på førstedagen kastet ud i at forske i retsgenealogi. Det er en ny og spændende videnskabelig disciplin, der har spillet en stor rolle i opklaringen af en række højtprofilerede mordsager såsom den berygtede Golden State Killer-sag og drabet på Cameron Young. Sloan påbegynder sin forskning ved med stor entusiasme at indsende sit eget DNA til en slægtsforskningsdatabase på internettet. Men da resultaterne dukker op, er de yderst chokerende.
Sloan er vokset op med et par kærlige og omsorgsfulde forældre. Men hun har også altid vidst, at hun var adopteret. Nu antyder hendes DNA-profil, at hun i virkeligheden er Charlotte Margolis, bedre kendt som “Baby Charlotte”, der kom på hele nationens læber, da hun og hendes velhavende forældre på mystisk vis forsvandt helt tilbage i juli 1995. På trods af en omfattende eftersøgning og flere måneders massiv mediedækning var der aldrig nogen mistænkte i sagen om familiens forsvinden, og efterforskningen har ligget hen i flere årtier.
Sloan må forsøge at være et skridt foran både journalister og andre snushaner, der forsøger at opklare, hvad der faktisk skete med Baby Charlotte. Jagten på sandheden fører hende til Cedar Creek i Nevada, en lille by nord for den store sø Lake Tahoe. Her sidder den indflydelsesrige Margolis-familie på magten, og selvom Sloans biologiske familie til at begynde med er åbenhjertige, opfører de sig også mistænkeligt og hemmelighedsfuldt. Ikke alle lader til at være glade for Sloans hjemkomst – og heller ikke for de mange spørgsmål, hun stiller.
Jo mere hun finder ud af, des tydeligere bliver det for Sloan, at sandheden ligger begravet blandt Margolis-familiens dybeste hemmeligheder. Og nogen vil gøre alt for at holde den skjult.
Sloan er vokset op med et par kærlige og omsorgsfulde forældre. Men hun har også altid vidst, at hun var adopteret. Nu antyder hendes DNA-profil, at hun i virkeligheden er Charlotte Margolis, bedre kendt som “Baby Charlotte”, der kom på hele nationens læber, da hun og hendes velhavende forældre på mystisk vis forsvandt helt tilbage i juli 1995. På trods af en omfattende eftersøgning og flere måneders massiv mediedækning var der aldrig nogen mistænkte i sagen om familiens forsvinden, og efterforskningen har ligget hen i flere årtier.
Sloan må forsøge at være et skridt foran både journalister og andre snushaner, der forsøger at opklare, hvad der faktisk skete med Baby Charlotte. Jagten på sandheden fører hende til Cedar Creek i Nevada, en lille by nord for den store sø Lake Tahoe. Her sidder den indflydelsesrige Margolis-familie på magten, og selvom Sloans biologiske familie til at begynde med er åbenhjertige, opfører de sig også mistænkeligt og hemmelighedsfuldt. Ikke alle lader til at være glade for Sloans hjemkomst – og heller ikke for de mange spørgsmål, hun stiller.
Jo mere hun finder ud af, des tydeligere bliver det for Sloan, at sandheden ligger begravet blandt Margolis-familiens dybeste hemmeligheder. Og nogen vil gøre alt for at holde den skjult.
439 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2023
15528 people are currently reading
161423 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Donlea
28 books12.6k followersCharlie Donlea is the USA TODAY, IndieBound, and #1 Internationally bestselling author of critically acclaimed, propulsive thrillers including THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN, DON'T BELIEVE IT, TWENTY YEARS LATER, and THOSE EMPTY EYES. His ninth thriller, GUESS AGAIN, is out now.
Published in 40 countries and translated into twenty-five languages, his books have sold nearly 3 million copies in the U.S. alone.
He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane. These majestic trips to “God’s Country” inspired the settings for his novels Summit Lake and GUESS AGAIN, coming in August 2025.
He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.
Published in 40 countries and translated into twenty-five languages, his books have sold nearly 3 million copies in the U.S. alone.
He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane. These majestic trips to “God’s Country” inspired the settings for his novels Summit Lake and GUESS AGAIN, coming in August 2025.
He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 7,397 reviews
December 22, 2022
A messy plot that ends with a surprising twist!
When she was 17 years old, Alexandra Quinlan's parents and little brother were ruthlessly shot and killed inside their family home. Accused of the crime, she becomes a media sensation dubbed "empty eyes (which is a stupid name, IMHO).
Ten years have passed. Exonerated from the crime, Alex is now an investigator for a prominent law firm, searching for the killer.
It seemed like the plot was heading in one direction, but it abruptly changes direction with a time jump, linking Alex’s story to several other mysteries.
Alex is the main narrator, but random chapters told from the perspective of minor characters are thrown in. It seems like these chapters were added to make everything connect but were not needed. What results is a chaotic plot moving in competing directions, some over-the-top moments, and characters I couldn’t distinguish.
Alex is the most fleshed-out character, but with that being said, she isn’t quite multi-dimensional. All one knows about her is that she has spiky hair and a colorful lipstick fetish, she is searching for her family’s killer, and she is very particular about the coffee she drinks. Outside of these details, there isn’t much to her.
In the last 20%, Lane Phillips steps in. He is one of the main charactrs from the Rory Moore/Lane Phillips series--see Some Choose Darkness for reference. I wish this had been a Rory Moore/Lane Phillips novel vs. a random bunch of characters trying to hold together a chaotic plot.
There are some good things about this book: A lot is going on, but I was never bored. While I couldn't connect with Alexandra's character, I was interested in learning who killed her family. The killer’s identity took me by surprise in a good way, and even better, the final chapter reveals another surprising twist that threw me for a loop.
Those Empty Eyes has plenty of flaws, but it has some good things going for it. I have loved Donlea's other books, but this one was a mixed bag.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.
When she was 17 years old, Alexandra Quinlan's parents and little brother were ruthlessly shot and killed inside their family home. Accused of the crime, she becomes a media sensation dubbed "empty eyes (which is a stupid name, IMHO).
Ten years have passed. Exonerated from the crime, Alex is now an investigator for a prominent law firm, searching for the killer.
It seemed like the plot was heading in one direction, but it abruptly changes direction with a time jump, linking Alex’s story to several other mysteries.
Alex is the main narrator, but random chapters told from the perspective of minor characters are thrown in. It seems like these chapters were added to make everything connect but were not needed. What results is a chaotic plot moving in competing directions, some over-the-top moments, and characters I couldn’t distinguish.
Alex is the most fleshed-out character, but with that being said, she isn’t quite multi-dimensional. All one knows about her is that she has spiky hair and a colorful lipstick fetish, she is searching for her family’s killer, and she is very particular about the coffee she drinks. Outside of these details, there isn’t much to her.
In the last 20%, Lane Phillips steps in. He is one of the main charactrs from the Rory Moore/Lane Phillips series--see Some Choose Darkness for reference. I wish this had been a Rory Moore/Lane Phillips novel vs. a random bunch of characters trying to hold together a chaotic plot.
There are some good things about this book: A lot is going on, but I was never bored. While I couldn't connect with Alexandra's character, I was interested in learning who killed her family. The killer’s identity took me by surprise in a good way, and even better, the final chapter reveals another surprising twist that threw me for a loop.
Those Empty Eyes has plenty of flaws, but it has some good things going for it. I have loved Donlea's other books, but this one was a mixed bag.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 28, 2023DNF at 33% (end of Part 2) NO RATING
( note: The title of the UK edition is The Survivor)
TWENTY YEARS LATER-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SUMMIT LAKE -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DON’T BELIEVE IT-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips #1) Almost ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THE SUICIDE HOUSE (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clearly, I AM a fan of the author’s work BUT this will be a DNF for me.
The first 25% alternates between the night of the brutal crime when Alexandra’s parents and brother are killed, and the day of her “defamation of character” court case, 8 months later. She is suing because the Police ignored the evidence-and instead arrested her for the murders.
Photographs of three different women had been left on her parents bed, and a fingerprint was recovered from her bedroom window, but all of that was disregarded.
I was definitely intrigued by the setup.
BUT- the problem is that we could’ve learned all of that, in one chapter and instead the facts were rehashed in both narratives, (scene of the crime and court case) with Alexandra’s lawyer, Garrett, feeding the witness her lines.
And, the witness, who was the first Cop on the scene, just happened to be his wife.
It just didn’t ring true.
Police also OVERSHARED information with reporters at the crime scene and the Press dubbed Alexandra as “empty eyes” an observation about the dead look she wore as Police escorted the seventeen year old from her home, while she was clearly still in shock……
The moniker has already been OVERUSED in the first two parts the book.
She will attempt to rebuild her life in Cambridge, but when a lead takes her to Switzerland two years later, she is IMMEDIATELY recognized as “those empty eyes”, and she will be threatened with exposure, if she doesn’t pay her blackmailers a huge part of her settlement money.
Hmm..really?
Fortunately, help will arrive in Cambridge in the form of a man who ends EVERY sentence with the term, “mate”.
Used with the intent to make the location and conversations sound convincing-it had the opposite effect for me.
I am sure that this is a one off- and I WILL give the author the benefit of the doubt, and request his next book based on my previous POSITIVE experiences.
However, as much as I would have loved to solve this crime, I am struggling to move past the repetition and bad dialogue. This story seems to be lacking the meticulous research, that has given his past novels such a feel of authenticity.
I hope I am an outlier, and you have better luck luck with this one.
AVAILABLE NOW
Thank You to Kensington Books for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
( note: The title of the UK edition is The Survivor)
TWENTY YEARS LATER-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SUMMIT LAKE -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DON’T BELIEVE IT-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips #1) Almost ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THE SUICIDE HOUSE (Rory Moore/Lane Phillips #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clearly, I AM a fan of the author’s work BUT this will be a DNF for me.
The first 25% alternates between the night of the brutal crime when Alexandra’s parents and brother are killed, and the day of her “defamation of character” court case, 8 months later. She is suing because the Police ignored the evidence-and instead arrested her for the murders.
Photographs of three different women had been left on her parents bed, and a fingerprint was recovered from her bedroom window, but all of that was disregarded.
I was definitely intrigued by the setup.
BUT- the problem is that we could’ve learned all of that, in one chapter and instead the facts were rehashed in both narratives, (scene of the crime and court case) with Alexandra’s lawyer, Garrett, feeding the witness her lines.
And, the witness, who was the first Cop on the scene, just happened to be his wife.
It just didn’t ring true.
Police also OVERSHARED information with reporters at the crime scene and the Press dubbed Alexandra as “empty eyes” an observation about the dead look she wore as Police escorted the seventeen year old from her home, while she was clearly still in shock……
The moniker has already been OVERUSED in the first two parts the book.
She will attempt to rebuild her life in Cambridge, but when a lead takes her to Switzerland two years later, she is IMMEDIATELY recognized as “those empty eyes”, and she will be threatened with exposure, if she doesn’t pay her blackmailers a huge part of her settlement money.
Hmm..really?
Fortunately, help will arrive in Cambridge in the form of a man who ends EVERY sentence with the term, “mate”.
Used with the intent to make the location and conversations sound convincing-it had the opposite effect for me.
I am sure that this is a one off- and I WILL give the author the benefit of the doubt, and request his next book based on my previous POSITIVE experiences.
However, as much as I would have loved to solve this crime, I am struggling to move past the repetition and bad dialogue. This story seems to be lacking the meticulous research, that has given his past novels such a feel of authenticity.
I hope I am an outlier, and you have better luck luck with this one.
AVAILABLE NOW
Thank You to Kensington Books for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
March 19, 2023
Charlie Donlea has crafted a complex novel of crime and sleuthing with plenty of suspense in his latest standalone novel,
Those Empty Eyes
. It features Alex Armstrong who has legally changed her name in addition to changing her appearance and backstory. Ten years ago, she was the traumatized teenager, Alexandra Quinlan. Alexandra was accused of killing her family and was led from the family home in handcuffs. The media nicknamed her “Empty Eyes”. With the help of lawyers, she fought to clear her name and won a defamation lawsuit.
Despite ten years passing, Alex continues to search for answers about her family’s murders. She’s now a legal investigator for the law firm that helped her clear her name. She works to investigate potential clients and to secure justice for clients. Her next case is Matthew Claymore, a college student, who’s being questioned by the police in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Laura McAllister. As Alex investigates, she finds connections to her family’s murder.
Readers can easily root for Alex and hope she can succeed in life and in solving the murders of her family. She tirelessly seeks evidence to identify that killer and to support the legal firm’s clients’ claims of innocence. She’s organized and hard-working, but struggles for normalcy and balance in her life. There are numerous supporting characters that provide support, conflict, interest, and stability.
What a beginning! Donlea captured my interest with the first couple of paragraphs. The complicated and multi-layered plot moves back and forth in time and shifts focus to incidents that feel very disconnected. This affected the pacing and distracted me at times, but the author managed to weave the threads and connect the dots into a suspenseful and shocking tale as the story progressed.
The author is a superb storyteller and manages to surprise readers as the reveal occurs. I felt for Alex throughout the novel and wanted her to succeed. But what really happens? I had suspected part of the ending, but other parts were a bolt out of the blue. Themes include murder, friendship, family, survivor’s guilt, values, integrity, ill treatment of minors, and much more.
Overall, this compelling story grabbed my attention with likeable characters, a harrowing escape, and multiple mysteries. Great characterization, plenty of investigations, some suspenseful moments, and an action-packed ending make this a recommended book. I could easily see this book being the first in a series featuring Alex. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for March 28, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
-----------------------------------------
My 3.86 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Despite ten years passing, Alex continues to search for answers about her family’s murders. She’s now a legal investigator for the law firm that helped her clear her name. She works to investigate potential clients and to secure justice for clients. Her next case is Matthew Claymore, a college student, who’s being questioned by the police in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Laura McAllister. As Alex investigates, she finds connections to her family’s murder.
Readers can easily root for Alex and hope she can succeed in life and in solving the murders of her family. She tirelessly seeks evidence to identify that killer and to support the legal firm’s clients’ claims of innocence. She’s organized and hard-working, but struggles for normalcy and balance in her life. There are numerous supporting characters that provide support, conflict, interest, and stability.
What a beginning! Donlea captured my interest with the first couple of paragraphs. The complicated and multi-layered plot moves back and forth in time and shifts focus to incidents that feel very disconnected. This affected the pacing and distracted me at times, but the author managed to weave the threads and connect the dots into a suspenseful and shocking tale as the story progressed.
The author is a superb storyteller and manages to surprise readers as the reveal occurs. I felt for Alex throughout the novel and wanted her to succeed. But what really happens? I had suspected part of the ending, but other parts were a bolt out of the blue. Themes include murder, friendship, family, survivor’s guilt, values, integrity, ill treatment of minors, and much more.
Overall, this compelling story grabbed my attention with likeable characters, a harrowing escape, and multiple mysteries. Great characterization, plenty of investigations, some suspenseful moments, and an action-packed ending make this a recommended book. I could easily see this book being the first in a series featuring Alex. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for March 28, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
-----------------------------------------
My 3.86 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
January 18, 2023
2.5 stars.
A messy, unrealistic plot with too many side stories.
Alexandra Quinlan is the only survivor the night her parents and brother are killed in their family home. Alex is labelled “Empty Eyes” by the public for the look she had when she was arrested and charged with their murders. Ten years after being cleared and winning her defamation case, Alex is living under the radar but still searching for who killed her family and why.
Charlie Donlea is one of my favourite authors. I request any book he has written without even reading the synopsis. Unfortunately this novel was a big mess for me and not even close to resembling his usual writing.
The storyline was convoluted as it included numerous far fetched plot points which I’ve never had an issue with in his books before (I’ve read them all). Instead of adding layers to the story, the perspective changes damaged the pace and flow of the book and made a lot of the storyline repetitive. I had absolutely no investment in any of the characters lives including the main character who I found irritating and extremely unrealistic.
The author dives into many heavy topics but I wasn’t invested so they didn’t impact me as they should have.
Sadly, this book was not enjoyable for me. I highly recommend reading ANY of this authors’ previous work because I have loved everything else he has written — The Girl Who Was Taken being my absolute favourite!
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!
Estimated publication date: March 28, 2023
A messy, unrealistic plot with too many side stories.
Alexandra Quinlan is the only survivor the night her parents and brother are killed in their family home. Alex is labelled “Empty Eyes” by the public for the look she had when she was arrested and charged with their murders. Ten years after being cleared and winning her defamation case, Alex is living under the radar but still searching for who killed her family and why.
Charlie Donlea is one of my favourite authors. I request any book he has written without even reading the synopsis. Unfortunately this novel was a big mess for me and not even close to resembling his usual writing.
The storyline was convoluted as it included numerous far fetched plot points which I’ve never had an issue with in his books before (I’ve read them all). Instead of adding layers to the story, the perspective changes damaged the pace and flow of the book and made a lot of the storyline repetitive. I had absolutely no investment in any of the characters lives including the main character who I found irritating and extremely unrealistic.
The author dives into many heavy topics but I wasn’t invested so they didn’t impact me as they should have.
Sadly, this book was not enjoyable for me. I highly recommend reading ANY of this authors’ previous work because I have loved everything else he has written — The Girl Who Was Taken being my absolute favourite!
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!
Estimated publication date: March 28, 2023
July 3, 2025
“Those Empty Eyes” includes three different storylines introducing us to multilayered, inspiring heroines coming from different backgrounds, ages, and motives.
One of them is Alexandra Quinlan ( Armstrong). She might be considered the main character/ survivor/ tormented soul/ outcast/ tough fighter/ smart detective of the book. She found her parents and her brother massacred at their own house at the age of 17, and she outsmarted the killer by hiding behind a grandfather clock. But at the same night, the police officers misunderstood her situation as she was holding a gun in her lap, sitting in her parents’ bedroom where they were lying in a blood pool.
The officers thought she had killed them, and one of the officers: Donna Koppel, understood something was wrong, calling her hotshot lawyer husband, Garrett Lancaster ( that’s why Donna doesn’t carry his past name), to defend her. Because she was only 17, the officers jumped to the conclusion that she was the murderer without investigating any further.
After spending months in a detention center, Alex takes a stand during her highly publicized defamation trial and gets acquitted, earning 8 million dollars as a result of misconduct and unserved justice!
But she has no chance to live a peaceful life as reporters are lurking around her old house, true crime fans who think she got away with the murder. Tracy Carr: another hotshot reporter, gave her the name “Empty Eyes”, holding her mic to her after catching her off guard, handcuffed, and taking her into custody. After a few minutes later, she’s found the entire family dead!!!
10 years later, Alex still works with her lawyer and also Garrett Lancaster’s law firm as an investigator, using unethical methods, getting hands dirty to bring out justice, with a new image reminding you of Lisbeth Salander.
In the meantime, Tracy Carr posts special videos on her channel to remind her fans of the 10th anniversary of Quinlan’s murders, challenging Alex to come out from wherever she’s hiding.
Alex finds herself representing Matthew Claymore, whose girlfriend has gone missing. Her investigation pushes her to dig out more about the missing girlfriend :a popular student journalist, Laura McAllister, a radio host of McCormack University, who also gets invited to NBC’s morning show, followed by millions of fans. Laura was working on the rapes in the campus site related to a fraternity house member who used a raping drug to hunt the innocent girls. Her latest episode may be a political threat to Larry Chadwick, who is getting ready for a Supreme Court nomination. His son, Duncan, is a member of the fraternity house that is going to be mentioned in the episode. The connection can ruin his political career and his son’s life!
That’s the exact time we meet with Annette Packard, another tough, powerful heroine, an FBI agent who is specialized in finding the dirt and exposing it!
All those characters’ paths get crossed. Could Alex’s parents’ death be connected with those other cases?
I could give this book five stars if it didn’t contain so many storylines! All of them are impressively good and well written, but I think it takes too much time to connect with each piece of the puzzle. When I concentrated on Alex’s story, I realized I got introduced to new and powerful heroines and their storylines. Even though all of them got connected in the end, I felt a little exhausted to put the pieces together. The mysterious bludgeoning murder, the abuse in the youth camp, the campus rapes, political factions, the embezzlement cases…. Oh boy, there are so many materials to write three more books.
I decided to cut only one star and give my extra intelligent, riveting psychological, political, and also legal thriller stars! I preferred that book was focused on Alex’s case, but I loved the entire storyline and creative writing. It would not be fair to grade this book with less than four stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
One of them is Alexandra Quinlan ( Armstrong). She might be considered the main character/ survivor/ tormented soul/ outcast/ tough fighter/ smart detective of the book. She found her parents and her brother massacred at their own house at the age of 17, and she outsmarted the killer by hiding behind a grandfather clock. But at the same night, the police officers misunderstood her situation as she was holding a gun in her lap, sitting in her parents’ bedroom where they were lying in a blood pool.
The officers thought she had killed them, and one of the officers: Donna Koppel, understood something was wrong, calling her hotshot lawyer husband, Garrett Lancaster ( that’s why Donna doesn’t carry his past name), to defend her. Because she was only 17, the officers jumped to the conclusion that she was the murderer without investigating any further.
After spending months in a detention center, Alex takes a stand during her highly publicized defamation trial and gets acquitted, earning 8 million dollars as a result of misconduct and unserved justice!
But she has no chance to live a peaceful life as reporters are lurking around her old house, true crime fans who think she got away with the murder. Tracy Carr: another hotshot reporter, gave her the name “Empty Eyes”, holding her mic to her after catching her off guard, handcuffed, and taking her into custody. After a few minutes later, she’s found the entire family dead!!!
10 years later, Alex still works with her lawyer and also Garrett Lancaster’s law firm as an investigator, using unethical methods, getting hands dirty to bring out justice, with a new image reminding you of Lisbeth Salander.
In the meantime, Tracy Carr posts special videos on her channel to remind her fans of the 10th anniversary of Quinlan’s murders, challenging Alex to come out from wherever she’s hiding.
Alex finds herself representing Matthew Claymore, whose girlfriend has gone missing. Her investigation pushes her to dig out more about the missing girlfriend :a popular student journalist, Laura McAllister, a radio host of McCormack University, who also gets invited to NBC’s morning show, followed by millions of fans. Laura was working on the rapes in the campus site related to a fraternity house member who used a raping drug to hunt the innocent girls. Her latest episode may be a political threat to Larry Chadwick, who is getting ready for a Supreme Court nomination. His son, Duncan, is a member of the fraternity house that is going to be mentioned in the episode. The connection can ruin his political career and his son’s life!
That’s the exact time we meet with Annette Packard, another tough, powerful heroine, an FBI agent who is specialized in finding the dirt and exposing it!
All those characters’ paths get crossed. Could Alex’s parents’ death be connected with those other cases?
I could give this book five stars if it didn’t contain so many storylines! All of them are impressively good and well written, but I think it takes too much time to connect with each piece of the puzzle. When I concentrated on Alex’s story, I realized I got introduced to new and powerful heroines and their storylines. Even though all of them got connected in the end, I felt a little exhausted to put the pieces together. The mysterious bludgeoning murder, the abuse in the youth camp, the campus rapes, political factions, the embezzlement cases…. Oh boy, there are so many materials to write three more books.
I decided to cut only one star and give my extra intelligent, riveting psychological, political, and also legal thriller stars! I preferred that book was focused on Alex’s case, but I loved the entire storyline and creative writing. It would not be fair to grade this book with less than four stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
March 28, 2023
*Publication Day - March 28, 2023*
In 2013, seventeen-year-old Alexandra Quinlan was the only member of her family found unharmed after her parents and younger brother are gunned down by an unknown assailant in their own home. Unfortunately for her, Alexandra was treated as a suspect and taken into custody. An over-ambitious journalist remarked on her "empty eyes" when she was being escorted out of her own home by the police in a state of shock. “Empty Eyes” was a name that stuck as did the rumors of her guilt, despite the police having found no solid ground to convict her and her winning a defamation case against the State. The police branded it a home invasion gone wrong and never pursued the case much further. Alexandra eventually left town but never stopped looking for the person who killed her family, meticulously searching for any leads that shed a light on what happened that night. She eventually returns after her past comes to haunt her resulting in a messy situation abroad. Fast forward to 2023, and we have Alexandra, now Alex Armstrong, working as a legal investigator for Garrett Lancaster, the same lawyer who represented her in her defamation case and has been a guardian, friend and well-wisher. Alex’s work involves investigating potential clients for the firm, and finding any evidence proving their guilt means the firm does not accept said client’s case. An investigation into a client accused of embezzlement triggers a sequence of events that eventually is found to have a connection with what happened to Alex’s family.
Having read and enjoyed "Twenty Years Later" by Charlie Donlea, I was excited to be able to read an advance copy of his latest offering. Those Empty Eyes starts strong and I did enjoy how the story was progressing up until the 30% mark after which several sub-plots (at least one of which was completely unnecessary and served no purpose other than distracting the reader’s attention from the central plot) are introduced into the story. With so many threads and tropes (ripped from the headlines gets tiring after a point!), the plot got convoluted and farfetched. I continued with this story because I really wanted to know who the murderer was and I liked a few of the strong female characters in the mix. The ending took me by surprise, proving my predictions wrong (I love it when that happens, so points for that!). I enjoy complex and intricately plotted thrillers but this one just felt like several books somewhat haphazardly squeezed into a single narrative, which detracted from my overall reading experience. Overall, though I didn’t completely dislike Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea, I was a tad disappointed.
Many thanks to author Charlie Donlea, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
In 2013, seventeen-year-old Alexandra Quinlan was the only member of her family found unharmed after her parents and younger brother are gunned down by an unknown assailant in their own home. Unfortunately for her, Alexandra was treated as a suspect and taken into custody. An over-ambitious journalist remarked on her "empty eyes" when she was being escorted out of her own home by the police in a state of shock. “Empty Eyes” was a name that stuck as did the rumors of her guilt, despite the police having found no solid ground to convict her and her winning a defamation case against the State. The police branded it a home invasion gone wrong and never pursued the case much further. Alexandra eventually left town but never stopped looking for the person who killed her family, meticulously searching for any leads that shed a light on what happened that night. She eventually returns after her past comes to haunt her resulting in a messy situation abroad. Fast forward to 2023, and we have Alexandra, now Alex Armstrong, working as a legal investigator for Garrett Lancaster, the same lawyer who represented her in her defamation case and has been a guardian, friend and well-wisher. Alex’s work involves investigating potential clients for the firm, and finding any evidence proving their guilt means the firm does not accept said client’s case. An investigation into a client accused of embezzlement triggers a sequence of events that eventually is found to have a connection with what happened to Alex’s family.
Having read and enjoyed "Twenty Years Later" by Charlie Donlea, I was excited to be able to read an advance copy of his latest offering. Those Empty Eyes starts strong and I did enjoy how the story was progressing up until the 30% mark after which several sub-plots (at least one of which was completely unnecessary and served no purpose other than distracting the reader’s attention from the central plot) are introduced into the story. With so many threads and tropes (ripped from the headlines gets tiring after a point!), the plot got convoluted and farfetched. I continued with this story because I really wanted to know who the murderer was and I liked a few of the strong female characters in the mix. The ending took me by surprise, proving my predictions wrong (I love it when that happens, so points for that!). I enjoy complex and intricately plotted thrillers but this one just felt like several books somewhat haphazardly squeezed into a single narrative, which detracted from my overall reading experience. Overall, though I didn’t completely dislike Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea, I was a tad disappointed.
Many thanks to author Charlie Donlea, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
November 20, 2022
Hard driving ambition can trip you up at times.
Charlie Donlea has infused Those Empty Eyes with a wide panoramic vision. You'll see what I mean when you open the door on this one and hop in. There are multitudes of characters, settings, timelines, situations, and backstories to make you swoon. Ambition on overdrive. Those Empty Eyes could have been split up into three volumes and with a pending series in the make. Like just too much buttercream on that cake.
But let's begin......
There's a horrendous crime happening in the first few pages. Alexandra Quinlan's parents and thirteen year old brother have been murdered by a shotgun totin' maniac. Alex saved herself by hiding behind the grandfather clock in the hallway. When the police get there, Alex is in her parents' bedroom sitting with the shotgun in her lap. "Empty Eyes" was the display of shock after she is handcuffed and accused of the murders.
A criminal defense team of Jacqueline Jordan and Garrett Lancaster represent Alex and she is proven not guilty. There's a counter suit that creates piles of cash for Alex. Alex, hounded by the media, takes off to London to attend the university.
Ten years later, Alex is working at the same legal firm that assisted her as a legal investigator. But she's always pursued a deadend when it came to finding out who actually killed her parents. She's even created a crime board in her apartment.
Now Alex's story would have been plenty to go with in pursuit of the killer. Charlie Donlea insists that we widen the playing field by miles with stepping into trams that take us to a summer camp in the Appalachian Mountains, a media hound hot on the trail of a story, deaths of pedophiles, and a college investigator with a popular radio program. And there's plenty more to chew on here.
Those Empty Eyes was a 3.5 kicked up to 4 Stars because it's Charlie Donlea on the other side of that pen. I couldn't dismiss that and the fact that there were some very creative aspects to this one. But it was exhausting keeping track of everyone and hopping to a different location constantly.
I admired the focus on strong powerful females stepping forward in this world. Perhaps pare it down a bit in the next one, Charlie. It's back to that buttercream frosting......too much of a good thing happenin' here.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Books and to Charlie Donlea for the opportunity.
Charlie Donlea has infused Those Empty Eyes with a wide panoramic vision. You'll see what I mean when you open the door on this one and hop in. There are multitudes of characters, settings, timelines, situations, and backstories to make you swoon. Ambition on overdrive. Those Empty Eyes could have been split up into three volumes and with a pending series in the make. Like just too much buttercream on that cake.
But let's begin......
There's a horrendous crime happening in the first few pages. Alexandra Quinlan's parents and thirteen year old brother have been murdered by a shotgun totin' maniac. Alex saved herself by hiding behind the grandfather clock in the hallway. When the police get there, Alex is in her parents' bedroom sitting with the shotgun in her lap. "Empty Eyes" was the display of shock after she is handcuffed and accused of the murders.
A criminal defense team of Jacqueline Jordan and Garrett Lancaster represent Alex and she is proven not guilty. There's a counter suit that creates piles of cash for Alex. Alex, hounded by the media, takes off to London to attend the university.
Ten years later, Alex is working at the same legal firm that assisted her as a legal investigator. But she's always pursued a deadend when it came to finding out who actually killed her parents. She's even created a crime board in her apartment.
Now Alex's story would have been plenty to go with in pursuit of the killer. Charlie Donlea insists that we widen the playing field by miles with stepping into trams that take us to a summer camp in the Appalachian Mountains, a media hound hot on the trail of a story, deaths of pedophiles, and a college investigator with a popular radio program. And there's plenty more to chew on here.
Those Empty Eyes was a 3.5 kicked up to 4 Stars because it's Charlie Donlea on the other side of that pen. I couldn't dismiss that and the fact that there were some very creative aspects to this one. But it was exhausting keeping track of everyone and hopping to a different location constantly.
I admired the focus on strong powerful females stepping forward in this world. Perhaps pare it down a bit in the next one, Charlie. It's back to that buttercream frosting......too much of a good thing happenin' here.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Books and to Charlie Donlea for the opportunity.
December 31, 2022
3.5⭐
Was it shock? Or something darker that gave Alexandra those “empty eyes.”👀
Alexandra Quinlan woke to a living nightmare. Her family being gunned down in their home.
Now the sole survivor, Alexandra quickly becomes the prime suspect, and the police see no reason to look any further. They probably should have…as Alexandria was a victim too.
With the help of her lawyer Garrett, she’s slowly piecing her life back together. But of course, she’ll never forget that day, and it’s up to her to find justice for her family. No one else seems to be searching.
I’ve struggled with this author’s books as of late. While I did enjoy this one more than his two previous, I was left with so many unanswered questions.
There are multiple storylines mingling through this book, which I normally love. Unfortunately, some were left underdeveloped leaving me frustrated with a jigsaw puzzle that didn’t fit together completely.🧩😕
This was a buddy read with Susanne who loved this one more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books
Was it shock? Or something darker that gave Alexandra those “empty eyes.”👀
Alexandra Quinlan woke to a living nightmare. Her family being gunned down in their home.
Now the sole survivor, Alexandra quickly becomes the prime suspect, and the police see no reason to look any further. They probably should have…as Alexandria was a victim too.
With the help of her lawyer Garrett, she’s slowly piecing her life back together. But of course, she’ll never forget that day, and it’s up to her to find justice for her family. No one else seems to be searching.
I’ve struggled with this author’s books as of late. While I did enjoy this one more than his two previous, I was left with so many unanswered questions.
There are multiple storylines mingling through this book, which I normally love. Unfortunately, some were left underdeveloped leaving me frustrated with a jigsaw puzzle that didn’t fit together completely.🧩😕
This was a buddy read with Susanne who loved this one more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books
March 15, 2023
This book right here is a perfect example of a book not being for everyone. Most of my friends found this one to be mediocre at best so I waited to the very last minute to read my arc and I was dreading that it would put me in a book slump. Lucky for me, it did not put me in a slump, and I actually liked it quite a bit.
Alexandra Quinlan is an 18 year old girl, home asleep in her bed, when the unthinkable happens. She is awakened by a gun shot. Not just one but three gun shots to be exact. Her father, mother, and 13 year old brother have been gunned down and killed. Alexandra, now hiding behind a grandfather clock in the hallway, is never discovered by the perpetrator. When the police arrive they find Alexandra in shock, sitting at the foot of her parents bed, with the shotgun in her hands. The police believe she's guilty of killing her family. An image of the shocked young woman being led from her home in handcuffs has earned her the name, Empty Eyes.
Eventually, due to poor police work and a lacking investigation the charges on Alexandra are dropped. To the public though she is now a murderer that got away with the unthinkable. Not only that but after winning a defamation case she is awarded millions. Some think that money is undeserved.
Alexandra, however, is determined to find the true guilty party. Will her investigation lead her to the truth? You'll have to read this to find out!
When Donlea sat down to pen this novel he was certainly feeling ambitious. You have the main plot and many meandering sub-plots that seem unconnected but I assure you Donlea manages to weave them all together in the end. Now I admit that this is a little (a lot!) over the top, something I usually struggle with, but because I was enjoying the journey to find out the truth I didn't let it bother me this time. I really like Alexandra and I wanted to see her character arc come full circle. The ending offered up a couple of juicy surprises that were completely unexpected. Don't you just love when that happens? I know I do! 4 stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my complimentary copy.
Alexandra Quinlan is an 18 year old girl, home asleep in her bed, when the unthinkable happens. She is awakened by a gun shot. Not just one but three gun shots to be exact. Her father, mother, and 13 year old brother have been gunned down and killed. Alexandra, now hiding behind a grandfather clock in the hallway, is never discovered by the perpetrator. When the police arrive they find Alexandra in shock, sitting at the foot of her parents bed, with the shotgun in her hands. The police believe she's guilty of killing her family. An image of the shocked young woman being led from her home in handcuffs has earned her the name, Empty Eyes.
Eventually, due to poor police work and a lacking investigation the charges on Alexandra are dropped. To the public though she is now a murderer that got away with the unthinkable. Not only that but after winning a defamation case she is awarded millions. Some think that money is undeserved.
Alexandra, however, is determined to find the true guilty party. Will her investigation lead her to the truth? You'll have to read this to find out!
When Donlea sat down to pen this novel he was certainly feeling ambitious. You have the main plot and many meandering sub-plots that seem unconnected but I assure you Donlea manages to weave them all together in the end. Now I admit that this is a little (a lot!) over the top, something I usually struggle with, but because I was enjoying the journey to find out the truth I didn't let it bother me this time. I really like Alexandra and I wanted to see her character arc come full circle. The ending offered up a couple of juicy surprises that were completely unexpected. Don't you just love when that happens? I know I do! 4 stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my complimentary copy.
January 19, 2025
Ten years ago, Alex Quinlan was the lone survivor of a horrendous crime that left her parents and brother dead. Found holding the shotgun that killed them, she was quickly deemed responsible for the crime by the police. Even worse, she was nicknamed Empty Eyes after her perp walk following her arrest, a story that rapidly took on a life of its own. After being left to rot in a juvenile detention center and being vilified by the press, Alex sued and won a defamation lawsuit after eventually being cleared in the case.
Now, after working hard to leave the scared little girl in the dust, Alex has found a new life. With a new name and a job as legal investigator, she has begun to finally find her way in the world. She has not, however, forgotten that her family’s massacre has gone unsolved. Determined to root out the perpetrators, she has tried and failed over the years to close the case herself. All the while skirting the often frenzied true crime buffs and reporters who still, after all these years, are insistent that she is guilty of the crime.
But when she learns of the case against new client, Matthew Claymore, something feels not quite right about the facts. Suspected in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Laura McAllister, the old adage that it’s always the partner just might not be true this time. At least from Alex’s perspective. A student journalist who was about to come forward with a shocking story about a blatant cover-up of sexual assault on her university campus, there must be plenty of people happy to see Laura, even temporarily, silenced.
As Alex begins to dig into the case, one startling revelation after another comes to the surface. From the faculty to the fraternities, everyone seems to have something to hide. What Alex is not prepared to learn, however, is that Laura’s disappearance may just have an unexpected connection to the tragic deaths of her own family. How can this be? And what does it mean for Alex?
Holy guacamole! I honestly don’t know if I can express how utterly perfect Those Empty Eyes was from start to finish. A complicated combination of psychological thriller, legal thriller, and crime fiction, this novel had me from hello. Even better, the hefty doses of red herrings, jaw-dropping twists, and epic subplots left me reeling throughout.
Starting off with a bombshell first chapter told from the murderer’s POV, it was followed up by a constantly morphing storyline that demonstrated a plot that only a master could’ve created. Well-written and expertly organized, the meandering story took me across ten years and two continents following a truly magnificent protagonist. Through it, Alex transformed from a innocent young child clearly in shock into a strong, unstoppable character that I wholeheartedly fell in love with.
While this novel was one epic stand-alone novel, there’s a huge part of me crossing my fingers that it’s just book one of a series. After all, there were quite a few characters within these pages that would provide quite the ongoing story. From the fearless legal investigator turned private eye to the determined FBI agent who investigates politicians, I’d be thrilled to follow either of them almost anywhere. Even better, they’re not the only two, so please, Mr. Donlea, say it’s so!
If there was one microscopic flaw, though, it was the altogether massive character list. Given the long timeline, it wasn’t surprising, but if I hadn’t taken notes, I might have gotten a tad bit confused. Despite this, however, I honestly wouldn’t change a thing as it gave me the ultimate rollercoaster ride from the first page until the very last.
All said and done, I simply could not put this one down. Guaranteed to bust any reading slump, it was certainly filled with nerve-shredding dread. The first I’ve read by Donlea, I’m over-the-moon to see he has quite the back list of books. So now I just need to figure out which one to grab next because I most certainly have become a hardcore fan! Rating of 5+ stars.
Trigger warning: shooting deaths, blackmail, sexual assault, being roofied, child pornography, strangulation, carbon monoxide poisoning, pedophilia, mention of: suicide
Now, after working hard to leave the scared little girl in the dust, Alex has found a new life. With a new name and a job as legal investigator, she has begun to finally find her way in the world. She has not, however, forgotten that her family’s massacre has gone unsolved. Determined to root out the perpetrators, she has tried and failed over the years to close the case herself. All the while skirting the often frenzied true crime buffs and reporters who still, after all these years, are insistent that she is guilty of the crime.
But when she learns of the case against new client, Matthew Claymore, something feels not quite right about the facts. Suspected in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Laura McAllister, the old adage that it’s always the partner just might not be true this time. At least from Alex’s perspective. A student journalist who was about to come forward with a shocking story about a blatant cover-up of sexual assault on her university campus, there must be plenty of people happy to see Laura, even temporarily, silenced.
As Alex begins to dig into the case, one startling revelation after another comes to the surface. From the faculty to the fraternities, everyone seems to have something to hide. What Alex is not prepared to learn, however, is that Laura’s disappearance may just have an unexpected connection to the tragic deaths of her own family. How can this be? And what does it mean for Alex?
Holy guacamole! I honestly don’t know if I can express how utterly perfect Those Empty Eyes was from start to finish. A complicated combination of psychological thriller, legal thriller, and crime fiction, this novel had me from hello. Even better, the hefty doses of red herrings, jaw-dropping twists, and epic subplots left me reeling throughout.
Starting off with a bombshell first chapter told from the murderer’s POV, it was followed up by a constantly morphing storyline that demonstrated a plot that only a master could’ve created. Well-written and expertly organized, the meandering story took me across ten years and two continents following a truly magnificent protagonist. Through it, Alex transformed from a innocent young child clearly in shock into a strong, unstoppable character that I wholeheartedly fell in love with.
While this novel was one epic stand-alone novel, there’s a huge part of me crossing my fingers that it’s just book one of a series. After all, there were quite a few characters within these pages that would provide quite the ongoing story. From the fearless legal investigator turned private eye to the determined FBI agent who investigates politicians, I’d be thrilled to follow either of them almost anywhere. Even better, they’re not the only two, so please, Mr. Donlea, say it’s so!
If there was one microscopic flaw, though, it was the altogether massive character list. Given the long timeline, it wasn’t surprising, but if I hadn’t taken notes, I might have gotten a tad bit confused. Despite this, however, I honestly wouldn’t change a thing as it gave me the ultimate rollercoaster ride from the first page until the very last.
All said and done, I simply could not put this one down. Guaranteed to bust any reading slump, it was certainly filled with nerve-shredding dread. The first I’ve read by Donlea, I’m over-the-moon to see he has quite the back list of books. So now I just need to figure out which one to grab next because I most certainly have become a hardcore fan! Rating of 5+ stars.
Trigger warning: shooting deaths, blackmail, sexual assault, being roofied, child pornography, strangulation, carbon monoxide poisoning, pedophilia, mention of: suicide
December 22, 2023
Lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed this one a lot.
February 8, 2023
Those Empty Eyes is a thriller that starts with the problematic arrest of a 17 year old girl for the murder of her family and her subsequent defamation suit against the police department that ruined her life. But after a bit, it moves forward in time and is about the woman’s new career as an investigator for the same law firm that helped her out.
Alex was an interesting character and Donlea did a decent job of fleshing her out. Other characters were much more two dimensional.
The story has multiple subplots that all come together in the end. Throughout the story there were numerous little things that made the book hard to envision and find believable. I had the distinct impression the book had been hastily written. I’ve liked Donlea’s previous books, but this one didn’t measure up. It was filled with too many coincidences and OTT plot points. There were some decent twists at the end which did help.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book.
Alex was an interesting character and Donlea did a decent job of fleshing her out. Other characters were much more two dimensional.
The story has multiple subplots that all come together in the end. Throughout the story there were numerous little things that made the book hard to envision and find believable. I had the distinct impression the book had been hastily written. I’ve liked Donlea’s previous books, but this one didn’t measure up. It was filled with too many coincidences and OTT plot points. There were some decent twists at the end which did help.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book.
October 31, 2025
Alex’s family is killed by an intruder and she escapes – but does she really?
Especially when she is accused of their grizzly murder.
And then she gets off, but for years she has to dodge the accusations.
She begins a new life – but she still searches wondering who killed her family and why.
The law firm who helped her win a lawsuit against the police department who botched the case against her now continues to protect her, and employ her as an investigator.
A new case seems to lead her back to her own family murder. What does everything have in common?
This exciting, twisty page turner will keep you up until the last page – and I mean, literally the last page.
Especially when she is accused of their grizzly murder.
And then she gets off, but for years she has to dodge the accusations.
She begins a new life – but she still searches wondering who killed her family and why.
The law firm who helped her win a lawsuit against the police department who botched the case against her now continues to protect her, and employ her as an investigator.
A new case seems to lead her back to her own family murder. What does everything have in common?
This exciting, twisty page turner will keep you up until the last page – and I mean, literally the last page.
January 15, 2023
Alexandra Quinlan (Alex) was seventeen years old when she had her whole world turned upside down when her parents and brother were horrifically killed one evening by a person with a gun. Alex survived but was arrested and charged with their murders. Dubbed "Empty Eyes" by a journalist on the scene, she was tried in the public eye before she was ever tried in court.
Luckily for Alex, Donna, the first officer on the scene of the murder felt things were not right and called her husband, Garrett, an attorney who agreed to represent Alex in court. She is found not guilty, won a defamation suit against the police and changed her name. She is hoping for a new beginning, a new life and to never be called "Empty eyes" again.
Ten years after her family's murder, Alex is working for Garrett while also looking for clues as to who killed her family and why.
Then the story changes gears and delves into a young woman who was raped and a missing college podcaster who went missing while looking into the case. Alex begins to investigate the rape and what happened to the podcaster and finds that there are connections between this case and her own.
Whew! I really wanted to love this one. I have devoured Donlea's other books in the past, always finishing them satisfied and happy. This book took a turn which I didn't feel that it needed and lost its mojo for me. I felt that there was a good mystery in the beginning but then it became muddled and dragged on. Things do come together in the end, but it was a bumpy ride for me.
I enjoyed this but had my issues with it. It felt slow, with unnecessary subplots and left me feeling a little let down. I did enjoy the shocking reveal at the end! I did not see that coming and feel that Donlea did a great job with that. Plus, Lane Phillips comes in at the end (from another Donlea book).
I enjoyed this but felt it was not the author’s best work. I feel that he tried to tackle too much in this book. We can't love them all and this was the case of this book. Others have enjoyed this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.
Although I liked but didn't love this one, I will be reading more of Donlea’s books in the future.
A Traveling Friends buddy read.
3/3.5 stars
#ThoseEmptyEyes #NetGalley
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Luckily for Alex, Donna, the first officer on the scene of the murder felt things were not right and called her husband, Garrett, an attorney who agreed to represent Alex in court. She is found not guilty, won a defamation suit against the police and changed her name. She is hoping for a new beginning, a new life and to never be called "Empty eyes" again.
Ten years after her family's murder, Alex is working for Garrett while also looking for clues as to who killed her family and why.
Then the story changes gears and delves into a young woman who was raped and a missing college podcaster who went missing while looking into the case. Alex begins to investigate the rape and what happened to the podcaster and finds that there are connections between this case and her own.
Whew! I really wanted to love this one. I have devoured Donlea's other books in the past, always finishing them satisfied and happy. This book took a turn which I didn't feel that it needed and lost its mojo for me. I felt that there was a good mystery in the beginning but then it became muddled and dragged on. Things do come together in the end, but it was a bumpy ride for me.
I enjoyed this but had my issues with it. It felt slow, with unnecessary subplots and left me feeling a little let down. I did enjoy the shocking reveal at the end! I did not see that coming and feel that Donlea did a great job with that. Plus, Lane Phillips comes in at the end (from another Donlea book).
I enjoyed this but felt it was not the author’s best work. I feel that he tried to tackle too much in this book. We can't love them all and this was the case of this book. Others have enjoyed this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.
Although I liked but didn't love this one, I will be reading more of Donlea’s books in the future.
A Traveling Friends buddy read.
3/3.5 stars
#ThoseEmptyEyes #NetGalley
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
March 25, 2023
Loved the synopsis and think this could have been fantastic, but the story lost momentum with all of the side plots and repetition. It all ties together (in an off the rails bananas fashion) in the end, but it took way too long to get there - I felt like I was reading a 500 page book, not 300 pages.
I’d try another book by this author since he seems really popular, but this one really didn’t work for me.
* thanks to Kensington Books for the NetGalley review copy. Those Empty Eyes publishes March 28.
The more I thought about this book, the crankier I got, so (( SCROLL WAY DOWN FOR SOME CRABBY COMMENTS WITH SPOILERS ))
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Maybe I’ll fully write this out eventually, but for now here are some disorganized, grammatically suspect crabby ramblings based on some highlights/notes I made while reading. I skipped chapters 43-68 because I was losing my mind and jumped to the (crazy) ending, which I won’t write about here because thinking about it is giving me a headache.
Tell. Tell. Tell some more. Insert clunky dialogue. Repeat.
I don’t think “Empty Eyes” is a nickname that would stick. It’s awkward to say. How about Shark Eyes? Dead Eyes? Crazy Eyes? Laser Eyes? I don’t know.
Adult Alex sounds like the Party City discount rack version of someone cosplaying Lisbeth Salander.
Ch. 9 - “Although her parents were business owners, theirs was a two-man tax and accounting firm...”
> If this is a money laundering or mob hit story I am going to be pissed. (Spoiler: I AM PISSED)
Ch. 11 - “The language barrier had made it difficult to convince the bartender to fill her glass with only ice and tonic water, without adding gin or vodka.”
> The language barrier IN SWITZERLAND (?) lol
Big Issue 1: Alex’s appearance and disappearance
(Chapter 42)
“That Alex’s right arm was covered with ink, the remnants of another tattoo crept up her neck and peeked from under her collar, and a nose ring pierced her left nostril was likely enough to get her thrown off campus. It was at least enough for Ashley Holms to give her a second glance. The spiked blond hair and today’s shade of lipstick—bright magenta—likely added to the girl’s confusion as to why this foreign creature was knocking on her door.”
I cannot. Giving a character some dumb tattoos and piercings doesn’t substitute for giving them a personality. Though, in addition to shocking the proper college girls who were evidently never allowed to leave the cult compound/watch tv/exist in the world, a tattoo and some lipstick will also make a person invisible to the media, internet sleuths, and every human ever, except (eventually) one local reporter because:
“Throughout the trial, no one in the media had uncovered that Alex was staying with the lawyer who represented her. And this many years later, none had sniffed out that she was working for that same man who had saved her life.”
Everyone is stupid! Got it.
Medium Issue 2: The Juvie Pals
(Ch. 21) “Since the police and the press had incinerated her old life—and every friendship from high school—her only friends today came from the seventy-one days she’d spent in juvenile detention. It was a kinship made up of a group of unlikely allies forced to fight for each other inside Alleghany once the lights went out and the true delinquents roamed the floors. Those relationships had lasted and included a short list of people who were more than willing to take odd jobs from Alex when she needed something shady.”
And none of those “juvie pals” sold her out to Dateline or whatever for some fast cash? Haaahahahaahaha ok.
Big Issue Three: Sounds like someone spent a semester abroad and can’t stop talking about how much better everything is in BarTHelona.
“After more than a year in Cambridge, Alex had become proficient at breaking through dialects and accents to understand the English underneath. But she had learned during this trip across Europe that the English dialects varied, not just from country to country, but throughout different regions of each country. Here in Switzerland, English-speaking Swiss carried heavy tones of either French or German. Drew Estes’s accent was thick German with British undertones, which took Alex a moment to decipher.”
This entirely unnecessary bit of nonsense was the written version of those endless, excruciatingly pointless freshman dorm room conversations about saying pop vs. soda.
(Thanks to @GirlinthePinkSkiMask for pointing out this gem)
Medium Issue Four: Computer stuff
(Chapter 21) “Her first bit of luck was that Mr. Zell had not password protected his computer.”
In what universe would a dude who is under investigation for shady money business AND keeps a boatload of child sex abuse material on his computer NOT password-protect the shit out of his laptop?
Big Issue Five: The male gaze is the most important thing/I have maybe never met a human woman
“She was happy to see a woman behind the counter. She suddenly and inexplicably worried less about her disheveled appearance—wild hair, smeared makeup, and no shoes—than if a man had greeted her.”
I don’t think inexplicably is the word to use here, my dude. She was just sexually assaulted BY A MAN. Perhaps being uncomfortable sharing this information with another man would be, I don’t know… explicable (?) but she’s INEXPLICABLY supposed to be worrying about what she looks like in the event she meets a man, lest he judge her disheveled appearance and deem her unfuckable (?) aaaaaaagh
I get that a lot of people really dug this book, and good for them - I LOVED the premise of it - I really wish there had been some vicious editing to sort some of this shit out and make it as good as it could have been.
I’d try another book by this author since he seems really popular, but this one really didn’t work for me.
* thanks to Kensington Books for the NetGalley review copy. Those Empty Eyes publishes March 28.
The more I thought about this book, the crankier I got, so (( SCROLL WAY DOWN FOR SOME CRABBY COMMENTS WITH SPOILERS ))
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Maybe I’ll fully write this out eventually, but for now here are some disorganized, grammatically suspect crabby ramblings based on some highlights/notes I made while reading. I skipped chapters 43-68 because I was losing my mind and jumped to the (crazy) ending, which I won’t write about here because thinking about it is giving me a headache.
Tell. Tell. Tell some more. Insert clunky dialogue. Repeat.
I don’t think “Empty Eyes” is a nickname that would stick. It’s awkward to say. How about Shark Eyes? Dead Eyes? Crazy Eyes? Laser Eyes? I don’t know.
Adult Alex sounds like the Party City discount rack version of someone cosplaying Lisbeth Salander.
Ch. 9 - “Although her parents were business owners, theirs was a two-man tax and accounting firm...”
> If this is a money laundering or mob hit story I am going to be pissed. (Spoiler: I AM PISSED)
Ch. 11 - “The language barrier had made it difficult to convince the bartender to fill her glass with only ice and tonic water, without adding gin or vodka.”
> The language barrier IN SWITZERLAND (?) lol
Big Issue 1: Alex’s appearance and disappearance
(Chapter 42)
“That Alex’s right arm was covered with ink, the remnants of another tattoo crept up her neck and peeked from under her collar, and a nose ring pierced her left nostril was likely enough to get her thrown off campus. It was at least enough for Ashley Holms to give her a second glance. The spiked blond hair and today’s shade of lipstick—bright magenta—likely added to the girl’s confusion as to why this foreign creature was knocking on her door.”
I cannot. Giving a character some dumb tattoos and piercings doesn’t substitute for giving them a personality. Though, in addition to shocking the proper college girls who were evidently never allowed to leave the cult compound/watch tv/exist in the world, a tattoo and some lipstick will also make a person invisible to the media, internet sleuths, and every human ever, except (eventually) one local reporter because:
“Throughout the trial, no one in the media had uncovered that Alex was staying with the lawyer who represented her. And this many years later, none had sniffed out that she was working for that same man who had saved her life.”
Everyone is stupid! Got it.
Medium Issue 2: The Juvie Pals
(Ch. 21) “Since the police and the press had incinerated her old life—and every friendship from high school—her only friends today came from the seventy-one days she’d spent in juvenile detention. It was a kinship made up of a group of unlikely allies forced to fight for each other inside Alleghany once the lights went out and the true delinquents roamed the floors. Those relationships had lasted and included a short list of people who were more than willing to take odd jobs from Alex when she needed something shady.”
And none of those “juvie pals” sold her out to Dateline or whatever for some fast cash? Haaahahahaahaha ok.
Big Issue Three: Sounds like someone spent a semester abroad and can’t stop talking about how much better everything is in BarTHelona.
“After more than a year in Cambridge, Alex had become proficient at breaking through dialects and accents to understand the English underneath. But she had learned during this trip across Europe that the English dialects varied, not just from country to country, but throughout different regions of each country. Here in Switzerland, English-speaking Swiss carried heavy tones of either French or German. Drew Estes’s accent was thick German with British undertones, which took Alex a moment to decipher.”
This entirely unnecessary bit of nonsense was the written version of those endless, excruciatingly pointless freshman dorm room conversations about saying pop vs. soda.
(Thanks to @GirlinthePinkSkiMask for pointing out this gem)
Medium Issue Four: Computer stuff
(Chapter 21) “Her first bit of luck was that Mr. Zell had not password protected his computer.”
In what universe would a dude who is under investigation for shady money business AND keeps a boatload of child sex abuse material on his computer NOT password-protect the shit out of his laptop?
Big Issue Five: The male gaze is the most important thing/I have maybe never met a human woman
“She was happy to see a woman behind the counter. She suddenly and inexplicably worried less about her disheveled appearance—wild hair, smeared makeup, and no shoes—than if a man had greeted her.”
I don’t think inexplicably is the word to use here, my dude. She was just sexually assaulted BY A MAN. Perhaps being uncomfortable sharing this information with another man would be, I don’t know… explicable (?) but she’s INEXPLICABLY supposed to be worrying about what she looks like in the event she meets a man, lest he judge her disheveled appearance and deem her unfuckable (?) aaaaaaagh
I get that a lot of people really dug this book, and good for them - I LOVED the premise of it - I really wish there had been some vicious editing to sort some of this shit out and make it as good as it could have been.
July 23, 2023
Those Empty Eyes is a sprawling mystery spanning multiple years, characters, and continents. I can't imagine how much work Charlie Donlea puts into his books. This is my second and it was excellent. My only sticking point was that tiny little twist at the end was obvious and dragged out a bit too long. But otherwise it was pretty much perfect.
4.5 stars :) Can't wait to pick up another of his books.
4.5 stars :) Can't wait to pick up another of his books.
January 22, 2023
Thank you, Charlie Donlea, thank you! I felt that I was on the verge of a reading slump, with multiple meh books in a row. I knew that this author would not let me down, and it was everything that I hoped for and more. His books are always dark and absorbing. I love the small connections between his previous books, but they can easily be read as standalone books.
Those Empty Eyes has so much happening all the time that it is hard to put down. It begins with the massacre of a family 10 years ago. Alexandra Quilan is the sole survivor; her parents and brother were gunned down in their family home. Alex was found by police in her parents' bedroom holding the murder weapon. She is 17 and soon taken into care before being charged with murder. She is eventually proven to be innocent and receives a huge settlement. Now she is known as Alex Armstrong and working as an investigator, but her families' murders are never far from her mind. True crime podcasts still talk about her, and she is known as Empty Eyes.
Not going to say anything else about the storyline, but if you have read any of this authors work before you know that nothing is ever straight forward. You will need to read it to learn more but let me just say that this is my first 5 star read for 2023.
A huge thank you to Kensington Books for my advanced copy to read. Published on March 28th, get it on your TBR now.
Those Empty Eyes has so much happening all the time that it is hard to put down. It begins with the massacre of a family 10 years ago. Alexandra Quilan is the sole survivor; her parents and brother were gunned down in their family home. Alex was found by police in her parents' bedroom holding the murder weapon. She is 17 and soon taken into care before being charged with murder. She is eventually proven to be innocent and receives a huge settlement. Now she is known as Alex Armstrong and working as an investigator, but her families' murders are never far from her mind. True crime podcasts still talk about her, and she is known as Empty Eyes.
Not going to say anything else about the storyline, but if you have read any of this authors work before you know that nothing is ever straight forward. You will need to read it to learn more but let me just say that this is my first 5 star read for 2023.
A huge thank you to Kensington Books for my advanced copy to read. Published on March 28th, get it on your TBR now.
February 1, 2023
The story begins intriguing when we meet Alexandra Quinlan, accused of killing her family, and later won a highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the nation's attention. Ten years after her family's murder, Alex begins working for Garrett, the attorney who represented her while searching for answers as to what happened the night her family was murdered. From there, many storylines are added and repeated. It felt like the wheels were spinning but couldn't get off the ground. Things do pick up with the story's climax to a rewarding ending.
Through the years since his first book, many Traveling Sisters and Friends have read and loved Charlie Donlea's books, and if you are new to his books, start with one of them. If you are already a fan, this is worth the read it's just not his best. Everyone can have an one-off.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
Through the years since his first book, many Traveling Sisters and Friends have read and loved Charlie Donlea's books, and if you are new to his books, start with one of them. If you are already a fan, this is worth the read it's just not his best. Everyone can have an one-off.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
March 29, 2023
3.5⭐
Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, 7 part story, timeline ~ 2013 - 2023, murder, crime thriller, references to se*ual assault & r@pe
Alexandra's parents and 13 year old brother were killed while she hid behind a grandfather clock. We hear about said grandfather clock a bazillion times throughout the entire book....fine, like 50, but it felt like a bazillion. You know how some words or songs just stick in your head and you can't stop hearing it, well that was how I felt about grandfather clock.
The police and public think she killed her family and call her empty eyes and they are relentless, so she goes into hiding. 10 years later and she's working with her lawyer and savior, Garrett, on a case that has nothing to do with anything or does it? She's trying to solve her own parents murder as well.
Overall, this was good, but there was a lot going on that I'm not really sure was necessary which made it move along slowly at times. There were some suspenseful moments and I am very pleased with the surprise ending.
I was fortune enough to have a kindle copy and an audio copy. Both were fine formats.
Narration:
Vivienne Leheny ~ 10 hours 28 minutes ~ she did a fine job.
Publication date ~ March 28, 2023
*Thanks to the author, Kensington Books, RB Media and NetGalley for the ARC and audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, 7 part story, timeline ~ 2013 - 2023, murder, crime thriller, references to se*ual assault & r@pe
Alexandra's parents and 13 year old brother were killed while she hid behind a grandfather clock. We hear about said grandfather clock a bazillion times throughout the entire book....fine, like 50, but it felt like a bazillion. You know how some words or songs just stick in your head and you can't stop hearing it, well that was how I felt about grandfather clock.
The police and public think she killed her family and call her empty eyes and they are relentless, so she goes into hiding. 10 years later and she's working with her lawyer and savior, Garrett, on a case that has nothing to do with anything or does it? She's trying to solve her own parents murder as well.
Overall, this was good, but there was a lot going on that I'm not really sure was necessary which made it move along slowly at times. There were some suspenseful moments and I am very pleased with the surprise ending.
I was fortune enough to have a kindle copy and an audio copy. Both were fine formats.
Narration:
Vivienne Leheny ~ 10 hours 28 minutes ~ she did a fine job.
Publication date ~ March 28, 2023
*Thanks to the author, Kensington Books, RB Media and NetGalley for the ARC and audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
July 25, 2024
SO GOOD. This book was so twisty and a heart pounding thriller until the very end. I couldn’t not give it 5 stars because it was just so well thought out and executed. There was a bunch of twists and turns, unreliable characters, several different plot lines all wrapped up into one by the end. My only complaint is it was hard to keep track of who was who because there was many characters but this was a perfect mix of psychological thriller and crime fiction. One of my favorites by Donlea for sure! This is on kindle unlimited and I highly recommend it.
September 4, 2024
W styczniu 2013 strzelec wchodzi do domu Quinlan’ów i zabija śpiące małżeństwo. Ich trzynastoletni syn nakrył zabójcę, co wywołało w sprawcy chęć pozbycia się świadków. Raymond zostaje zastrzelony, lecz ostatni członek rodziny ucieka. Wezwana na miejsce policja znajduje córkę Qinlan’ów, siedzącą przy zwłokach rodziców ze strzelbą na kolanach. Odtąd Alexandra staje się główną podejrzaną o zamordowanie rodziców. Sprawa jest medialna, siedemnastolatką zafascynował się cały kraj. Zostaje osądzona o popełnienie zbrodni i uznana za morderczynię. Po pojawieniu się dowodu na jej niewinność i oczyszczeniu z zarzutów Alex zdobywa fortunę z odszkodowania. Łatka zabójczej „Martwookiej” na zawsze będzie należeć do Alexandry Quinlan.
Po latach, jako Alex Armstrong, nadal szuka mordercy swojej rodziny. Kobieta podąża śladami przeszłości, jednocześnie starając się nie dopuścić do ujawnienia własnej. Zostaje jednak zdemaskowana przez parę szukających ją fanów. Pakuje się w kłopoty, z których ratuje ją jej dawny obrońca Garrett Lancaster. Podejmuje pracę śledczej w kancelarii adwokackiej Lancaster & Jordan. Podczas sprawdzania potencjalnego klienta trafia na trop zabójcy jej rodziców i brata.
Z upływem stron okazuje się, że to, co ukazują bohaterowie jest iluzją, a sekrety mnożą się coraz intensywniej napędzając historię. Bohaterowie mają immanentną potrzebę przekraczania granic moralnych do zachowania swych tajemnic w cieniu.
Akcja powieści dzieje się w kilku przestrzeniach czasowych oraz miejscach w USA oraz w Europie, w małych miejscowościach i wielkich aglomeracjach. Również dzięki tej różnorodności lokacji fabuła nie jest monotonna. Dodatkowym "smaczkiem" jest ukazanie technik stosowanych przez amerykańskich detektywów śledczych kancelarii prawnych oraz wykorzystywaniu sztucznej inteligencji do analizowania dowodów.
Powieść obfituje w zwroty akcji, a finał jest zaskakujący. Postać sprawcy była wprowadzona w początkowych rozdziałach, szansa na jego zdemaskowanie była, ale mnie nie udało się tego dokonać.
Porównując do innych powieści autora, które czytałam, największe wrażenie zrobiło na mnie „Idealne morderstwo”. Prócz świetnego pomysłu na fabułę jest wypełniony bohaterami, a akcja ma idealne tempo. „Uprowadzona” również miała ciekawy koncept, ale wykonanie było rozwleczone. W „Mrocznym spojrzeniu” śledztwo było porywające, intryga zawiła, a sprawca nieoczywisty, jednak znalazły się w niej dłużyzny.
Po latach, jako Alex Armstrong, nadal szuka mordercy swojej rodziny. Kobieta podąża śladami przeszłości, jednocześnie starając się nie dopuścić do ujawnienia własnej. Zostaje jednak zdemaskowana przez parę szukających ją fanów. Pakuje się w kłopoty, z których ratuje ją jej dawny obrońca Garrett Lancaster. Podejmuje pracę śledczej w kancelarii adwokackiej Lancaster & Jordan. Podczas sprawdzania potencjalnego klienta trafia na trop zabójcy jej rodziców i brata.
Z upływem stron okazuje się, że to, co ukazują bohaterowie jest iluzją, a sekrety mnożą się coraz intensywniej napędzając historię. Bohaterowie mają immanentną potrzebę przekraczania granic moralnych do zachowania swych tajemnic w cieniu.
Akcja powieści dzieje się w kilku przestrzeniach czasowych oraz miejscach w USA oraz w Europie, w małych miejscowościach i wielkich aglomeracjach. Również dzięki tej różnorodności lokacji fabuła nie jest monotonna. Dodatkowym "smaczkiem" jest ukazanie technik stosowanych przez amerykańskich detektywów śledczych kancelarii prawnych oraz wykorzystywaniu sztucznej inteligencji do analizowania dowodów.
Powieść obfituje w zwroty akcji, a finał jest zaskakujący. Postać sprawcy była wprowadzona w początkowych rozdziałach, szansa na jego zdemaskowanie była, ale mnie nie udało się tego dokonać.
Porównując do innych powieści autora, które czytałam, największe wrażenie zrobiło na mnie „Idealne morderstwo”. Prócz świetnego pomysłu na fabułę jest wypełniony bohaterami, a akcja ma idealne tempo. „Uprowadzona” również miała ciekawy koncept, ale wykonanie było rozwleczone. W „Mrocznym spojrzeniu” śledztwo było porywające, intryga zawiła, a sprawca nieoczywisty, jednak znalazły się w niej dłużyzny.
August 29, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia/ graphic audio for an ALC of this book!
H.O.L.Y. S.H.I.T.E.
The new official and ONLY way to consume Charlie Donlea is by listening to the Dramatized Adaptation, purchasing the book trophy, & rereading sed book trophy at least once a year.
I'm not going to lie, sometimes when I read his books, I feel as if I get a little lost but I LOVE when that happens in a Donlea work of art..It's like complaining you can't see anything through a telescope, and you momentarily blame the telescope thinking it's broken. While realistically the whole time you've just been looking at the wall, and when someone finally turns you towards the sky you're seeing a shower of shooting stars and it's one of the greatest things you've ever seen.. Because you're never really "lost" in a Charlie Donlea book, you're usually just looking for clues in the wrong places.
After 5- staring all three books I've read from this Author, I think I can officially say, I don't like Cop/Detective books UNLESS they're written by this man right here!
H.O.L.Y. S.H.I.T.E.
The new official and ONLY way to consume Charlie Donlea is by listening to the Dramatized Adaptation, purchasing the book trophy, & rereading sed book trophy at least once a year.
I'm not going to lie, sometimes when I read his books, I feel as if I get a little lost but I LOVE when that happens in a Donlea work of art..It's like complaining you can't see anything through a telescope, and you momentarily blame the telescope thinking it's broken. While realistically the whole time you've just been looking at the wall, and when someone finally turns you towards the sky you're seeing a shower of shooting stars and it's one of the greatest things you've ever seen.. Because you're never really "lost" in a Charlie Donlea book, you're usually just looking for clues in the wrong places.
After 5- staring all three books I've read from this Author, I think I can officially say, I don't like Cop/Detective books UNLESS they're written by this man right here!
March 25, 2023
Based on the book summary, it’s kind of hard to determine what’s the primary storyline for this book. Is it Alex finding the killer who murdered her family when she was 17? Is it finding Laura McAllister? Is it clearing Matthew Claymore’s name in Laura’s disappearance? For the record, the part of the story around Laura and Matthew is only a short part in the second half of the book, not enough to even be a storyline. However, there is a secondary storyline about a kid’s summer camp called Camp Montegue. This secondary storyline is weaved in and out of the whole story.
The story starts with the killing of Alex’s family when she was 17. She survived by tricking the killer and hiding from him. For the rest of the first half of the story, it covers the aftermath of that night, her arrest for the killings and the defamation suit and case she filed against the police dept after she was cleared of the murders. It also covers the following two years where Alex basically disappears in order to search for leads to her family’s killer based on documents she found in her family’s home.
The second half of the story starts eight years later, and Alex has changed her name, looks and residence. She now works for the attorney who represented her in the defamation case as an investigator while still keeping a low-profile so as not to attract the attention of the media and/or true crime fanatics that are still looking for her. It’s during one of her cases (not the Matthew Claymore or Laura McAllister cases) that she discovers a link to the case of her murdered family.
The murder of Alex’s family is most certainly the primary storyline. In the last 15-20% of the story, the two storylines begin to merge. After being contacted by an FBI agent regarding the investigation of Laura and Matthew, Alex negotiates a quid pro quo deal to help the agent if she helps Alex with her investigation of her family’s murders. After sharing all the evidence that she has on her family’s case, Alex is introduced to a former FBI profiler in order to put together a profile of the killer. The ending comes quick after that and it’s an intense and scary scene. However, it’s the last few pages of the book that TOTALLY threw me for a loop! OMG!!! Never saw that coming, I had actually pegged it as someone else!!!
A very enjoyable story and Charlie Donlea is a good writer and storyteller. It’s only the second book I’ve read by him but I’ve really enjoyed both of them and have gone and added another one to my to-read shelf. I like Alex too, she’s an interesting MC, in spite of her ridiculous coffee snobbery. Good grief!!! Enough already, Mr Donlea!!! We get it!!! Alex is a humungous and obnoxious coffee snob!!! Do we really need to hear anymore about the perfectly vacuumed siphoned coffee with the perfectly timed vapor pressured water and the perfect amount of Americano ground beans. Seriously??? Can we just move on about all the nonsense of why anything less than a perfect cup of coffee is a complete waste of her time as well as a fate worse than death? Pleeeaaassseee😊
Anyway, if this ever becomes a series, I would check out the next installment. I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
@NetGalley @KensingtonBooks @ThoseEmptyEyes
The story starts with the killing of Alex’s family when she was 17. She survived by tricking the killer and hiding from him. For the rest of the first half of the story, it covers the aftermath of that night, her arrest for the killings and the defamation suit and case she filed against the police dept after she was cleared of the murders. It also covers the following two years where Alex basically disappears in order to search for leads to her family’s killer based on documents she found in her family’s home.
The second half of the story starts eight years later, and Alex has changed her name, looks and residence. She now works for the attorney who represented her in the defamation case as an investigator while still keeping a low-profile so as not to attract the attention of the media and/or true crime fanatics that are still looking for her. It’s during one of her cases (not the Matthew Claymore or Laura McAllister cases) that she discovers a link to the case of her murdered family.
The murder of Alex’s family is most certainly the primary storyline. In the last 15-20% of the story, the two storylines begin to merge. After being contacted by an FBI agent regarding the investigation of Laura and Matthew, Alex negotiates a quid pro quo deal to help the agent if she helps Alex with her investigation of her family’s murders. After sharing all the evidence that she has on her family’s case, Alex is introduced to a former FBI profiler in order to put together a profile of the killer. The ending comes quick after that and it’s an intense and scary scene. However, it’s the last few pages of the book that TOTALLY threw me for a loop! OMG!!! Never saw that coming, I had actually pegged it as someone else!!!
A very enjoyable story and Charlie Donlea is a good writer and storyteller. It’s only the second book I’ve read by him but I’ve really enjoyed both of them and have gone and added another one to my to-read shelf. I like Alex too, she’s an interesting MC, in spite of her ridiculous coffee snobbery. Good grief!!! Enough already, Mr Donlea!!! We get it!!! Alex is a humungous and obnoxious coffee snob!!! Do we really need to hear anymore about the perfectly vacuumed siphoned coffee with the perfectly timed vapor pressured water and the perfect amount of Americano ground beans. Seriously??? Can we just move on about all the nonsense of why anything less than a perfect cup of coffee is a complete waste of her time as well as a fate worse than death? Pleeeaaassseee😊
Anyway, if this ever becomes a series, I would check out the next installment. I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
@NetGalley @KensingtonBooks @ThoseEmptyEyes
April 1, 2023
EXCERPT: 'Please!' Donna said. 'I know I'm putting you in a bad spot, but please do this for me.'
'What if you're wrong?'
'Then the truth will come out in a day or two, and you punt the case to someone else. But if I'm right, they have a seventeen-year-old girl in an interview room in the middle of the night. She just saw her family slaughtered and now they're grilling her for a confession without consent from a legal guardian. They'll keep the pressure on her until she tells them what they want to hear, and then it'll be too late.'
Garrett looked at the precinct building, lighted with spotlights shooting up the facade - a beacon of justice glowing in the middle of the night.
He cocked his head toward the entrance. 'Let's go.'
ABOUT 'THOSE EMPTY EYES': Alex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes by the media, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation.
It’s been ten years since, and Alex hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed, even as she continues to hide her real identity from true crime fanatics and grasping reporters still desperate to locate her. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who’s under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister.
Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent, and unearths stunning revelations about the university’s faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children.
Most shocking of all—as Alex digs into Laura’s disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. For as different as the crimes may seem, they each hinge on one sinister truth: no one is quite who they seem to be . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Those Empty Eyes is a mixed bag. There were times I contemplated abandoning this read (twice) and a couple of times when I avidly flipped the pages. The remainder of the time I read with no connection, no emotion.
Two things were major drawbacks for me. The first: the characters are very flat, two-dimensional. I felt nothing for any of them. The second is the writing style. That, too, is very flat. There's no emotion, no suspense, no excitement. It's like reading a newspaper report, or an essay.
I did enjoy the twist at the end and, no, I didn't figure out who the killer was.
I usually love Charlie Donlea's books, but Those Empty Eyes was merely an okay read. Love the cover. Not over-keen on the title.
⭐⭐.7
#ThoseEmptyEyes #NetGalley
I: @charliedonlea @kensingtonbooks
T: @CharlieDonlea @KensingtonBooks
#contemporaryfiction #crime #murdermystery #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Charlie Donlea resides in Chicago with his wife and two young children.
He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane.
DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Kensington Books via Netgalley for providing an digital ARC of Those Empty Eyes written by Charlie Donlea for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
'What if you're wrong?'
'Then the truth will come out in a day or two, and you punt the case to someone else. But if I'm right, they have a seventeen-year-old girl in an interview room in the middle of the night. She just saw her family slaughtered and now they're grilling her for a confession without consent from a legal guardian. They'll keep the pressure on her until she tells them what they want to hear, and then it'll be too late.'
Garrett looked at the precinct building, lighted with spotlights shooting up the facade - a beacon of justice glowing in the middle of the night.
He cocked his head toward the entrance. 'Let's go.'
ABOUT 'THOSE EMPTY EYES': Alex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes by the media, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation.
It’s been ten years since, and Alex hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed, even as she continues to hide her real identity from true crime fanatics and grasping reporters still desperate to locate her. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who’s under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister.
Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent, and unearths stunning revelations about the university’s faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children.
Most shocking of all—as Alex digs into Laura’s disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. For as different as the crimes may seem, they each hinge on one sinister truth: no one is quite who they seem to be . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Those Empty Eyes is a mixed bag. There were times I contemplated abandoning this read (twice) and a couple of times when I avidly flipped the pages. The remainder of the time I read with no connection, no emotion.
Two things were major drawbacks for me. The first: the characters are very flat, two-dimensional. I felt nothing for any of them. The second is the writing style. That, too, is very flat. There's no emotion, no suspense, no excitement. It's like reading a newspaper report, or an essay.
I did enjoy the twist at the end and, no, I didn't figure out who the killer was.
I usually love Charlie Donlea's books, but Those Empty Eyes was merely an okay read. Love the cover. Not over-keen on the title.
⭐⭐.7
#ThoseEmptyEyes #NetGalley
I: @charliedonlea @kensingtonbooks
T: @CharlieDonlea @KensingtonBooks
#contemporaryfiction #crime #murdermystery #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Charlie Donlea resides in Chicago with his wife and two young children.
He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane.
DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Kensington Books via Netgalley for providing an digital ARC of Those Empty Eyes written by Charlie Donlea for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
May 14, 2023
The book started out fine. But, it became silly very quickly. I am quite surprised that this book has such a high overall rating. The main protagonist makes decisions that are frankly loony even for a teenager. I am a psychologist myself, and I did excuse the decisions made by the protagonist earlier in the book as part of her PTSD. However, the decisions that she makes later on in the book, especially as a supposedly excellent private investigator, are laughably ridiculous.
Many people have mentioned the "surprising twist" in the end. I am not sure what was surprising about it. As a long time veteran of the horror and mystery genres, this book provided little to no surprises for me. It was easy to guess who was responsible for everything.
An additional irritation that I had with the book was that the author started each part of the book with a sort of recap of the story, almost as if it were several different books combined into one. I am not sure what was the benefit of that.
Overall, I would skip this if you inhale mysteries and thrillers the way I do.
Many people have mentioned the "surprising twist" in the end. I am not sure what was surprising about it. As a long time veteran of the horror and mystery genres, this book provided little to no surprises for me. It was easy to guess who was responsible for everything.
An additional irritation that I had with the book was that the author started each part of the book with a sort of recap of the story, almost as if it were several different books combined into one. I am not sure what was the benefit of that.
Overall, I would skip this if you inhale mysteries and thrillers the way I do.
March 21, 2023
"Those Empty Eyes" begins with a bang.
Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Quinlan's parents and young brother are brutally shot and killed inside their home.
Alexandra escapes death by hiding inside a grandfather clock.
Alexandra's shocked/vacant expression as she is led from her family's home in handcuffs causes her to be dubbed "Empty Eyes" by the media.
As the sole survivor, she quickly becomes the prime suspect and a media sensation.
She also becomes determined to find out who murdered her family and why.
Unfortunately, after an intriguing, compelling, and fiery start, "Those Empty Eyes" felt "empty" to me.
WHY? Repetitive text and waaay too many tangents.
As a result, the book's twisty ending was very underwhelming.
I listened to the audiobook read by Vivienne Leheny, who did an outstanding job with the narration.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Quinlan's parents and young brother are brutally shot and killed inside their home.
Alexandra escapes death by hiding inside a grandfather clock.
Alexandra's shocked/vacant expression as she is led from her family's home in handcuffs causes her to be dubbed "Empty Eyes" by the media.
As the sole survivor, she quickly becomes the prime suspect and a media sensation.
She also becomes determined to find out who murdered her family and why.
Unfortunately, after an intriguing, compelling, and fiery start, "Those Empty Eyes" felt "empty" to me.
WHY? Repetitive text and waaay too many tangents.
As a result, the book's twisty ending was very underwhelming.
I listened to the audiobook read by Vivienne Leheny, who did an outstanding job with the narration.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2023
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
THOSE EMPTY EYES by Charlie Donlea is a complex and gripping thriller featuring the notorious sole survivor of the murder of her family and her ten-year search for their killer. I have read several of Mr. Donlea’s books and he never fails to keep me turning the pages in anticipation of the inevitable unexpected twists to come.
Alex Quinlan not only survived the horrific murder of her parents and brother but is accused of the crime and dubbed “Empty Eyes” by the insatiable media. When the state’s case falls apart, Alex with the help of her attorney sues the state for defamation and while she wins the case, the media still has doubts of her innocence.
Ten years later and Alex is now Alex Armstrong and working as an investigator for her attorney’s law firm. When she is sent to investigate the disappearance of a college student, Alex discovers unexpected connections to the murder of her family and soon realizes that those she is closest to may not be who they seem.
This is one of those books that you think is finished with the revelation of the killer, but it is not. A twist filled plot and another in the last pages of the book, make this a book that will be discussed long after “The End” whether you liked it or not. Alex is a character that you immediately feel sympathy for with her treatment after the murder of her family, but as the story continues, she grows into a strong and intelligent protagonist who refuses to forget the past but seeks answers from it. This thriller has intriguing characters that are fully fleshed and believable, multiple mysteries and shocking twists that never end.
I highly recommend this intriguing thriller!
THOSE EMPTY EYES by Charlie Donlea is a complex and gripping thriller featuring the notorious sole survivor of the murder of her family and her ten-year search for their killer. I have read several of Mr. Donlea’s books and he never fails to keep me turning the pages in anticipation of the inevitable unexpected twists to come.
Alex Quinlan not only survived the horrific murder of her parents and brother but is accused of the crime and dubbed “Empty Eyes” by the insatiable media. When the state’s case falls apart, Alex with the help of her attorney sues the state for defamation and while she wins the case, the media still has doubts of her innocence.
Ten years later and Alex is now Alex Armstrong and working as an investigator for her attorney’s law firm. When she is sent to investigate the disappearance of a college student, Alex discovers unexpected connections to the murder of her family and soon realizes that those she is closest to may not be who they seem.
This is one of those books that you think is finished with the revelation of the killer, but it is not. A twist filled plot and another in the last pages of the book, make this a book that will be discussed long after “The End” whether you liked it or not. Alex is a character that you immediately feel sympathy for with her treatment after the murder of her family, but as the story continues, she grows into a strong and intelligent protagonist who refuses to forget the past but seeks answers from it. This thriller has intriguing characters that are fully fleshed and believable, multiple mysteries and shocking twists that never end.
I highly recommend this intriguing thriller!
March 20, 2023
I have read several other books by Charlie Donlea and enjoyed them all so I was excited to receive a copy of this one to read and review. I will admit it reads a little chaotically (a couple of perspectives weren’t clearly labeled and didn’t have clear timelines) but overall I thought it was an appropriate way to tell such a chaotic story. Alex’s life changes forever when her parents and younger brother are brutally murdered and when police enter and find her in her parents room covered in blood and holding the gun they assume she did it. Deep in traumatic shock she can say nothing but they’re all dead and her “empty eyes” are photographed and the world decides instantly on her guilt. This story is about that aftermath but also about her life and the mystery of why her family was murdered. Altogether this was a fun mystery/thriller that I pretty much read in one sitting because I needed to know what happened next.
June 5, 2024
Take a shot every time the grandfather clock is mentioned.
Alexandra Quinlan is known to the media as Empty Eyes, and is generally believed to have murdered her parents and brother in cold blood. She maintains her innocence. Even though she is never proven guilty, the public still follows her around. True crime fanatics are the worst sort of humans.
Ten years later, Alex has a new look and a new name. She works for the legal team that helped her so many years ago. A case pops up that has an interesting connection to her own. I had a sneaking suspicion Alex couldn't trust her closest confidants, and lo and behold, she couldn't trust her closest confidants.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books
Alexandra Quinlan is known to the media as Empty Eyes, and is generally believed to have murdered her parents and brother in cold blood. She maintains her innocence. Even though she is never proven guilty, the public still follows her around. True crime fanatics are the worst sort of humans.
Ten years later, Alex has a new look and a new name. She works for the legal team that helped her so many years ago. A case pops up that has an interesting connection to her own. I had a sneaking suspicion Alex couldn't trust her closest confidants, and lo and behold, she couldn't trust her closest confidants.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books
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