Don't Be Afraid

by Rebecca Drake

Be Afraid. . .

It's a beautiful house--a perfect place to live. To dream. To start a life together. It's the perfect place for so many things, he thinks as he puts on the gloves and reaches for her, enjoying her screams. But today, it's a perfect place to die.

Be Very Afraid. . .

Steerforth, Connecticut, was once an idyllic, sleepy New England town. But now, the leafy streets and picture-perfect houses have turned shadowy and menacing, every small detail suddenly becoming lost toys placed carefully on back porches, lights blazing in a house that should be empty, closet doors standing slightly ajar, mysterious flowers wrapped in black tissue paper. And the bodies...

Or Else You're As Good As Dead. . .

A serial killer has come to Connecticut. He is watching, honing his skills, waiting, for the perfect time to make them pay for what they've done. And when he's through, home will never be sweet again...

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Rebecca Drake is an American author of psychological suspense. Her latest book, JUST BETWEEN US, was featured by O, The Oprah Magazine as a “compulsively readable thriller,” while Publisher’s Weekly and the Associated Press lauded it as “tense, bombshell laden and action-packed” and “twisty and compelling.” 

Her previous novel ONLY EVER YOU, was chosen by Barnes & Noble as a top thriller and Library Journal’s starred review called it a “gripping domestic thriller.” She is also the author of DON’T BE AFRAID, THE NEXT KILLING and THE DEAD PLACE,as well as short fiction featured in the anthologies, PITTSBURGH NOIR, SWAMP KILLERS, and A THOUSAND DOORS.

A native New Yorker and Penn State grad, Rebecca has lived in eight cities, including Doha, Qatar, and was an instructor in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. She currently resides in Pittsburgh with her husband, two children, a large cat and a little dog.

Reviews

[Howard Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A horror novel about what can happen right under your nose, never suspecting people close to you of anything beyond the ordinary. Who knows what secrets friends and associates hold? Who knows who the killer may be?

I enjoyed this book.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first book (The Dead Place) I read by this author, this one did not live up to my expectations. Nothing terribly wrong just ordinary. Predictable. 3 stars

[Aribear23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I really didn't care for the dog killing though!

[Suz Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It wasn’t so much the body that they had to distance themselves from, it was the voices inside that compared this victim to their wives, sisters, daughters, mothers. The fear that came with the job was what had to be kept at bay.”

Amy works hard to provide for her young, asthmatic daughter by working as a realtor instead of pursuing a career as an artist. Mark, a cop haunted by his past and his father’s legacy, finds his only comfort in liquor. Brought together when someone close to Amy is murdered, they must identify the serial killer before he adds Amy to his growing list of victims.

Drake keeps the reader guessing the identity of the killer by providing plenty of suspects, while creating solid character arcs for Amy and Mark. Amy struggles with her decision to leave her cheating husband, even though a reconciliation could solve her financial problems and make her mother happy. But it’s a Mark’s arc that made the book for me. His rock bottom seems to keep getting deeper, but he’s the only one who is able to keep the investigation from veering off track. The killer’s agenda provides a ticking clock, as does Mark’s path of destruction to quiet his internal demons.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this book for the second time (the first was more than six years ago). On the whole it had a good story centering on real estate agent, Amy Moran, with daughter Emma as one of the many supporting characters.

Amy is desperate to sell some decent properties, her terrifying setback, the last two houses were the settings for homicides. The first victim: Sheila Sylvester, a fellow estate agent and Amy's friend, the second: homeowner, Meredith Chomsky. If experiencing a draught in sales wasn't bad enough on top of her recent divorce. Amy is considered the key suspect.

As the plot progresses you soon discover the character known only as Guy, is a peeping tom murderer. While it wasn't a letdown this book certainly kept me involved, the writing had some good moments but didn't feel as strong as previous books I've read.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some great twists, but it also had several elements that annoy me in books. The biggest one being when a character repeatedly doesn't go to the police over several very serious issues, and doesn't take rational safety steps. Also, the main character's mother's attitude toward that women should accept a cheating husband because men have "needs" that women don't, made me want to scream. There is a couple in the book who laugh/giggle at the fact that each of them slept with someone else while they were separated for 6 months...why would anyone find that funny? Graphic depictions of the perpetrator pleasuring himself was unnecessary and disturbing as well. With those things left out, I think this book could have been a solid 4.5 star rating for me, but there were just too many things that didn't need to be part of the story, that were just annoying distractions.

[L Mabry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book . The only parts I didn’t care for was the descriptiveness of everything . And I wish they would of let the killer speak at the end of the book just to give a sense of his mind set since he was so confident throwout the book

[rudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story

Loved alot of Rebecca Drakes books, great twists and turns. Alittle too long and some parts alittle gory. Overall I would recommend this book

[Roxie Gallinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

[Anica · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun book, but I can't give five stars because I read couple of books who were more fun and more thrilling than this one.... it was a mistery and I think the story was good, but the thrill factor was missing.. nevertheless, I recommwnd the book..

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was good - not quite as scary as I thought it would be based on the reviews on the cover, but I did jump once (and yes, I was reading it late at night, but my dog jumped onto the bed....). I didn't like how everything was so neatly tied up at the end - I felt that there were a few loose ends that weren't addressed, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Good book, pretty easy read (and some typos/grammatical issues, but ...)

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The review on the front of the books reads: "Read this alone, late at night, and you won't be afraid, you'll be terrified!" I didn't find that to be true at all, but did love the plot of the story - so all in all a great debut novel by this author. Looking forward to reading her 2nd & 3rd novels.

[Siggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was categorized as romantic suspense. I've read so many of these that I thought there wouldn't be a twist or revelation that would surprise me anymore. I was wrong. Rebecca Drake did come up with a twist that I didn't see coming at all. Unfortunately, the twist had nothing to do with the revelation of the killer. Definitely a good read.

[ReBecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good crime/suspense novel. Kept you wanting to turn the page to see what's going to happen next. Kept you on your toes and Rebecca did a good job at making you think the killer was someone else the whole time while the real killer hung behind the sense. Would definitely recommend!

[Cranbery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast moving book.............

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice thriller. found the last quarter of the book rushed and as a result I had a number of unanswered questions at the end.

[T.M. Carper · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great debut thriller with a shocking twist at the end about whodunit. It is slightlyh gruesome at times, but a compelling, fast-paced read.

[Tory Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather run-of-the-mill serial killer story with the main character being a real-estate agent who keeps finding dead bodies in empty houses.

[Dawn Gehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awesome book it keeps you going, I enjoyed it all the way till the end. I'm glad it ended the way it did.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Don't Be Afraid" yeah right! Very intense, gripping tale, with several nasty twists. Well worth the read.