When Night Falls

by Linda Anderson

The drowning death of her young daughter and the bitter divorce that followed drove ex-prosecutor Lannie Sullivan into a reclusive existence at her secluded mountain cabin. Now, after two years of isolation, Lannie's finally emerging from her fragile bubble -- losing herself in volunteer work at a local summer-stock theater and in the embrace of her neighbor, rugged timber baron Drum Rutledge. But Lannie's new life is in deadly danger. Not only is Drum haunted by secrets that could shatter both their lives, but less than a day's journey away, a vicious rapist has been released from jail. Jeb Bassert has sworn vengeance on the woman he holds responsible for sending him to prison for nine bitter years -- Lannie. In a thriller as chilling and dark as a moonless midnight, Linda Anderson delivers a shattering tale of murder, deception, and redemptive love.

Genres: Suspense

436 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

Mother of five, Linda Kirchman Anderson lives in South Florida with her husband.

Reviews

[elena j. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Night Falls is a tightly wound romantic suspense novel that lets grief and fear drive the tension rather than spectacle alone. Lannie Sullivan’s retreat into isolation feels earned, shaped by unbearable loss and professional guilt, and her slow reentry into life gives the story emotional credibility from the start.

What works especially well is the contrast between safety and threat. The mountain cabin, the summer-stock theater, and the growing intimacy with Drum Rutledge offer moments of warmth and fragile hope, while danger steadily closes in from the outside. The looming presence of Jeb Bassert adds urgency, turning memory and past decisions into immediate, physical risk. The suspense is psychological as much as it is external, rooted in what Lannie cannot escape.

At its core, this is a story about survival after devastation. Love is not presented as a cure, but as something that must coexist with fear, secrecy, and consequence. The novel lingers because it allows redemption to be hard-won and incomplete, shaped by choices made in the dark.

[Deby Beran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. A few plot holes of unlikely actions by the hero and heroine, but I can overlook those since the story was so good.
Unusual setting in a small mountain community playhouse with lots of memorable characters, steamy sex and an evil villain.

[Wild Rose Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I wanted to like this book, I found the pacing horribly slow and drawn-out. It could have easily been edited to half its length IMO.

The plot deals heavily with loss and depression, much more so than I was expecting. Our heroine, Lannie, is suffering from the loss of her young child and her husband abandoning their marriage in the aftermath. She self-isolates in a cabin in the woods, off-grid and alone except for her dog.

Lannie is understandably in emotional pain, but she's also kind of a pain in the arse. She is rude to our leading man right away, even though it was her fault for their near accident. She is also the one who fights their attraction the most, continuing her rude behavior or ignoring him before giving in.

While I enjoyed parts of their attraction and romance, her behavior was irritating. Also, their story kept being interrupted by chapters about our villain that I found unnecessary most of the time. We also skip around to a half dozen other POVs, random side characters in some cases, that are distracting and slow the plot down.

Speaking of our villain, he was really confusing as a character. We get tons of time with him, right from the start of the book. Too much in my opinion. It is immediately clear he plans to find Lannie, but the path he takes in getting to her is random and time-consuming.

My frustration with our leading lady continued throughout the book, as she kept making poor choices when something dangerous happened. 🙄

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this one. Her daughter drowns and she recovers in a secluded mountain cabin. It is very suspenseful and some romance.

[Chyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

very very good! loved it!

[Lindig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in my home -- the NC Smoky Mtns -- but disappointing.