Bright

by Mary O. Paddock

Hannah Whitfield is tired of living a lie. She's been so caught up in hiding her affair from her husband, Jeff, and her three children that she cannot remember the last time she was honest with anyone, including her lover, Clint. Telling Jeff the truth is the hardest thing she's ever done, but she expects Clint to understand when she ends the affair. After all, he's the one who said "When it's over, it's over." Instead, he spends months stalking and intimidating Hannah. At last, Hannah believes she has finally convinced him to give up, and she and Jeff go camping. But Clint follows, and his actions alter the course of Hannah's destiny forever.

Genres: Fiction

321 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2017

About the author

Mary Paddock lives in the Missouri Ozarks near Table Rock Lake with her husband and an unspecified number of dogs and cats. When she's not writing, she's gardening, reading, or spending time with her four grown sons and their families.

Mary has two published novels; Bright, a supernatural thriller and Speak, and an urban science fiction story. She's also written a science fiction novella entitled "Postcards from Gliese" and, as of Sept 2019, is deep into editing the sequel which should be out in November 2019. There are also two early collections of short stories--some literary, some fantasy.

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a powerful opening that is just the beginning of a complex, thoughtful, emotional ride, with some of the best writing I've seen. It only takes seconds to get caught up in Bright, and I couldn't put it down until the last breathless page. Mary Paddock is a true artist, and this book is one of her best. Highly recommended.

[Anonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 ½ -4 stars. I usually steer clear of thrillers and religious fiction, namely because I know what’s going to happen in either of them- but when I found them hanging around in the same plot I was curious as to how it would turn out. Could they play nice and be friends? According to Mary Paddock they can. They can be best friends. For those of you that are on the fence about it know this: this book is pretty solid. Even if you can see miles ahead to the end of the book, which is more than possible about 1/3rd of the way in, there’s a dozen twists or turns before you get there, and some of those might surprise you. The plot itself is straight as an arrow – or a bullet - and the writing is rather well done. The characters are where I see the problems, some are terribly, terribly deep and others are flat, static cardboard cutouts. The character of Matt manages to be both at the same time, which is a rare feat in itself. Other than that though, Bright is well done.
So, the morals are feel-goody, the characters are mixed, and the writing and plot are solid. If you like thrillers, this’d be for you. If you want a “catch-the-murderer” style thriller with a side of ghosts and a large helping of Christian fiction to top it off this’d be the book that you’re looking for.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I am not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[John E. Meredith]

I was not prepared for Mary Paddock's first commercially published novel, BRIGHT.

For one thing, I had already read some of her previous work. There was a thin self-published short story collection called SING, and it was quite good. The title story, for instance, stayed with me for days after reading the book, until I finally had to go back and experience it all over again. But, for all the things I enjoyed about that collection (and the title story in particular), Paddock has dialed them up to 11 in her new novel, BRIGHT. The book jacket describes a married woman who's had an affair, hinting that ending her illicit relationship might not be as simple as she hopes it will be. Considering that the book is being called "a gripping supernatural thriller", this might be the understatement of the year.

The first major shocker for me had already happened by the seventeenth page. Hannah Whitfield has decided that she must do the right thing, for herself, for her family, and for the forgiveness she seeks from God. However, when she tells the wealthy property developer she's been seeing about her decision, it becomes scarily obvious that he has no intention of letting her go. His reaction threw me off guard and set this reader up for numerous shocking events that would occur over the remaining 289 pages. There will be no spoilers here for the story that follows, but I assure you that it's much more than just another tale of infidelity gone terribly wrong. It's best to dive into this book with your expectations shelved and just let it take you where it will.

There are moments of intensity here that had only been hinted at in Paddock's previous work. She has created, in Clint Lockwood, a truly detestable villain who will have you cursing at the book in your hands. Going into this story, I would not have imagined the depravity and viciousness displayed in this character. I mean, Mary Paddock looks like such a sweet soul in her photo. She seems to me much more like our struggling protagonist. The vile and possibly even straight-up evil of Lockwood is neatly balanced by the repentant goodness of Hannah Whitfield, whose journey is nothing short of inspiring. Hannah would probably not see herself as a good person, but she has a great effect on everyone she encounters and it's doubtful than any of them will soon forget her.

Paddock puts the words to great use for her in BRIGHT. There were many lines that flowed like homespun poetry, the kind you might not even realize were poetic until you go back and look at them again. "The words rode on the back of a sigh." "She'd borne the title 'Christian' like an article of clothing worn only around the relative who'd gifted it to her." "Though he'd stepped into the sun, darkness still clung to him, as though he didn't belong in the light." Though I was caught up in the whirlwind of storytelling, growing ever anxious to see where it would go, I often had to stop and rewind to take in another beautifully-phrased description. Sometimes the writing was as miraculous as the story itself.

This might have been the biggest surprise for an avowed agnostic such as myself: that a book, as thrilling and unexpected as it is, nonetheless has a great basis in spirituality, yet it did not for one minute turn me off. There's this strange thing that happens sometimes if I read something with a strong Christian presence, that I find myself checking out of the action. Maybe it's the knowledge that the author and I have such a different worldview, or maybe it's that I think nothing all that terrible (and, therefore, real) is going to happen in the story because it's too much for someone with faith to imagine. Or maybe I'm just a jerk. Regardless, I had no such problems with this book, which felt like one of the greatest thrillers I've read in a long time. There were moments that made me both angry and fearful, and there were moments that definitely brought a tear to my eye. It became obvious fairly early that Hannah was a church-going, God-fearing woman, but she never once came across as anything but entirely real, flesh-and-blood, and completely relatable. She is an absolute heroine, but the kind that might actually exist in the world, and that makes her a real inspiration.

No, I wasn't prepared for this book. It's all the things that it says it is, it's gripping and supernatural, and it's definitely a thriller. But it's much more than that. It's a beautifully well-told story that will sneak right into your soul.

[Robin Goodfellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

-I received a free copy of this book in exchanging for an honest review.

Bright, by Mary Paddock, is a religious thriller about doing whatever it takes to protect your loved ones, even in death.

Hannah Whitfield has recently broken off an affair with the charming Clint. In order to save her marriage, she and her husband, Jeff, decide to go on a camping trip. But despite their hopes, Clint isn’t the kind of man to take no for an answer. Soon, Hannah learns that she must protect her family from this madman, and realizes that family is family, even after death. Paddock will put readers on edge in this gripping thriller, all the while showing that even in the darkest of places, faith and love can overcome any obstacle.

Paddock clearly depicts Hannah as a mature woman. Even after striking up an affair, Hannah had the courage to tell her husband about it. She didn’t run away from her problems, and cared more about her family than herself. This was a character trait that stuck out the most, because it reflects the truest depths of love. Then there’s Riana, who struggled with her faith in an all powerful, all loving deity. Though her situation was immensely difficult, from finding out that her mother had died, to caring for her brothers, she still found comfort in many places. It gave her the strength to move on, to become a survivor, rather than a victim.

There was one particular moment that beautifully painted the overall theme of the book. Riana and her brothers were standing by Jeff’s hospital bed, not knowing if he was going to wake. Riana struggle to pray to God (or whoever was out there), but when they finished, Jeff whispered quietly, “Amen”, alongside his children. Though the doctor said it was just a reflex, this scene showed that there was more to this book than just religion, or murder, or mystery. This book depicts the foundations of humanity, that faith, love, and strength are intertwined. Whereas the detective and Hannah were doing everything they could to protect their loved ones, Riana and the others were doing whatever it took to stave off the grief, and to simply remember.

As such, I would give this book a rating of a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Paddock weaves a hope-filled tale about caring for your loved ones, even after death. From finding comfort in the loss of a mother, to the gentle certainty that everything will be alright, readers will love this tender thriller, one that shows the beauty and perseverance of humanity.

[Jessica Bucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright surprised me in both positive and negative ways. Without writing spoilers, I will attempt to compose my thoughts. After about 50 pages in, the book took a dark turn I was not expecting. From reading the synopsis of the book, I created an entirely different plotline in my head for what I thought was going to happen. The twist, to be honest, had a negative effect on my initial rating of the book. However, I pushed through and continued reading, interested to see where it would go. I was pleasantly surprised with how the book turned out and where the author took the plot. What kept me engaged was the complexity of the plot and the number of characters within the novel. Chapters varied on perspective and kept my attention, as the scenes moved quickly.

Although the plot developed into something I didn’t think I would like, I will admit I was wrong. I do think the book would have been interesting if it continued how I originally thought it would. However, the author took various twists and turns that ended up keeping me engaged, and I believe will keep others engaged as well.

For those interested in this novel, I will give a few warnings I wish I had before reading it. One, don’t take the synopsis to heart too much. I think this was my mistake. If I had gone into the story with a blank slate, I wouldn’t have been disappointed in the beginning. Also, the genre of supernatural thriller is a bit of a stretch. I can see where the title fits, but I think marketing it just as a thriller would suffice.

I ended up giving Bright a 4 out of 5 because the author continued to surprise me as I read. If I had stopped after the first plot twist, my rating would have been much lower. However, I enjoyed the author’s writing style and for that reason rated the novel higher.

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just spent my entire weekend reading this book. I had no interest in doing anything else. It was not what I expected, it was much more violent than I like, and I usually avoid anything that smacks of fantasy or the supernatural, but I kept reading. I can’t say much without giving away the plot. Basically, Hannah Whitfield, a middle-aged, married, mother of three, has been having an affair. Wracked with guilt, she breaks up with her lover and confesses to her husband. The marriage is bruised but not broken. But Clint, the rejected lover, refuses to let her go. It turns out he’s a bad guy with a history of violence. Soon the whole family is in danger. Along with the many plot twists, we get a taste of what it’s like in heaven, a healthy dose of Christian preaching, and even a few ghosts. Suspenseful to the last page.

[Luise Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, hang onto your heart

This story took me through every conceivable emotion, often at the same time. Its not often that characters become so real to me, so human, that I found it almost impossible to separate their struggles, desperations, doubts, understandings and courage from my own. I'll be keeping a special place in my heart for this heart-wrenching, heartfelt story of redemption. A must read.

[Daniel Robillard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner!!!

I could not put this book down! The author pulls you in from the beginning and it doesn't stop. I highly recommend reading this book, action, suspense, humor and a little death make for a Heck of a ride!

[Rachel Bullock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Bright. I think it was a cool and different premise, and I liked the mix of thriller and faith. At times tho, things happened plot-wise that just seemed too “convenient”. I’m not going to spoil the book but in one instance I was left wondering why a minor character chose to blindly follow orders from his employer (who obviously was asking him to lie to authorities). It served to move the plot along, but I just wanted to know his motivation.

Most of the characters were fleshed out but others needed more depth. For example, a major character has lost her faith in God, but why? If that was explained I’ve forgotten it.

I’m giving this book 3 stars because it really was an enjoyable read. I’d give it 4 stars, but I can’t because the Kindle edition I read was full (and I seriously mean FULL) of typos and grammar problems. I found that super distracting. I mean surely someone proofread this thing? There were words missing and words misspelled and a couple of times I even noticed problems with subject/verb agreement. I know I make mistakes myself, but those kinds of things should be caught by the publisher.

[Corinthia Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright was an interesting surprise. When I first started reading it I assumed that it was going to be a tale of marital forgiveness and spiritual healing. I could have not have been more wrong! Around 40+ pages in the story it took a far darker turn than my initial assumption and nearly gave me whiplash from its change in direction. Balancing delicately on the line of spirituality and the horrific Bright challenged me to look at it with a different set of glasses and put aside any of my previous assumptions before it whisked off and entangled me in its pages.

With a mash-up of what I would think would be opposing genres Mary Paddock takes on the challenge and delivers a rare gem for the thriller and spiritual reader. Despite its dark overtone Bright highlights the spiritual weight of past sins and how the only thing keeping us from forgiveness can be us not forgiving ourselves.

Overall, I can say that I relatively enjoyed Bright. It was a surprising read and an interesting combination of genre. However, for readers who struggle reading longer books Bright does have areas where the scenes drag and slow down to almost unbearable speeds. Another flaw would be some of its characters, although some are well fleshed some come off as flat and ‘cookie-cutter.’ Despite this Bright is still an enjoyable read for those who want a little bit of spiritual intervention with their thriller.

[RaeAnna Gullifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bright surprised me, to say the least. I honestly am not much of a faith holding person so I was hesitant to dive into this, however, it will grab you from the first page. The dynamics between the characters are deep and compelling, it makes them feel so alive as you turn each page. The story never lets up that is for sure. As you read you can feel the love the author has for her characters, that is something that truly made the book for me.

Story wise, it will shock you! You never expect the twists and turns. When I first received my copy I was a little hesitant, I saw it was a religious story with a supernatural twist and that set me a little back, but wow. The story is not at all what I expected and it had me hooked, I could not put it down after the first chapter! I absolutely love the reality of the emotions and the depth Mary Paddock put into these characters. Every emotion grabs you, you can feel your heart race right with Hannah's.

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Book Sirens for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

Bright is the first book I have read By Mary O. Paddock and I was not disappointed. I was a little leery at first due to the religious aspects of the book, but it did not impact how I felt about this book at all. A Family Drama with a dash of paranormal and thriller aspects made Bright a fast read. I was drawn into Hannah's family and the love she had for them and her desire to make things right. I found myself not wanting the book to end and for Paddock to continue more if the story with Detective Campbell.

Overall, a good and quick read.

[Kilgallen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were certainly parts of this story that really worked for me. I enjoyed the bits told from the perspective of the ghost for example......very interesting. And the inclusion of a high functioning autistic character was also very appreciated. Overall I did like the character development. I did have a few issues with the heavy doses of religion that did not seem to flow well with the story in my opinion. This , of coarse , is totally my own opinion/baggage, but I would certainly consider this a Christian fiction book.

[Bonny Rambarran · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can life be bright when you are in the middle of an affair - but you want out. Blessed because your husband is willing to forgive and work on the marriage . . . but the man is NOT willing to let go - and threatens you . . .and your family . . . .scary, and yet it KEEPS you reading to see what happens next!!