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Flashback
Laura McClain has screamed herself awake again. Her old nightmare is back. And now the timid kindergarten teacher is convinced that someone is following her -- watching her every move. It could just be coincidence that she and the chillingly memorable man seems to show up at all the same places. Perhaps her paranoia is just a result of her deep fear of change. After all, so much has changed in her life recently.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
7 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
J. Michael Hunter
8 books5 followersJ. Michael Hunter is an author of mystery novels and nonfiction works on history and culture. Mike's love of mysteries began as a child reading The Three Investigators series by Robert Arthur. Those mystery adventures ignited a spark within him. Soon after, he read as many of Agatha Christie's mysteries as he could get his hands on, and the allure of mystery writing took hold. After taking writing courses, Mike began writing mystery novels, nonfiction articles, and books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 26, 2008
Laura McClain, a shy, stay-at-home elementary school teacher, inherits a family estate in the south and has to move there for three years to complete the inheritance. Her good friend talks her into accepting and moving to Bufordville where she meets a host of new people, discovers new information about her parents and family, and , unfortunately, suffers from her recurrent nightmare once again. The storyline is more mystery than suspense or romance, though it has all those elements.
What I liked least about the book was the wimpy, paranoid, suffering-heroine character of Laura McClain. However, as the story unfolds and she starts to learn more about her family and the elements of her recurring nightmare, she begins to assert herself and develop more strength. I was more patient with her spinelessness as I began to see what had shaped it.
Flashback is a lightweight LDS mystery but I found it entertaining for a quick, undemanding read.
What I liked least about the book was the wimpy, paranoid, suffering-heroine character of Laura McClain. However, as the story unfolds and she starts to learn more about her family and the elements of her recurring nightmare, she begins to assert herself and develop more strength. I was more patient with her spinelessness as I began to see what had shaped it.
Flashback is a lightweight LDS mystery but I found it entertaining for a quick, undemanding read.
May 17, 2018
This is the story of Laura, a young school teacher who has been left a mansion and a large inheritance by her aunt. Laura has to reside in the estate for three years to claim her inheritance.
When Laura travels to the South and moves into the mansion, she soon realizes the recurring nightmares she has been having seem to have their origins in her new home. She soon begins to wonder why so many things seem so familiar?
The novel is a murder mystery and I did want to stick with it until the end to see "whodunnit", but I didn't find the book very interesting or compelling at all. I really had to push to finish this one. Nothing terrible about the book, it just was not very engaging.
When Laura travels to the South and moves into the mansion, she soon realizes the recurring nightmares she has been having seem to have their origins in her new home. She soon begins to wonder why so many things seem so familiar?
The novel is a murder mystery and I did want to stick with it until the end to see "whodunnit", but I didn't find the book very interesting or compelling at all. I really had to push to finish this one. Nothing terrible about the book, it just was not very engaging.
March 10, 2011
I was super annoyed with Laura and her fears. A little bit extreme in my opinion. She was almost crazy (running out of the movie theater for example). Even later on in the book, she was doing things that were inconsistent with how she was presented in the beginning of the book and still so wimpy. I didn't sense much character growth in her. And the love aspect was not that strong. I didn't feel it at all. The secondary characters weren't developed enough for me to like them. That said, I still read it and was intrigued enough with the story to want to find out who the murderer was.
November 4, 2025
This was the first book that I've read by this Author. It's about a twenty four year old whose parents have both died and she inherits a mansion and millions of dollar if she can stay there for 3 years. She has no idea who this Aunt was or why she is named in the will. She had had a bad experience as a child and has nightmares because of it. she hopes that going there will help her figure it all out.
You'll just have to read the rest of the book to find out for yourself.
You'll just have to read the rest of the book to find out for yourself.
February 21, 2018
This book kept my interest, and I didn't guess who the bad guy was, but I didn't line the wimpy main character who was so very shy and scared of the world. How she possibly have been a teacher? All of her "fleeing in terror" from everybody and everything seemed overdone to me.
August 17, 2009
To be honest, I had to seriously ask myself whether this book didn't belong in the "YA" category. Here's why I say that:
1) The main character had everything come too easily.
2) The whole "orphaned main character" was done in a cliched manner that didn't evoke any real sympathy from this reader.
3) Characterization was middling at best; Laura's girlfriends, for instance, were practically carbon copies of one another, and Laura herself was only set apart by her quirky panic attacks.
4) The romance seemed contrived--she was "pretty," and since the hot, young lawyer didn't have anything for the other single ladies in town, it was obvious that they'd "fall in love."
5) Any sense of suspense was killed early on by Laura's frequently-discussed paranoia and panic issues. While those episodes lessened considerably, later in the story, the early parts of the tale created a "boy who cried wolf" feeling that hurt the build up of tension.
6) Apparent reliance on old thriller novels for plot devices didn't give the book much of a feel of originality.
5) Details were a used bit too liberally in certain places, such as conversations, and were an occasional distraction from story flow, despite serving to increase the level of realism a touch.
6) Plot devices and logical questions were either sidelined with a mere nod at the issue from a character, or just plain ignored, but were left unresolved more often than not.
7) The prose was fine, and story flow was okay, but, again, I never got a sense of rising tension. Even when Laura's car's brakes were tampered with, she got out of that with only minor injuries (that scene had another one of those logical questions). The "rising tension" seemed to be forced on the reader by a somewhat arbitrary deadline.
8) The murder investigation seemed a bit on the juvenile side, given the way it was conducted, and given the ease with which it was conducted. It seemed to be more a method of filling pages than of actually advancing the story much.
I'll admit I haven't read too many thrillers, but this one... didn't do much to thrill me.
1) The main character had everything come too easily.
2) The whole "orphaned main character" was done in a cliched manner that didn't evoke any real sympathy from this reader.
3) Characterization was middling at best; Laura's girlfriends, for instance, were practically carbon copies of one another, and Laura herself was only set apart by her quirky panic attacks.
4) The romance seemed contrived--she was "pretty," and since the hot, young lawyer didn't have anything for the other single ladies in town, it was obvious that they'd "fall in love."
5) Any sense of suspense was killed early on by Laura's frequently-discussed paranoia and panic issues. While those episodes lessened considerably, later in the story, the early parts of the tale created a "boy who cried wolf" feeling that hurt the build up of tension.
6) Apparent reliance on old thriller novels for plot devices didn't give the book much of a feel of originality.
5) Details were a used bit too liberally in certain places, such as conversations, and were an occasional distraction from story flow, despite serving to increase the level of realism a touch.
6) Plot devices and logical questions were either sidelined with a mere nod at the issue from a character, or just plain ignored, but were left unresolved more often than not.
7) The prose was fine, and story flow was okay, but, again, I never got a sense of rising tension. Even when Laura's car's brakes were tampered with, she got out of that with only minor injuries (that scene had another one of those logical questions). The "rising tension" seemed to be forced on the reader by a somewhat arbitrary deadline.
8) The murder investigation seemed a bit on the juvenile side, given the way it was conducted, and given the ease with which it was conducted. It seemed to be more a method of filling pages than of actually advancing the story much.
I'll admit I haven't read too many thrillers, but this one... didn't do much to thrill me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2012
** spoiler alert ** To be honest, I had to seriously ask myself whether this book didn't belong in the "YA" category. Here's why I say that:
1) The main character had everything come too easily.
2) The whole "orphaned main character" was done in a cliched manner that didn't evoke any real sympathy from this reader.
3) Characterization was middling at best; Laura's girlfriends, for instance, were practically carbon copies of one another, and Laura herself was only set apart by her quirky panic attacks.
4) The romance seemed contrived--she was "pretty," and since the hot, young lawyer didn't have anything for the other single ladies in town, it was obvious that they'd "fall in love."
5) Any sense of suspense was killed early on by Laura's frequently-discussed paranoia and panic issues. While those episodes lessened considerably, later in the story, the early parts of the tale created a "boy who cried wolf" feeling that hurt the build up of tension.
6) Apparent reliance on old thriller novels for plot devices didn't give the book much of a feel of originality.
5) Details were a used bit too liberally in certain places, such as conversations, and were an occasional distraction from story flow, despite serving to increase the level of realism a touch.
6) Plot devices and logical questions were either sidelined with a mere nod at the issue from a character, or just plain ignored, but were left unresolved more often than not.
7) The prose was fine, and story flow was okay, but, again, I never got a sense of rising tension. Even when Laura's car's brakes were tampered with, she got out of that with only minor injuries (that scene had another one of those logical questions). The "rising tension" seemed to be forced on the reader by a somewhat arbitrary deadline.
8) The murder investigation seemed a bit on the juvenile side, given the way it was conducted, and given the ease with which it was conducted. It seemed to be more a method of filling pages than of actually advancing the story much.
I'll admit I haven't read too many thrillers, but this one... didn't do much to thrill me.
1) The main character had everything come too easily.
2) The whole "orphaned main character" was done in a cliched manner that didn't evoke any real sympathy from this reader.
3) Characterization was middling at best; Laura's girlfriends, for instance, were practically carbon copies of one another, and Laura herself was only set apart by her quirky panic attacks.
4) The romance seemed contrived--she was "pretty," and since the hot, young lawyer didn't have anything for the other single ladies in town, it was obvious that they'd "fall in love."
5) Any sense of suspense was killed early on by Laura's frequently-discussed paranoia and panic issues. While those episodes lessened considerably, later in the story, the early parts of the tale created a "boy who cried wolf" feeling that hurt the build up of tension.
6) Apparent reliance on old thriller novels for plot devices didn't give the book much of a feel of originality.
5) Details were a used bit too liberally in certain places, such as conversations, and were an occasional distraction from story flow, despite serving to increase the level of realism a touch.
6) Plot devices and logical questions were either sidelined with a mere nod at the issue from a character, or just plain ignored, but were left unresolved more often than not.
7) The prose was fine, and story flow was okay, but, again, I never got a sense of rising tension. Even when Laura's car's brakes were tampered with, she got out of that with only minor injuries (that scene had another one of those logical questions). The "rising tension" seemed to be forced on the reader by a somewhat arbitrary deadline.
8) The murder investigation seemed a bit on the juvenile side, given the way it was conducted, and given the ease with which it was conducted. It seemed to be more a method of filling pages than of actually advancing the story much.
I'll admit I haven't read too many thrillers, but this one... didn't do much to thrill me.
January 1, 2009
I just finished reading this book. I was pleasantly surprised by his writing; although, I'm not always certain I believed the book was done well from the female perspective. I found that there were times I wasn't quite certain the author got that right. I was also baffled by Julie; she seemed more of a literary device than a real character.
That aside the book kept my interest and made it hard to guess the bad guy. That was satisfying in some ways and not in others because the ability to guess hinged on some obscure information (that I won't give away) that isn't readily available--part of the reason Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes have never really appealed to me.
I also was amused by the references to St. Louis being "out west," which I can see from a Virginian's perspective, but laughable when really living in the West. The other complaint is that the beginning in St. Louis seemed like it was just named as a random place that could have been anywhere. I think the author relied heavily on some canned phrases to show "suspense," but those are minor issues. I'm not actually that picky when I want a book to escape with. If you want a mildly suspenseful, clean book that you can enjoy for a few hours, go ahead and pick it up.
That aside the book kept my interest and made it hard to guess the bad guy. That was satisfying in some ways and not in others because the ability to guess hinged on some obscure information (that I won't give away) that isn't readily available--part of the reason Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes have never really appealed to me.
I also was amused by the references to St. Louis being "out west," which I can see from a Virginian's perspective, but laughable when really living in the West. The other complaint is that the beginning in St. Louis seemed like it was just named as a random place that could have been anywhere. I think the author relied heavily on some canned phrases to show "suspense," but those are minor issues. I'm not actually that picky when I want a book to escape with. If you want a mildly suspenseful, clean book that you can enjoy for a few hours, go ahead and pick it up.
March 17, 2009
I love a good mystery and Flashback is one of my favorites. It was suspense from the very beginning. The romance wasn't over the top or cheesy, and I had no idea who the killer was until the last two chapters. There wasn't a slow part in the book. I also like how Hunter doesn't give all the information about the murder at once, but lets the murder gradually unfold and gives you added information with each chapter. That way you try to figure it out on your own.
I can't really say too much without giving the story away so,... I'll just say that this story is about a girl named Laura who keeps having horrifying flashbacks about a past she doesn't remember. When a close relative ( she doesn't even know that well) dies leaving her the sole heir to their family estate, she packs up and moves into the old house in hopes of finding out more information about her past. Unfortunately, the information she gains becomes more terrifying than the flashbacks she's been having!
I can't really say too much without giving the story away so,... I'll just say that this story is about a girl named Laura who keeps having horrifying flashbacks about a past she doesn't remember. When a close relative ( she doesn't even know that well) dies leaving her the sole heir to their family estate, she packs up and moves into the old house in hopes of finding out more information about her past. Unfortunately, the information she gains becomes more terrifying than the flashbacks she's been having!
August 28, 2008
In Flashback the main character Laura is literally having "flashbacks" hence the name. I really liked how the mystery of the flashbacks pushed her to want to overcome her fears and find out who killed Ruby. I did feel that some of Laura's fears were overdone but I enjoyed the story line and kept finding I wanted to finish the book. My biggest draw back with the story was that I felt annoyed, that the investigation into Ruby's death was brushed off and put to rest, causing a lifetime of heartache for Laura and her parents. By the end of the book I was so bugged with the fact that the police didn't really connect the dots with Ruby's death. I seriously hope that this hasn't been the case or isn't because that was just pathetic.
February 13, 2009
A quick, fun read. The story was written in a classic who-done-it style, and while it was a bit predictable, it was enjoyable. I listened to this book on CD and wanted to choke the narrator at times for her obnoxious voices. I wish that some special effects had been incorporated- like an old time radio show. The author made the main character a new convert to the LDS church, but I almost wish that detail hadn't been included because the specific references to LDS church worship seemed so out of place (family home evening in a murder mystery anyone?).
September 10, 2008
(Genre: LDS Fiction/mystery and suspense) This was a fun, quick read and the mystery component was well done. But the character development left something to be desired (at least, for me). It took me a long time to "connect" to the main characters. They seemed rather flat and I had a hard time caring about them. Not a good sign in a murder mystery. But I did like the mystery component....it was well done.
September 25, 2008
good suspense book. It held your interest till the end. at some points it gets confusing with all the new characters getting introduced, but overall a good read. Laura has been living in fear after a tramatic experience from her child she know nothing about until her aunt dies leaving her a plantation in virginia. she takes the plunge and moves to virginia where the mystery unfolds about the death of her nanny.
June 4, 2012
This is a good book. The main character keeps having the same nightmare. She is told that it doesn't mean anything. She finds out that she is the heir to a tobacco plantation and has to live there for three years for it to be hers. When she goes there she remembers being there before. The nightmares return, but they are actually her remembering something that happened there when she was a young child. This is the second time that I have read this book.
May 11, 2014
This story had the opportunity to be great, the story sounded fun and interesting, but it was SO boring. Almost the whole book was the main character interviewing person after person after person, and each person she interviewed said almost the exact same thing with slight variations. There is little to no danger/suspense/action, just blabbing and blabbing and blabbing. Even the ending was rushed and very anti climatic.
July 12, 2014
Taking possession of her aunt's estate is formidable for Laura McClain. She's grown up fearful for her safety and going back to her roots--where the fears all started--is not going to be easy. Two new, and special, friends (Julie and Aaron) will help her find the courage to uncover a twenty-year-old mystery and decipher the nightmares she's grown up with. The story gets more interesting as you read.
January 3, 2017
Laura McClaine has just lost an estranged aunt and must live on-site for at least 3 years in order to inherit her southern tobacco plantation. The storyline was really good, but it drove me crazy how self-doubting and paranoid the "heroine" was. She was afraid of every situation--I don't know how she could be a kindergarten teacher (or any grade, for that matter!)
The good thing was that her self-confidence grew, and she became a better person.
No bad language nor sex scenes!
The good thing was that her self-confidence grew, and she became a better person.
No bad language nor sex scenes!
August 10, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. It is a mystery, so I do not want to give anything away so I'll just say that this one was hard to guess "who-dunnit." I liked the attention to detail that Michael put into the story, it made it very enjoyable and easy to put yourself into the setting to really see the town and the plantation in your mind. And...it was a surprise romance! Good job Mike!
February 10, 2009
I think I'd give this 3½ if that were an option. The main character is seriously neurotic and drove me nuts at first, but the author did a good job of helping you understand why and tying it into the plot. The story itself made me so jumpy! Reading it late at night, I'd hear a sound and gasp out loud, and the ending was a tense surprise. If you like LDS suspense, this is worth reading.
January 29, 2009
This is a good LDS mystery novel. I enjoy mysteries, but have to be careful with many authors because of the language and graphic scenes. It was nice to read a good mystery without those things. When the who-done-it was finally revealed, it was slightly far-fetched that she could have figured it out with the clues that we were all given, but I guess most mysteries are like that. I enjoyed it.
September 8, 2011
I started reading this book a few months ago and couldn't quite get into it. So determined to start again and finish it by the fourth chapter I was hooked and couldn't put it down as I desperately wanted to know who did it. I didn't expect who did it but it was a great ready with just the right amount of mystery and romance
April 18, 2009
This was a good suspense novel. I was a little leary at the beginning, but it didn't take long for it to win me over and I spent this morning finishing the last half of the book. I would recommend it.
May 18, 2009
You know it was the same argument over and over again. He made his heroin be whining in the beginning. But as they uncovered the mystery, The better she got. And he did uncovered his formula for this book quite early. That was sad
June 28, 2009
I really liked this book about a kindergarten teacher who inherits a plantation with lots of secrets. I wanted to keep reading more and more to find out all the mysteries. The author describes the main characters feelings so well that I could really feel what she was feeling.
June 10, 2009
I enjoyed reading this book. It was compelling and I wanted to see who was behind the deaths. It was a tad unrealistic that the kindergarten teacher with panic attacks could unravel the mystery without unravelling herself.
June 24, 2009
This started out pretty slow and I didn't like how the main character was so unbelievably backward. It was just a bit over the top. However, after reading a little more than half I became more interested. I do enjoy a good mystery and this one was well, okay.
August 18, 2009
This book was recommended to me by a friend. I enjoyed it. A thrilling mystery that was based in Virginia on a plantation, connecting the past to the present. It was a fun and easy read. The author is LDS so the language and story line were clean which I appreciated.
January 7, 2017
Good Sams Book. A story of a girl with a paranoia that models her whole life. Fear need to be faced not let overcome.
Merged review:
A flashback in her mind. She is afraid of her own shadow. It is a memory of her nanny being pushed down stairs. Ok book.
Merged review:
A flashback in her mind. She is afraid of her own shadow. It is a memory of her nanny being pushed down stairs. Ok book.
November 25, 2015
I'm reading this for the 2nd time and again find it slow. It reminds me of an old gothic romance for some reason. The plot is good, the mystery is ok, but I like J. Michael Hunter's first book better.
July 2, 2011
THis felt like a wanna be Victoria Holt or Barbara Michaels gothic suspense, but missed the mark. I would have really liked more depth on the fact that an LDS woman was faced with owning a tobacco plantation instead of spending so much energy solving a 20-year old mystery
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews