Guilty as Sin

Deer Lake #2

by Tami Hoag

A cold-blooded kidnapper has been playing a twisted game with a terrified Minnesota town. Now a respected member of the community stands accused of a horrific act of evil. But when a second boy disappears, a frightened public demands to Have the police caught the wrong man? Is the nightmare continuing—or just beginning?
 
Prosecutor Ellen North believes she’s building a case against a guilty man—and that he has an accomplice in the shadows. As she prepares for the trial of her career, Ellen suddenly finds herself swept into a cruel contest of twisted wits, a dark dance of life and death . . . with an evil mind as guilty as sin.

Praise for Tami Hoag and Guilty as Sin
 
“Without a doubt . . . one of the most intense suspense writers around.” — Chicago Tribune
 
“A chilling study of evil that holds the reader until the shocking surprise ending.” — New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin
 
“The tangled relationships that lie just beneath the surface of Deer Lake are tantalizingly revealed.” — The New York Times Book Review
 
“Accomplished and scary.” — Cosmopolitan  

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Romantic Suspense, Romance

590 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Tami Hoag is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers—BITTER SEASON, COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller.

She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting.


Visit her at www.tamihoag.com, Facebook.com/TamiHoag and on Twitter @TamiHoag

Reviews

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than book 1.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sequel to Night Sins was only okay at best. Had it not been for the unanswered questions that remained at the end of Night Sins, I probably would have DNF-ed this one. The book was far too long and the story just kind of meandered along. The new characters introduced in Guilty as Sin didn’t do much for me. Prosecutor Ellen North was okay, but romantic interest Jay Butler Brooks, who was a true crime writer, didn’t appeal to me at all. He was arrogant, pushy, annoying, and boring. The characters that I found interesting in Night Sins didn’t have as much to do in this one and kind of faded into the background. The best part of the story were the courtroom scenes which I wish there had been more of. The overlength of the book though, pretty much killed it for me. It would have worked better if everything had wrapped up in Night Sins. I really enjoyed Night Sins a lot, but Guilty as Sin was just an okay read.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the follow up to the first book in the Deer Lake series. I’ll start off by saying I’m not a fan of having to read two books to figure out the resolution to a mystery. However, I liked the book even though it had some issues.

The story continues with the State’s Assistant City Attorney Ellen North at the forefront. She’s been handed the case involving Garrett Wright who Mitch Holt arrested for the assault of Megan O’Malley and the abduction of Josh Kirkwood. What seems to be an open and shut case turns into anything but. She’s pitted against a hot shot attorney from Minneapolis with whom she has personal history and a judge who has a super sized ego. To top it off, a Hollywood true crime writer has come to cover the story and he has designs on Ellen.

Here’s what worked. The characters (there are quite a few) are well developed and complicated people. There are no perfect individuals here even though some may seem so on the surface. And, they can’t help being themselves in spite of circumstances that call for them to behave differently. I like when a story stays true to character no matter how unpopular or uncomfortable that may seem. I also liked that the story is complex, which is essential in a suspense tale or mystery. Finally, the last 100 pages seemed to zoom! There were rapid-paced courtroom scenes and the climactic segments leapt from the pages. My heart rate accelerated and I couldn’t read fast enough.

Here’s what didn’t work. This was too long, especially since the mystery began in another book. The ending should have started about 100 pages earlier. There was too much emphasis on the bad guys winning, to the point where I was in despair. It was astounding to me that Paul’s affair with Karen wasn’t discovered in the first book and it took forever to come out in this one. Finally, while there was a payoff for the relationships at the end, they all felt rushed. I know I’ve complained about the length but 10 more pages to resolve the relationships more definitively were in order.

This is a really good story. Don’t give up on it because about the time you’re ready to skim to the end, it takes off.

[Obsidian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't like this one. I had vague memories of reading book #1, so maybe it's my own fault for not re-reading that one first to go into this one fresh. Honestly though, I don't think it would have helped. The characters didn't grab me and the plot seemed nonsensical after a while. We eventually sputter to an ending.

The main character (if you can call her that since you get many POVs in this one) is prosecutor Ellen North. Ellen is trying a local professor in good standing in the community with a kidnapping and possible murder of a young boy (Josh Kirkwood). With her boss ready to throw her under the bus at any moment, Ellen is walking a tightrope when the young boy suddenly reappears and refuses to speak about what happened to him.

We not only follow Ellen, we follow a true crime novelist (Jay Brooks) along with the young boy, his mother, his father, one of the neighbors, the local sheriff, and I know I am forgetting some people. There are too many characters to juggle in this one. It needed cut down a lot.

I personally didn't like the character of Jay at all and thought he was creepy/stalking Ellen.

I didn't feel one way or the other for Ellen.

The other characters just pop in and out of the story throughout. I think I was supposed to be on pins and needles about what happened with everyone, but think that Hoag left way too many things up in the air regarding the personal relationships that may have drawn people in via book #1.

The whole mystery of what happened to Josh Kirkwood and why took way too long to get to. I found myself getting bored along the way. When things are finally revealed I maybe just went "huh" rather than even trying to work out all of the plot holes I had with the book as written.

[Allison Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why can't I choose negative stars as a rating?

I haven't read much or any Tami Hoag before this book but I had such a visceral reaction to this book that I was hard pressed not to throw it across the room. I had to quit about 1/3 of the way through and take a break because the rage blackouts were becoming much too frequent. I've been reading Harlequin Romances since yesterday because EVEN THAT WAS BETTER THAN READING THE ALLEGED ROMANCE IN THIS NOVEL. I want to finish it, I'm interested by the mystery part of the story but I absolutely loathe the "leading man" that Hoag has developed for her ethereally beautiful heroine. *GAG* I desperately hope he is evil and dies in an unpleasant manner because nothing else can save it for me. So, so, sooooo much hate. Perhaps this would be more palatable if I was drunk?

Finished finally. Didn't get any better. The actual mystery not half as clever as the author clearly thought herself.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why? As the second book about the Deer Lake Kidnapping starts, the eternal question remains: Why? Why would a respected psychology professor and an upstanding member of the community kidnap Josh and brutally beat a BCA agent, Megan? As county prosecutor Ellen North delves deeper into this case she and everyone else is convinced that Dr. Garrett Wright didn't act alone, especially when Josh is returned and another boy is kidnapped while Dr. Wright is in jail. This horrible game has a lot of players and the action is twisted and sinister. For a small Minnesota town unused to the crime in the big cities these events are terrifying. The whole town is left wondering who to trust.

True crime writer, Jay Butler Brooks, has come to town to research this crime, his celebrity status is a real turn off for Ellen, but the man himself is a real turn on, something she does not need at this time. When Dr. Wright's first attorney dies under mysterious circumstances his replacement is Ellen's ex-lover Anthony Costello, a man Ellen knows has few, if any, ethics. His price tag is staggering and Ellen wonders just who is paying his bill. The taunts continue to arrive as cryptic quotes and time is running out. As Sherlock Holmes says: "The game is afoot."

I read the first book several years ago and just never got around to reading this one. Both are well written, though long and dragging in the middle. Page after page without any significant action gets boring, even thought the basic plot is intriguing. Tami Hoag doesn't easily give up who the accomplice is and you have no clue right to the end. And, of course, there is the Why.

[Msmickey1995 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading the reviews and to be honest, I don't agree with most of them....

I found this book to be engaging, thought provoking (in as far as who was doing what to/with whom), and suprisingly interesting....Knowing people in the legal field, the way the trail was prepared for in the book is spot on....You don't always know what your other council is receiving in the way of evidence, depending on when it's found....

The character, Ellen North, was written well....I enjoyed the way the author made her seem to be doing her job for the justice of it all....

All and all, in my humble opinion, a very good read!

[Jason Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was drawn out way too long. I really only enjoyed the last 100 pages or so when things started coming to an end. And the main character, Ellen North is a self righteous, hypocritical, bitch who can't control her emotions any better than a two-year-old. That’s all I have to say about that.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps if I had known that this was a continuation of another book I would have liked it more, but I doubt it . The romance plot added nothing but irritation to the story. I would have had a restraining order taken out on that man.

[Didka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Много ми харесаха и двете книги! Това ми е първият досег с авторката и определено съм ѝ фен вече! Силно препоръчвам на всички!

[L Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an older book that I pulled from my shelves and I am so glad that I did.
The story is well written, with very interesting characters that produce a very suspenseful mystery. The story kept me engaged from the beginning to the end. The only thing that cause any issue was that there were a lot of characters to keep up with. I had to look back several times to get them straight in my head.
Really exciting ending!!

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a book by Tami let alone in a series so i wasnt sure what to expect but was very hopeful i'd like it since its a Thriller, one of my Top 5 Favorite Genres but said this one was just too slow starting for me and i didnt care for The Prosecuter and Client on Trial constantly arguing i felt it took away from the storyline.

The Characters were fun and interesting to read about. Ellen was definately my favorite with her determination to find out who kidnapped The Victim before its too late.

The Setting was wonderfully told which made me feel like i was actually in Minnesota especially when the scenery was described.

Overall an OK Book 2 in this Thriller Series!! If it hadnt started off so slow and picked up from the beginning opposed to at Chapter 4 i probably would of liked it more.

I will read more by Tami in the future i just hope all her other books arent as slow starting as this one was.

[Kara Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Guilty as Sin is the continuation from book #1, Night Sins. This time, the central characters are Ellen North, Assistant County Attorney, and Jay Butler Brooks, a novelist with the goal of observing and researching this devastating crime that has Deer Lake frozen in fear. Hoag again does a great job of setting up each scene in a very edge of your seat manner. Twists and turns, with a little romance thrown in made for a page turning book! There were some parts, mainly legal descriptions, that tended to be dragged out, but overall a great story.

[Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este livro é a continuação do anterior “Pecados na noite” cujo final tinha ficado aberto. Estava desejoso por reencontrar a Megan e o Mitch, e infelizmente eles passaram para o segundo plano, aparecendo com raridade ao longo do livro. O protagonismo passou para a advogada Ellen North e o escritor de livros baseados em crimes verdadeiros Jay Butler Brooks. As vitimas do crime são as mesmas que as anteriores.

«O rapto do pequeno Josh Kirkwood abalou profundamente a pequena comunidade de Deer Lake. Mesmo agora, depois da prisão do suspeito e do regresso de Josh a casa, são e salvo, o medo e as perguntas perduram. O que aconteceu a Josh nas mãos do raptor? Porque é que ele ainda não disse nenhuma palavra depois do seu regresso? Terá o pesadelo terminado? Ou estará apenas a começar?
Ellen North acabou de ser nomeada para este escaldante caso. Para além da comunicação social, todos os seus movimentos são seguidos de perto por Jay Butler Brooks. Quando uma segunda criança é raptada enquanto o principal suspeito de Ellen se encontra na prisão, ela sabe que está perante um jogo de vida e de morte... »

Gostei bastante do enredo policial e do final que foi surpreendente e ao mesmo tempo bastante aterrador. Trata-se de um jogo de mentes doentias, em que utilizaram as vítimas como peões de xadrez.

Mas há vários senãos…

Fiquei aborrecido com a química previsível entre a Ellen e o Jay, não havia necessidade de os incluir na história. Para mim, bastava a Ellen ser uma esplêndida advogada e solteira! Só me interessava saber como o jogo seria desvendado e terminado.

O estilo de escrita da Tami Hoag é muito estruturado e tenho deparado com a repetição de descrições psicológicas das vítimas ao longo do livro, o que me tem causado contrariedade de ler.

Pág. 475 “Com um grito agudo, puxou da caneta e cravou-a com toda a fúria do instinto de sobrevivência. (…) emitiu um uivo no instante em que o objeto até então destinado somente para escrever se lhe afundava na face”, a descrição da caneta soa a ridículo…

Apesar dos pontos negativos, gostei bastante! E pretendo ler mais livros da Tami Hoag.

Link: http://livrolico.blogspot.pt/2013/05/explodido-mao-do-pecado-de-tami-hoag.html

[Yvette · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I picked this book out of a share box at my work I didn't realize that it was the sequel to another book (Night Sins). Therefore, I was actually glad that Tami Hoag incorporated some back story throughout. I haven't read Night Sins, and really don't plan to, but I can see how readers of the first book might be at least slightly bored or disappointed in the turnout of this sequel.

Having said that, I was drawn into the story from the beginning; it kept me interested in reading through to see the outcome (despite the fact that this book is 600 pages long). After a while, however, I did become bored with how the story continued to drag on and hoped that it would pick up. It finally does in the last 100 pages or so. I was so excited to finally see justice for the victims in the story but right when the police burst through the doors of the suspects house...everything fell flat. Perhaps this is more the fault of the subjective nature of "justice" rather than a fault in the route the author chose to take with her book. Nevertheless, I was disappointed by what seemed to be an open-ended finale due to the Epilogue as well as the fact that we never found out how Costello came to be involved with the defense.

Overall, the book was a good read. I definitely feel like this was a standalone book, though. It didn't require me to read Night Sins in order to know what was going on.

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was...Okay?

I've noticed a theme with her books with me. I'm indifferent to most of the characters in her books, with a few exceptions.

I really do like the way she writes the actual plot. The story itself was really good.

[Jackie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved ,loved this book. Was scary, twisted, and unforgettable. Ms. Hoag writes intensely. She grabs a subject by the throat and doesn't let it go. Was creepy, nerve-wracking and unputdownable. What more can I say.

[Arwen56 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ripensare a questo "giallo" mi dà un leggero senso di nausea. In verità non credo neppure possa essere definito un "giallo". Diciamo che la trama poliziesca viene usata per far sì che:

1) Ellen North e Jay Butler Brooks si scambino, in prima battuta, dei "baci profondi" (parole testuali) e poi “scopino come ricci", con conseguente dettagliata descrizione: "Ellen non indossava il reggiseno. I suoi seni erano scoperti, avevano il colore della crema, il tocco della seta e si adattavano perfettamente alla mano di Jay". Ma non mi dire. Quando il caso dice la combinazione. E se i seni di Ellen non si fossero adattati "perfettamente alla mano di Jay" cosa sarebbe successo? Gli sarebbe venuta una crisi depressiva? Il resto della descrizione ve la risparmio, altrimenti vi si blocca la mascella a forza di ridere e non voglio prendermi questa responsabilità. Nel frattempo, l'assassino ammazza un altro bambino. Ma che cazzo ce ne frega a noi? L'importante è che Ellen e Jay "ondata dopo ondata" arrivino all'orgasmo.

2) Hannah e Tom scoprano di essere innamorati. Hannah è la madre di uno dei bambini rapiti (Josh). Tom è un prete cattolico. Una specie di "Uccelli di rovo" in versione stringata, se così possiamo dire. Questi due, ovviamente, non “scopano come ricci”. No. Si limitano a "sbavarsi" dietro, come le convenzioni impongono, ovvero si toccano ogni tre per due, si cercano in continuazione, ma rimandano l'esecuzione del "fattaccio" a tempi più propizi. E, qui, non vomitare diventa davvero difficile.

3) Paul (marito di Hannah e padre di Josh) e Karen (moglie dell’assassino) mettano in moto la loro personale “sceneggiata”, che non ha né capo né coda. Questi scopano, in effetti. Ma non “come ricci”. Più che altro, paiono farlo più per dovere, che non per piacere, sebbene siano amanti. Tra tutti e due sembrano talmente “rincoglioniti” che non se ne riesce neppure a cogliere un lato comico.

4) Megan e Mitch rafforzino il loro rapporto. Questi due, grazie a Dio, almeno, scopano in maniera normale, senza udire le “trombe celesti” o la terra tremare quando arrivano al culmine. Tra la “massa”, sono i personaggi migliori.

In mezzo a tutti questi “accoppiamenti”, l’assassino e il suo complice vanno avanti indisturbati a fare quel che devono fare: intimidiscono, rapiscono, ammazzano. Eppure restano completamente sfocati, privi di consistenza, più evanescenti di un simulacro.
Per dirla terra terra, una vera stronzata di libro, da evitarsi come la peste.

[Angelique Deaderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, there is one thing I found true about this book, and that it was certainly better than the last one. Focusing less on the romance aspect of the book itself did greatly attribute to the story, and I have to applaud Tami Hoag for now being able to write a romance where the two characters didn't want to see the other in undress in the split second they meet the other. But hey, at least I actually went into this novel actually knowing it's less of a mystery and more of a romance, so I'm not as mad as when I was reading the first one.

That being said, the character of Jay Brooks did not really grow on me until the latter half of the book. Tami Hoag needs to learn that having an awful past does not condone or make the go ahead for bad behavior, especially if it applies to one of the main protagonist for the book. I didn't really like the romance between Ellen and Jay either, as I missed the relationship between Mitch and Megan and I wanted to see more of it after reading Night Sins, which did not happen often with only glimpses of their life now. It didn't help that I didn't really like Ellen either, as she felt just like a really weak copy of Megan's character. Besides that though, some characters are quite interesting and returning characters are certainly quite strong and fun to read overall, with an exception of a key few.

The mystery aspect of the novel isn't that good either, as the culprit in the first book is already caught and it's now just a hunt for his accomplice, who is actually just a bit hard to figure out. I have to give points to Hoag for writing a culprit I couldn't figure out as easily as the first one. Still, it just wasn't as suspenseful and riveting as the first novel's, most likely because we do not get that attached to the family of the newly kidnapped boy, so it doesn't really give much of an impact when something happens regarding them.

All in all, Guilty as Sin is most certainly a bit better than the first, as long as you focus more on the returning cast of the book and have it still ingrained in your mind that this is more of a romance than a mystery novel. It was certainly a better experience than Night Sins.

[Rita Laranjeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um livro sobre o rapto de uma criança e parece haver um culpado. Mas será mesmo culpado?
Um livro sobre o reaparecimento da criança mas, regressa sem falar... O que terá acontecido?
Um livro sobre uma advogada do Ministério Público que procura incansavelmente pelo culpado do rapto. Será que consegue descobrir o que realmente aconteceu?
Quem diz a verdade e quem mente? E quem tenta ludibriar a justiça?

Este é o segundo livro de uma série. Se eu quis avançar na mesma? Claro! O livro foi emprestado e não ia fazer a desfeita de o ter em casa há meses e acabar por não o ler... 😏 Se fez diferença não ler o primeiro? Nem por isso. A autora apresenta de forma breve, ao longo do livro, alguns acontecimentos para percebermos o que aconteceu no primeiro livro.
Gostei da advogada e da garra dela! Gostei de perceber quem era o raptor e do motivo que o levou a fazê-lo. A parte com mais ação tem um bom ritmo.
Mas achei que o livro ficaria melhor se tivesse menos páginas...

[David Veith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0. I was ready to call this a 2.0, but it did get better as it went. Small town lawyer (who was a big town lawyer) ends up with a crazy case of child abduction, murder and all other fun twists. Story is good, but writing could have been better. Lots of unneeded stuff/descriptions going on. Still not the worst thing I have read, but not the best either. Prob. would not read it again. Maybe if it was half its size.

[Kelley Short · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I did not realize that this book was a continuation of a series. Not sure at this point if that would have made any difference in my rating. I found this book way too long and very underwhelming. The last 100 pages got better, but I would recommend to skip this one.

[Cheryl Simmons · Rating 1 out of 5]

An older novel by Tami Hoag, bought at the Maui Friends of the Library store, is not up to her later work. I can’t really recommend it.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one just to find out what happened after Night Sins ended. Meh. Just meh.

[Kristen Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a bit to get into this one, but the action at the end was super intense and twisted.

[Caryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Night Sins set the stage for this story, Guilty did a great job of closing all the gaps. This one felt much more fast paced and left several cliffhangers at ends of chapters. While it could be read as a standalone I think reading Night Sins first would give a more complete story. Was refreshing to read a police procedural outside the age of social media, cell phones, and texts. I could picture both books as a television miniseries. While I thought Night Sins was just ho-hum, I’m glad I kept reading because this one was hard to put down.

[Lucia D'Amore · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I could not put this down. Kept me guessing until the end!!

[Meghan · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was no need for this sequel to Night Sins. The story could have been wrapped up in Book 1. The main characters from Book 1 had almost no storyline in this second book and the new main characters were boring and unneeded. Especially the author, James. He came off obnoxious and totally unnecessary to any part of the story. I would have quit reading but I wanted to find out how they resolved what was started in Night Sins. Needless to say I was highly disappointed.

[Chris Snider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Tami Hoag thriller. This was a sequel that delivered. I may have liked this one even better than "Night Sins" Anyway you had a lovable Male protagonist and a likable female protagonist even if she could be a tad uptight at times. The story kept you guessing until the very end. At the end one of the bad guys had crossed my mind as a suspect, but I didn't know for sure until it was revealed. 5 star read.

[Patti Eier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Suspenseful and kept me guessing til the end