Review and Giveaway: As Night Falls by Jenny Milchman

Title: As Night Falls
Author: Jenny Milchman
Publisher: Ballantine
Publication Date: June 30, 2015
ISBN: 9780553394818
Number of Pages: 384
How I Got It: direct from author
Format: paperback ARC
Goodreads Description:

Sandy Tremont has always tried to give her family everything. But, as the sky darkens over the Adirondacks and a heavy snowfall looms, an escaped murderer with the power to take it all away draws close.

In her isolated home in the shadowy woods, Sandy prepares dinner after a fight with her daughter, Ivy. Upstairs, the fifteen-year-old—smart, brave, and with every reason to be angry tonight—keeps her distance from her mother. Sandy’s husband, Ben, a wilderness guide, arrives late to find a home simmering with unease.
Nearby, two desperate men on the run make their way through the fading light, bloodstained and determined to leave no loose ends or witnesses. After almost twenty years as prison cellmates, they have become a deadly team: Harlan the muscle, Nick the mind and will. As they approach a secluded house and look through its windows to see a cozy domestic scene, Nick knows that here he will find what he’s looking for . . . before he disappears forever.
Opening the door to the Tremont home, Nick brings not only a legacy of terror but a secret that threatens to drag Sandy with him into the darkness.

My Review: 

Tamara and I featured Jenny Milchman's Ruin Falls on Book Talk with R and T back in October so I knew I was going to love the writing style in As Night Falls. I didn't realize that I would love to hate her characters so much! Even though it doesn't sound like it, that's a good thing!! First of all, Milchman plays on the home invasion fear and causes readers to evaluate what they would physically do in that situation. Then she adds in the psychological layer and tension between the captors and hostages that is both raw and complex. Also, the dual narrative provides backstory to the characters and let's just say that "mama's boy" doesn't do justice in describing one of the relationships. I think Barbara may top my list of teeth-grindingly frustrating characters, very Kathy Bates in Misery. Again, I mean that in the most complementary way. This thriller had me on the edge of my seat just like Ruin Falls did. I suggest this release to anyone who loves a fast paced psychological thriller.

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

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