Chasing Darkness by Danielle Girard

I read on someone's blogs that if you enjoyed Ms. Girard's books, you would enjoy Wendy Corsi Staub books. Since I love her books, I was hoping the reverse would be true. I checked one of her books out of the library and it was a decent read. I give it a B-.

A tough special agent with the Department of Justice, and a dedicated single mother to her orphaned nephews, Sam Chase is unbreakable. Until two women, both from the shadows of Sam's past, are discovered strangled. For Sam, the most unnerving detail is the ecalyptus branch tucked behind the victims' ears- the signature of a notorious serial murderer already convicted and executed for his crimes.

To detective Nick Thomas, the only link to the copycat killings is Sam herself. And when she becomes the target of threats- each one more menacing than the last- his feelings for just might jeopardize the case. But to understand the killer's twisted motive is to explore Sam's past- and a crime she's spent a lifetime trying to bury...

This book started out very slow for me. It picked up about a little less than halfway through the book. I don't see how the threats become more menacing throughout the book, but it was suspensful. The writing was kind of weird though, and the dialogue was somewhat hard to follow. The time periods did not mesh well either, and it was hard to see how much time had passed. Sometimes it seemed like the author just stopped writing, forgot where she was when she started again and it didn't make a lot of sense. The suspense was well written and the characters were likeable, so it brought the grade up. I will probably read another one of her books, though not right now with so many others waiting to be read.

Happy reading!