Silver Falls by Anne StuartReview

Anne Stuart's website
Publisher: Mira
Pub. Date: May 2009
ISBN-13: 9780778325970
Sales Rank: 12,751
384pp






Back blurbs:

A predator lurks in the rain-soaked streets of Silver Falls...

Rachel is finally getting it right. After years of wandering, she's married the perfect man and settled into the ideal life. But as her sleepy little town turns into a killing ground, she realizes that this new life might come at too high a price.

He's careful, patient and good at what he does...

Caleb Middleton says he's returned home to set things right. But as her husband's dangerous brother circles like a hungry wolf, poking holes in her perfect world, Rachel draws her young daughter in close. The rain and violence keep coming, and Rachel must decide whether to trust her dream life or her instincts...before the town of Silver Falls becomes her grave.

And when he's finished killing, he goes home...

End Book blurb:

Melody, Alice and I did a joint-reading with Silver Falls and I truly always enjoy reading along with them. It's always fun. We decided to do something different with our reviews this time. Instead of just writing our normal reviews, we decided to Just post Q&A format. Here is is....

Melody Q&A:

Question 1: What do you think of the hero and the heroine?
~ I really love Caleb. I thought that he was written just the way Anne Stuart's bad boy heroes are to be. At some point he made me laugh when he sarcastic said things, but his words just seem to get him in more trouble. I also felt that he was having trouble trying to make end meet between doing the right things with good vs evil when it come to his dynamic family. It probably was hard for him in these situation because of his 'relation' to that family. And you can tell he want to belong by trying to do the right things. But doing the right things can also mean doing the wrong thing too.

However I didn't like Rachel. She was just too 'stupid to live' for me. Very annoying and hard headed too. I've came across many annoying heroine but never have I ever felt strongly annoyed by Rachel. I understand that she want to give her daughter, Sophie a stability life and think David could provided that for her by marrying him which would be the perfect man for her ideal life. And I can see that Sophie is much more important than her own life too. But believing David to be innocence, after many people have told her the evil side of him, and continuing to ignore all the warning and the instinct sign that was given to her - she still lead her daughter right into danger. At some point (I swear I do), I want to knock her head against the wall to get some sense out of her *LOL* But yet at same time, even when she does ignore all the warning sign, she does have a "mother hen" protective in her over Sophie. But she sorta redeem herself later too.

Question 2: What do you think of David's behaviour to the victims? Did it take away all your surprises when he is shown as the murderer from the beginning of the story? Or would you prefer to find out who's the murderer towards the end of the story? Why or why not?
~ I always love to find out who's the murderer toward the end are. Probably because I love to see if I can solve the mystery before the murderer is revealed. I love to discover the surprises to the twist and turn of the suspense. The more dark and thrilling the book are the more I want to keep reading until I reach the ending to discover the murderer. That is one of the reason why I enjoy reading from the beginning to ending, without peeking at the end is because I want to get to that rising point to discover surprised "whodunnit" at the end.

It did somewhat took away the story for me as we discover quickly that Davis is murderer. However it didn't take away my enjoyment to read the book. I thought David was one of the most chilling dark character I ever came across with. It was interesting to see his POV, wondering and knowing what is in his mind as he with his victims. His behavior was icky to me but also was a "hair flying up" chilling too.

Question 3: What attracts the heroine to the hero, considering he is her "brother-in-law"?
~ Not sure. I even wonder what attracted Caleb to Rachel *LOL*! I think she was attracted by his rough bad boy attitude (I mean who weren't?! *grin*). I also think it because Caleb was the first guy who ever wanted her and give her the spark that she never had with David. I admit, I didn't like the thought that Caleb and Rachel got together while she was still with David. But because of the situation between her and David, I guess in her defense it okay for her.

Alice Questions:

Question 1: Are there any ideas that make you stop and think, lessons learned, etc.; for example, be more wary before jumping into a relationship – and how have you changed after reading it?
~ Well for me, I don't think jumping into marriage after just meeting a person in few weeks will be the right move. I would want to know more about the person before getting closer into relationship. And second if there were any warning instinct sign, I would listen to it and get out as fast as I can.

Question 2: Were you able to think of any connections between the book and your life, perhaps in ways that touched you, reminded you of your own life, or reminded you of event(s) that happened to someone else? It may not be murder...
~ Well...this didn't happen to me but believe it or not, my aunt and uncle got married on love for first sight, when they only met for a week. My uncle was supposedly married to someone else (I think it was arrange marriage). And on the day he was to go and met her, he and his friend decided to stop by near our house to pick something up. My uncle met my aunt there and they fell in love. And starting dating. He cancel his arrange marriage to the other and few months later married my aunt. Now they have 4 kids. I thought that was a sweet story.

Question 3: Relating to the characters in the book, which one is your favorite? Is there anyone that you hate or detest? Is there something about the character that you'd like to change? If yes, what?
~ Beside Caleb (yum hero!), I think Sophie is my favorite. She came across as being the only smart and strong one in the family. I thought her character was someone I can root and cheer for. And even admired. I thought she could have saved herself and Rachel from being trapped in a place she knew was just uncomfortable to stay with. But she thought her mom was happy with David. So she risk it and stay.

I would say hate is a strong word. So I would rather dislike *grin*. But Rachel isn't my favorite.

Julia Questions:

Question 1: I remember Anne Stuart said that SILVER FALLS was inspired by Ted Bundy who lived with a woman and her daughter during part of his killing spree and never touched them. And she wondered what that would be like for woman who living with a monster and never knew it. How did that affected you while reading SILVER FALLS, knowing that in real life there were a Ted Bundy just like David?
~ I remember in my teenager years, learning about Ted Bundy. He was most talked about on TV news back than and maybe still do. It sorta made me shudder when I hear things about him and I was always looking behind my back, getting scared and everything. And than a few years later, I picked a book that talked about Ted's killing spree. And I was really shocked at stuff that he have done.

So, I knew ahead of time of what the story would be like when I read Silver Falls since Anne Stuart had mention it either from blog at her own website or other website. But even than, when I started reading Silver Falls it still make me shudder and my hair rise up of the thought of Rachel living with David.

Question 2: Anne Stuart's books are more on the dark, thrilling and Gothics side with a element of good vs evil. From her earlier work or most of her recent work, how does SILVER FALLS compare to those? Was there any difference? What did you like and didn't like about SILVER FALLS?
~ I've read a lot of backlist book from Stuart's but there are few I have not yet read. And those that I've read were very good! Except for one. I also read all of the ICE series up to dates, and those are my most favorite. I think that all of her books are always showing dark bad boy heroes with element of good vs evil. But comparing SILVER FALLS to her recent books, I think that SILVER FALLS is the most darkest book up to date. And I think that most of Stuart's book give readers a 'did he or did he not' questions in their mind, but to me SILVER FALLS didn't show that. And most of the times, it not always what it seem to be. But there never a question whether if Anne Stuarts is good writer or not. She IS definitely one of the GREAT writer IMO! And I love her books!

Question 3: What did yo think about the cover art for SILVER FALLS? Love it? Hate it? Your opinion?
~ While the book cover is too dark, thrilling and scary - I thought it truly match perfectly of the "feeling" that was inside the story of the book. Anne Stuart's books are always dark and gothic. And the the covers art of her books never truly shown or convey to that. And this cover art did, IMO

That the end of the Q&A and I hope you enjoy reading my answers to it. Please don't forget to check out Alice and Melody for their answer to the Q&A too!

Silver Falls is a dark thriller book that make your heart beat with anticipating as you discover the life of innocence people living in danger. It page turner that keep you wanting to know what going to happen next. The romance was tame but it still there. I gave this a 4 stars because of the heroine, but if it wasn't for the story, the plot and the characters I would have given it less stars. Thanks goodness, I end up enjoying the book! :)

I have always enjoy reading Anne Stuart's book! She is a auto buy for me, and I never disappointed with her books. Of course there were one book that I didn't like but most of her books, I really enjoy it. Please pick up a copy of any of her books. Especially her ICE series!

Grade: 4 stars