Book Review: Hello, Darkness by Sandra Brown

Hello, Darkness
Author: Sandra Brown
Publication: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (October 7, 2003)

Description: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Seeing Red comes Hello, Darkness, a brilliant, fast-paced tale about a woman haunted by her past and caught in a nightmare that threatens to destroy her future.

For Paris Gibson, her popular late-night radio show is both an escape and her one real contact with the outside world. To her loyal listeners, she is a wise and trusted friend who not only takes their requests but listens to their problems and occasionally dispenses advice.

Paris’s world of isolation is shattered when one listener—a man who identifies himself only as “Valentino”—tells her that the girl he loves jilted him because of Paris's on-air advice. Now he intends to exact his revenge: first he plans to kill the girl—then he will come after Paris.

Joined by the Austin police department, Paris plunges into a race against time in an effort to find Valentino before he can carry out his threat. To her dismay, she finds that she must now work with crime psychologist Dean Malloy, a man with whom she shares a history. His presence arouses old passions, forcing Paris to confront painful memories that she had come to Austin to forget.

As the clock ticks down and Valentino’s threats come closer to becoming reality, Paris finds herself forced to deal with a killer who may not be a stranger at all.

Tense and compelling right up to the chilling climax, Hello, Darkness is suspense at its very best, by the author USA TODAY dubbed “a masterful storyteller, carefully crafting tales that keep readers on the edge of their seats.”

My Thoughts: Hello, Darkness was an engaging and exciting thriller which stars Paris Gibson and Dean Malloy. Paris is a former television reporter who became a radio personality while she was caring for her fiancé who was gravely injured in a car accident. He was mostly brain dead for the seven years she cared for him. He has recently passed away. 

Dean Malloy was Paris's fiancé's best friend since their college days. After the accident, they lost track of each other primarily because Paris wanted it that way. Dean has been busy with his career as a psychologist and police officer. He has also been co-parenting with his ex-wife. Now his wife has remarried, and Dean has become the primary caretaker for his seventeen-year-old son Devin. He has also recently moved to Austin and taken his son with him. Devin isn't happy about the move and is rebelling and hanging out with unsuitable friends. 

When Paris receives a threatening phone call while she is at work, she calls the police and goes to the police with a cassette of the call. She fears that the caller is not just venting but is really threatening the life of someone. The police sergeant calls in the new lieutenant who turns out to be Malloy. Now they are forced to confront each other and work together if they want to save the life of the missing woman. 

There are lots of possibilities for the unknown caller including a sex addict, an ex-con, and still others. The story, published in 2003, talks about teenagers who are connecting for sex over the internet which also includes Dean's son Devin on the edge of that. It is also told from multiple viewpoints including that of the sex addict. The story didn't feel dated despite its age. 

I liked that Paris and Dean were able to resolve their differences which were caused by guilt over their actions in the past. I thought the tension built nicely in the story. I'll admit that I was surprised by the villain of the story despite forming a poor opinion of him during the course of the story. 

Favorite Quote:

Eventually Toni Armstrong raised her head and spoke directly to Dean. "Sometimes I think Brad actually believes his lies. It's as if he's living in a fantasy world where there are no consequences for his actions. He can do as he pleases without fear of getting caught or paying a penalty."

I bought this one August 18, 2009. You can buy your copy here.