Suspense novelist Tami Hoag took the plot for her latest book, Down the Darkest Road, directly from the headlines. Down the Darkest Road takes a look at what happens to a family after a child is murdered. As the book begins, Lauren Lawton lost her 16-year-old daughter four years ago. The aftermath has been devastating to the family. Lauren’s husband, unable to deal with the tragedy, killed himself, while she has become a walking shell of her former vibrant self. And Lauren’s youngest daughter, Leah, is adrift, unable to enjoy a normal life because of the looming shadow of her missing sister.
Hoping to start over, Lauren and Leah move to a small town where no one knows what happened to them.
As soon as they arrive, the unimaginable happens: Lauren sees the man who killed her daughter. At least, he’s the man she believes is the killer. She doesn’t have any proof, and the local police can’t act on her hunches. Adding to her panic is the fact that Leah is about to turn 16 — the same age as her other daughter when she was murdered. Is the killer back to take Leah, too?
With complex characters and crisp, believable dialogue, Down the Darkest Road is a sophisticated thriller. Meet Hoag during this discussion and signing session. 6:30 p.m. Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet. For information, call 713-524-8597 or visit www.murderbooks.com. Free.
Thu., Dec. 29, 2011
This article appears in Dec 29, 2011 – Jan 4, 2012.