HELLO, DARKNESS

Sandra Brown

Simon & Schuster

ISBN 0-7432-4552-0

October 2003

Romantic Suspense

Paris Gibson is a late-night radio personality whose show features romantic music and calls from her listeners. A listener whom Paris knows as "Valentino" calls in one night and tells Paris he holds her responsible for the breakup of his relationship. He then adds that he's holding his ex-lover captive and plans to kill her in 72 hours unless Paris can stop him. The deejay is convinced that this is no joke, and she notifies the police.

To her shock and dismay, the police take her seriously, and turn the case over to their staff psychologist, Dean Malloy. Dean and Paris were once friends whose relationship ended in disaster. The couple must put aside their memories and work together to hunt down Valentino before he can put his deadly plan into action.

As Dean and Paris trace their prey, the case leads them down shadowy paths that force them to confront the dark link of their past. Dean's son Gavin, whom Paris remembers as a sweet, affectionate boy, becomes a suspect when the police uncover his connection to an internet sex club, which happens to have been founded by Valentino's intended victim. Other suspects abound in a cast of characters who are all concealing murky secrets. Ms. Brown has written a story that doubles back on itself like the hairpin turns of a mountain road on a moonless night. Darkness itself is a character in HELLO, DARKNESS, as Paris and Dean confront their flaws and reconcile their shared guilt over the tragedy in their past. Paris embraces the darkness, working in the lonely hours of the night, preserving her anonymity in a field known for its flamboyant personalities, and wearing dark glasses that shield her from the light and keep her isolated from the people around her.

HELLO, DARKNESS is a nail-biter of a rollercoaster ride, with dips and turns that will leave readers breathless and unable to put the book down. The story starts at full speed, and only gets faster and more dangerous as it progresses. It will come as no surprise that Ms. Brown meshes disparate storylines into a cohesive whole with all the ease of a juggler keeping several plates aloft simultaneously. With more than fifty books to her credit, Sandra Brown has complete control over her plot, revealing secrets at precisely the right moment, and teasing readers with red herrings and surprises. HELLO, DARKNESS is sure to become many readers' old friend.