My Review of That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3 by Marcia Meara

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That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3 by [Meara, Marcia]

I received  a copy of That Darkest Place from the author in return for an honest review.

 I gave the book 4* out of 5*

Book Description:

In Book 3 of her popular Riverbend series, Marcia Meara, author of Wake-Robin Ridge, A Boy Named Rabbit,and Harbinger, takes another look at the lives of the Painter brothers—Jackson, Forrest, and Hunter. While Hunter is home again and on the mend, the same isn’t true for his oldest brother. Jackson’s battle has just begun.

“There are dark places in every heart, in every head. Some you turn away from. Some you light a candle within. But there is one place so black, it consumes all light. It will pull you in and swallow you whole. You don’t leave your brother stranded in that darkest place.”
~Hunter Painter~

The new year is a chance for new beginnings—usually hopeful, positive ones. But when Jackson Painter plows his car into a tree shortly after midnight on January 1, his new beginnings are tragic. His brothers, Forrest and Hunter, take up a grim bedside vigil at the hospital, waiting for Jackson to regain consciousness and anxious over how he’ll take the news that he’s lost a leg and his fiancée is dead. After all, the accident was all his fault.

As the shocking truth emerges, one thing becomes obvious—Jackson will need unconditional love and support from both of his brothers if he is to survive.

Just as he begins the long road to recovery, danger, in the form of a sinister, unsigned note, plunges him back into bleak despair. Scrawled in blood red letters, the accusation—and the threat—is clear. “MURDERER!”

Will the long, harrowing ordeal that lies ahead draw the Painter brothers closer together, or drive them apart forever?

Suspenseful and often heartbreaking, this small-town tale is a testimonial to the redemptive power of love and paints a story filled with humor, romance, and fierce family loyalty.

 My Review:

 I’ve always liked this author’s writing style and her ability to tell a good story and this latest book is no disappointment.  This continuation of the events that affect the Painter brothers’ lives is a rich emotional tale of despair, love, familial support, intrigue and triumph.

The main characters, Jackson, Forrest, and Hunter.  are now well established and have become more rounded and multi-layered and remain true to the traits they have portrayed over the series. I felt as if I’d known and understood them for a while which is always a good sign for me. The different points of view of each brother to a greater or lesser degree works well and I cared what happened to them.

 The setting of Riverbend is constant, even with the introduction of different minor characters and places; Marcia Meara has a nice touch when it comes to descriptions and giving a sense of place.

There are one or two twists and turns in the plot which progresses at a steady pace and I finished the story with a sense of satisfaction that all will be well… hopefully.

 A good read. And a book I would recommend.

 Book Links:

 Amazon.co.uk; http://amzn.to/2tqUFWv

 Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2sRfld8

 

 

18 thoughts on “My Review of That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3 by Marcia Meara”

    • Thank you, Terri. So nice to hear that you’ve enjoyed WRR so far. Hope you’ll like Harbinger, too. (But “Beware the Black Dog.” 😯 ) I also hope you’ll enjoy the Riverbend series, if you get a chance to check them out. A bit different from the things that go bump in the night on Wake-Robin Ridge, but hopefully, still stories that make you care about the people involved. 😀

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  4. What a happy surprise, Judith! I’m so pleased that you enjoyed That Darkest Place. It was a hard book to write, in many ways, but the other two Painter brothers needed their stories told, too. Now, I feel like I can move on to someone different. Riverbend IS full of all sorts of characters, some brand new, and some we’ve met before. I’m working on Gabe’s story now, and then will go back to Wake-Robin Ridge for Rabbit’s next spooky encounter. But after that, Riverbend 4 will be underway, and we’ll see what shocking things might transpire in that sleepy little town. I’m plotting, plotting, plotting. *rubs hands together in glee*

    Thanks again for such a great review, and I’m trying to decide if I dare share it on The Write Stuff, too. I just shared Staci Troilo’s, and I don’t want to be pushy. But surely, I could get away with at least one more, couldn’t I? After all, they don’t have to click on the link if they aren’t interested. Okay, I’ve talked myself into it. Reblogging this for sure! 😀 😀 😀

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    • I think you should reblog it wherever you like, Marcia… and as many times as you like. I’ll share it around more later – just back from class and running after myself at the moment but wanted to know if you were happy with the review. All I can say is thank you for writing it. Now… plot on some more. jx

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      • I’m putting it up on both of my blogs, and on FB, too. Plus tweeting. I was VERY happy with it, Judith, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. The best part is knowing you enjoyed something I wrote. I LOVE that! 😀

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  5. Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
    At the risk of being pushy, getting another stellar review for That Darkest Place has just made my morning! Hope some of you will find time to check out Judith’s review, and share with the Immediate World. 😀 THANKS!

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  6. Pingback: Lovely Review of That Darkest Place from Judith Barrow | Bookin' It

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