Sucked me in from the very first chapter!
Most books, even thrillers, take some time to get into, but I didn't want to put down Standing Still by Kelly Simmons even though I had only been reading it for a few minutes. I was fascinated by the story of Claire, a woman suffering from a panic disorder whose worst imagined fears come true one night. Her house is broken into and she comes face to face with the intruder as he is poised to take her daugher. Claire pleads with him to take her instead, and he does. What follows is an intricate tale where the secret of Claire's past--the incident that lead to her paranoia--is as much of a mystery as whether Claire will escape her tormentor--or whether she wants to.
Fans of thrillers that delve into the fears that cloud our minds will love this one, I highly recommend it. ( )

I read the first 40 or so pages of “Standing Still” n New Years Eve as I was waiting for stuff to happen. The morning of New Years Day, I woke up earlier than planned and decided to read a bit more until I was ready to get up. Next thing I knew, hours had passed and the book was finished!

“Standing Still” is the story of Claire, a mother and journalist who suffers from panic attacks. After years of fearing an intruder whenever her husband was not home at night, Claire hears a noise and finds out her worst nightmare has come true; there is a strange man standing in her daughter’s room in the middle of the night. After begging the man to leave the girl and take her instead, Claire finds herself kidnapped and held for ransom.

As much as the plot sounds dramatic, most of this book was primarily internal. What made it so interesting were Claire’s thoughts and feelings about what was happening to her, particularly as her relationship with her captor evolved. I also loved the way that Simmons drew the reader deeper into Claire’s past and psyche, to discover what turned a vivacious reporter into the shell of a woman she became. ( )

I loved this book from beginning to end. The pace of the book moved smoothly and kept my interest throughout. The tension built with hidden secrets that in due time were revealed kept the story moving. I enjoyed the premise of the book that showed how all of us have secrets and insecurities, but through trust we can live a fulfilled life. ( )

very suspenseful and well written-a good read ( )

The story gets a check on all key points, but I really had to think about the ending. Was it good or bad? I still have no clue. It left me with a taste in my mouth and I’m still smacking my lips trying to decide if I like it. I’ve heard that a story can either be plot driven or character driven. Simmons has me wondering if did both as she flipped back and forth from past events to the character’s present day dilemma. Whatever the book is or was, it’s left a strong impression on my senses. ( )