Whisper of Evil

The small Louisiana town of Silence is anything but quiet these days. Four men in eight months have been killed and the townsfolk are afraid; they want the police to catch the killer quickly. The only problem is the police are totally stymied so the mayor has asked the FBI to come in. Kay Hooper's, psychic thrillers are always a delightful reading experience and "Whisper of Evil" is no exception. Characters from previous works lend a sense of continuity to the story line and readers will be glad to reunite with favorites who feel like friends. The plot is complex and has so many unexpected twists and turns that readers won't be able to predict what happens next.

Rendezvous Review: Nell Gallagher has finally returned to the small town of Silence. She fled that town ten years earlier with an explanation given to no one. Not even her boyfriend, Max Tanner, knew what had driven Nell to disappear. Nell has returned to handle the estate left to her by her father and then she plans to be on her way. But everything is not as quiet in this small town as it once had been. Three murders in eight months have plagued the town and the sheriff's department is at a complete loss. Ethan Bishop, the sheriff, does have one suspect -Max Tanner. Every person murdered was an upstanding, well-respected member of community until their deaths revealed the secrets they had harbored. Nell had always had "visions", and show more she now belongs in the FBI's special crime unit. Each member of the unit has psychic abilities. Can Nell's visions help her fine the murderer before he comes after her? Ms. Hooper's latest offering has less action than her earlier books. I missed that. I did like being back with the members of the Psychic Unit. Both the psychological and sexual tension between Max and Nell is breathtaking. Their whole relationship exists on a special plane-one that I was honored to visit. Although each of Ms. Hooper's books stand alone, together they are terrific. Start with STEALING SHADOWS and you won't be able to stop this series. It's suspense reading at its best. Reviewed August 2002 by Pat Kersten show less

I love the Bishop / Special Crimes Unit books and this was the only format of this title I could find in the libraries. Interesting story of a girl who left a town to escape her family, becomes an FBI agent and has to return to deal with the aftermath. It's interesting and well done but there were times when I felt a bit lost in the mystery, the clues weren't there for me to see who did it.

A lot of the character names sound different in my mind than they did in the narration, and occasionally hearing Gallagher read jarred a little (I know it's the outside Ireland pronunciation but it's a family name).

The twists and turns of the story kept me listening and was a welcome distraction from some of the stuff my husband likes watching on TV.

Whisper of Evil
3 Stars

A good premise but the poor character development and weak investigative process make this a mediocre addition to the series.

The pacing is off as the buildup toward the climax is drawn out and tedious while the denouement is too rapid and anti-climactic.

The romance reads like an afterthought. While Max and Nell have the potential for some sizzling chemistry, their past relationship is revealed in dribs and drabs, which makes it difficult for the reader to care about them one way or the other. In fact, the secondary romance between Shelby and Justin is far more engaging.

In terms of the serial killer plot, other than the profile indicating that the killer is a cop (this is revealed at the outset so its not a show more spoiler), there are absolutely NO clues as to his or her identity because the secondary cast is not fleshed out AT ALL. Moreover, the psychic elements contribute very little to the investigation and the twist is predictable.

Overall, not up to Hooper's standards. show less

Not the best thriller.at times the writing reminded me of the romance novels I thought so great in my younger days. I do like thrillers, but won't be seeking any more by this author. Pretty bland, flat characters. Just ok. I was anxious to finish the book and move on.

2 of 3. More intense than Touching Evil, but cluttered with past history, secrets, and several pedantic discussions about psychic abilities. A couple twists that make the reader at least pause. Not a page-turner.

A good plot but there are to many story lines going on. I'm a fan of the Noah Bishop series and enjoy the paranormal aspect of the investigations. The tension builds from page to page. Nell Gallagher returns to Silence Louisiana as an undercover FBI agent to catch a serial killer before another murder is committed.