This was one of Charlaine Harris’s first books, written before she began any of her series. I thought it was pretty good. It’s the story of Nickie, a model who has reached the end of her career and is a little bit at odds about what she wants to do. She ends up moving in with her best friend, back in the town where she spent her childhood in boarding school. Unfortunately, someone else has been showing up in town… a serial rapist. After Nickie herself is attacked in her own bedroom, she feels the need to conduct her own search for the rapist. In most ways this book is a whodunnit, but it’s also about rape and how it affects not only the victim, but those around her. This is definitely worth a read if you’re a Charlaine Harris fan. ( )

One of the best books I've seen by a very talented writer. This is a tale of a small Southern town and an academic community suddenly terrorized by a serial rapist who eventually turns to murder as well. Harris does an excellent job of getting inside the head of a rape survivor; in fact, the only downside of the book is that its realism might be triggery for survivors of rape or sexual abuse. A deeply disturbing book, but one that will keep you turning pages. ( )

Will keep you up late reading page after page. ( )

Charlaine Harris gives us a satisfying mystery set in small-town Arkansas. New York model Nicky returns to the south after years of success, but her homecoming is poisoned by a viscious rapist. Harris obviously did some great research on the psychology of rape victims and rapists, because her characterizations ring chillingly true. Her knowledge of the Arkansas, of course, is first hand. The result is finely drawn characters and setting, and a mystery that rises above a simple whodunnit to give the reader a deeper understanding of victimology. This is not a comfortable book to read, but the charms of the south give some spots of lightness and the ending a satisfaction that makes the journey worthwhile. ( )