My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Little Red Riding Hood is one fairy tale that has always creeped me out and I can’t imagine the grim nature of the whole tale being read when one is at an age where every shadow is a monster out to eat you. There are versions of the story where the woodcutter does save the little girl, but the first time I read it, it was where the wolf devours her as a whole, what a gruesome thought!
This classic tale has been used by Vincent Zandri to create a ghastly story of murder and madness hidden underneath the placid waters. The story does open brilliantly with the mother Rose and her 12-year-old daughter taking a break at a very idyllic Paradox Lake. The deep forests surrounding the area offer Rose the much-needed succor for her traumatized soul. But the lake is not as tranquil as it appears and the ever-menacing threat is conveyed well by the author through the creepy thoughts of the peeping wolf and the darkness surrounding the cottage.
However, the story fails to be gripping enough as the plot becomes too predictable for seasoned readers of mystery. I was probably thinking that probably the author has an ace up his sleeve with a final twisty shocker, which seems to be the norm of most thrillers nowadays, but I was disappointed. There are also the dialogues between the characters especially the way Anna and Rose converses which was a trifle odd, there was a lack of naturality to the whole banter as if being said by cartoon caricatures.
3.5 could have been better raindrops💦💦💦💧
Many thanks to Net Galley, Oceanview Publishing, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
Chilling Psychological Suspense from a New York Times and USA Today Best-selling Author
Sculptor and single mom, Rose Conley, is haunted by her tragic past and anxious about her uncertain future. She needs to get away from it all. On sabbatical from the college where she teaches art, she and her daughter rent a house for three months in the Adirondack lakeside community of Paradox.
Rose desperately needs time alone with her twelve-year-old daughter before the teenage years hit. In the wake of the premature deaths of her oldest daughter, Allison, and her husband, Charlie, Rose wants nothing more than to nurture Anna every moment she can.
But idyllic Paradox Lake transforms into a nightmare when a monster from the past invades Rose’s retreat—and targets her daughter for his special brand of horror.
Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Stephen King
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