I read Darkness Peering after reading about it in the New York Times (one of that year's best mysteries). Her stunning writing in that novel led me to buy her short story collection. I must say that this collection really drew me in. They are the type of stories that lingered in my mind long after I'd read them. When I've experienced that before, I know the stories have affected me greatly. Will we be hearing more from Miss Blanchard in future? I hope so.

I bought this on a whim over a year ago and finally got around to reading it. I must say I was impressed. Blanchard uses words as a painter uses colors and the result is often a strikingly vivid portrait, be it the overview of the environment we are entering or a wafer-thin slice of life. I found most of her characters to be refreshingly brash, usually fighting for their independence yet always under-equipped (whether they realize it or not). This is an excellent collection of short stories, right up there with Raymond Carver. Actually, her writing reminds me more of Thom Jones and Susan Minot. But Blanchard certainly has her own distinct voice, which I hope to be hearing more of.

I bought this after reading Blanchard's novel, "Darkness Peering," and it is a fantastic collection of short, often disturbing, always challenging stories. I have no doubt in my mind that Alice Blanchard is a writer of great talent who will soon be a fixture among the great American writers of our time.

I got a sneak peak at this when it was making the rounds in Hollywood (John Wells bought the rights). I was already a big fan of her earlier work in "Darkness Peering" but this one is truly amazing and I read it in one night (and morning). The concept is excellent, the characters are an eclectic mix and the tech geek storm-chaser stuff is dead on. I especially loved the hero, a dark and conflicted man holding on by his fingernails from start to finish. I look forward to reading the finished version in print... and eagerly await whatever is next from Ms. Blanchard.

First of all: be forwarned! Many of the reviews below mine give away some plot twists that are more fun to stumble across on one's own. I'm glad I didn't read any of these reviews before I read the book.

As for the book: without giving anything away, this is a very enjoyable, suspensful psychological thriller. The ending is just surprising enough to be satisfying - no absurd plot twists, just some skillfully incorporated red herrings. I read this whole book in one sitting - it is a tough one to put down!

For a first novel this is written quite well. Blanchard does a wonderful job invoking the mood of her small town with its dark secrets. She has a talent for fleshing out characters and settings using the fewest amount of words with great impact. The only thing I found annoying (not at first, but by the end of the book) was her obsession with describing how things smell. It does a fine job of putting the reader into the book, but when overdone becomes a bit distracting.

If you are looking for a great read, a fun "whodoneit" and a first look at a writer with a promising future, I highly recommend this book.

Flowering Dogwood, Maine sounds like a serene community where a family can safely be raised. For years that was true. However, everything changed in 1980 when someone strangled an innocent Down's Syndrome child. Police Chief Nolan Storrow, a moralistic and honorable person, investigated the case. When he saw which way the direction of the evidence was pointed towards, he killed himself.

Eighteen years later, Nolan's daughter Rachel, a detective, obtains permission to reopen the 1980 murder case. At about the same time Claire Castillo, the lover of Rachel's disturbed brother, disappears. Later on, she is found barely alive. She dies in the hospital. Claire's sister and her boy friend also vanish. Like her father, Claire prays that someone near and dear to her is not the killer in spite of the growing evidence to the contrary.

No one who reads this dramatic psychological suspense wrapped inside a gritty police procedural will believe this is an author's debut novel. Alice Blanchard provides fans of the sub-genre with a thriller that rivals those of the masters. The heroine is a wonderfully flawed character who chooses to follow her heart rather than her head as many people do when confronting problems with loved ones. DARKNESS RISING is a winning work that triumphantly announces a new and excellent voice in the genre.

Harriet Klausner

I agree with The New York Times Book Review that this is one of the best books of the year. Blanchard has pushed the envelope in the police procedural genre, creating a complex tapestry of emotional characters with haunted lives. This book is not only sumptuous, atmospheric and literary, but also a shocking page-turner with jarring, unexpected twists. Read it. This is a high recommend.