Shannon C.’s review of Pitch Black by Susan Crandall
Romantic suspense novel released by Forever 1 Jun 08

I really like books about troubled kids and the adults that help them. I know a lot of readers are actively repelled by that sort of thing, but I’m not one of them. Stories about mothers, social workers, or concerned human beings doing anything and everything to protect their children just tug at my heartstrings and make my inner budding social worker squeeful. And in Susan Crandall’s romantic suspense debut, she hits everything right.

Madison Wade is a Philadelphia journalist who recently adopted Ethan, a street kid she met who tugged at her heartstrings. They’ve moved to Buckeye, Tennessee, and are just settling in with Madison working as the editor of the local paper. Ethan’s even made some friends, and Madison’s attracted the interest of local sheriff Gabe Wyatt. Then Ethan is invited on a camping trip with his best friend, Jordan, the end of which results in Jordan’s stepfather being murdered. Immediately, suspicion turns on Ethan, and Gabe has to juggle his feelings for Madison with the fact that he doesn’t want to compromise his investigation.

Romantic suspense is usually a hard sell for me, and though I’ll try any new author once, very few of them write romance and suspense in such a way that I believe both. Thankfully, Ms. Crandall absolutely gets it right. The suspense wouldn’t have been nearly as compelling if it weren’t for the romance, and the romance only heightens the degree of suspense. I also liked that I was completely on the wrong track when it came to figuring out who the real killer was. Usually, I guess these things right away, and then spend the rest of the book being frustrated because the characters are too stupid to connect the dots. Thankfully, this didn’t happen, and when the killer was revealed, it only hits the reader a few pages before Gabe and Madison figure it out.

The really compelling thing about this book is that Ms. Crandall writes some great characters. I loved both Madison and Gabe. At first, I thought they would be a little bit typecast–she’s a brisk, city girl. He’s a laid-back Southern boy. But gradually, I connected with them. And I adored Ethan, too. This is no saccharine sweet kid. He’s definitely had it rough, and yet he’s grown into a person with unswerving loyalty and a strong sense of personal integrity. I also really liked the scenes between Madison and Ethan. They start the book already bonded, but their relationship is still sometimes a little tenuous even for both of them.

Madison herself is also refreshingly intelligent. She’s obviously a good journalist, and she doesn’t take any unnecessary risks to uncover the truth. It’s clear exactly what Gabe sees in her, and I loved the scene where she realizes that her life just isn’t complete without Gabe and Ethan in it. As for Gabe, I liked that he was an honorable man, who did a lot of self-examination. He knew what he had to do, and he tried to be conscious of the fact that he definitely had some personal biases during his investigation.

I also have to mention Ms. Crandall’s writing style. She keeps the tension up nicely, and she has a knack for ending chapters on cliff hangers, and feeding both the reader and the characters enough information that the suspense is heightened. She also did a great job of conveying menace and threats to the characters. There were times I was really glad I was reading this in the light of day.

I see from the information about the author that Ms. Crandall will publish another romantic suspense novel in early 2009. If this book is any indication, I will be anxious to read it.

Grade: A-

Summary:
In an effort to give her newly adopted teenage son, Ethan, a fresh start, Philadelphia journalist Madison Wade relocates to a small Tennessee town. When Ethan goes on a camping trip with three other teens and returns without their chaperone, Ethan’s past casts him as suspect in a crime. The secrets Madison uncovers as she tries to clear her son brings danger from unexpected places and puts her at odds with the local sheriff — a man who has been trying to win her heart.

Read an excerpt here