Down the Darkest Road [Hardcover]

I've finished "Down the Darkest Road" the 3rd book in her Oak Knoll series by Tami Hoag.

Product Description

Once upon a time I had the perfect family. I had the perfect husband. I had the perfect children. I had the perfect life in the perfect home. And then, as in all fairy tales, evil came into our lives and destroyed us.

Four years after the unsolved disappearance of her sixteen-year-old daughter, Lauren Lawton is the only one still chasing the ghosts of her perfect Santa Barbara life. The world has given her daughter up for dead. Her husband ended his own life in the aftermath. Even Lauren's younger daughter is desperate to find what's left of the childhood she hasn't been allowed to have.

Lauren knows exactly who took her oldest child, but there is not a shred of evidence against the man. Even as he stalks her family, Lauren is powerless to stop him. The Santa Barbara police are handcuffed by the very laws they are sworn to uphold. Looking for a fresh start in a town with no memories, Lauren and her younger daughter, Leah, move to idyllic Oak Knoll. But when Lauren's suspect turns up in the same city, it feels to all the world that history is about to repeat itself. Leah Lawton will soon turn sixteen, and Oak Knoll has a cunning predator on the hunt.

Sheriff's detective Tony Mendez and his team begin to close in on the suspected killer, desperate to keep the young women of their picturesque town safe. But as the investigators sift through the murky circumstances of an increasingly disturbing case, a stunning question changes everything they thought they knew. In Down the Darkest Road, #1 New York Times bestseller Tami Hoag proves again why she is one of the world's most beloved storytellers.

About the Author

Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of thirty books. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times bestseller list with Night Sins, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. She lives in Florida.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (December 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 052595239X
ISBN-13: 978-0525952398

My Review:

At one time the Lawton family were very happy with a husband, wife and two beautiful daughters.  But that all changed when Leslie the eldest daughter at 16 years old was kidnapped and Lance the father couldn't handle losing her he drove his car over a mountainous road two years after the event.  Now Lauren's motive is to make the man responsible Roland Ballencoa  pay for his crime.  Four years later Lauren has moved from Santa Barbara to the small town of Oak Knoll with Leah her younger daughter to start a new life.  When she shops at a grocery store she swears she sees the Roland Ballencoa and follows him out to the parking lot.  She races after him which catches the attention of Detective Tony Mendez and he pulls her over.  When he realizes who she is and who she thought she saw he decides to look into the case to find out if a dangerous child predator has moved into his backyard.

I really enjoy how they solve cases back in the 80's before modern technology was discovered.  How they did it by hand.

It was great to catch up with Anne, Vince and their children.  It was fun to see both of them involved in the case and how they helped.

Danni Tanner was an interesting character because of her potty mouth but she really cares about people.  Liked her romance with Tony.

The main villain was really gross and disgusting.  I was really disappointed how he got away and was never convicted of the crimes he was accused of.

4/5