Divine Evil: A Novel

I love and only read Nora Roberts, but this book was very disturbing to me. I could not finish the book, I read the beginning chapters and the end chapter just to see if Cam and Claire got together and who survived. I read to relax,enjoy and get away from stressful life, this did not do that for me. A lot of satanism, women raped and tortured and to graphic for me to read and not scringe.

Two main problems.

1. Plot
Sheriff Cam was a good guy. I liked him. But the whole story was learning little bits of mystery and bad things happening with no answers. He eventually suspected a cult but had no knowledge of anyone in the cult. Examples: His mother found pictures but she burned them. Later in the story she told Cam about the pictures but it didn’t help him solve things. Someone found a missing girl’s bracelet but wouldn’t tell Cam where she found it. Cam looked through old property records but found nothing because key records were missing.

2. Heroine
Claire was no fun to watch. She was constantly in denial and a coward. She refused to believe logic which made her look stupid. When bad things happened she would say things like “Oh it was probably just kids doing a prank.” She refused to believe Ernie was a threat even when others pointed out evidence to her. She said “he would never do that.” She found some cult books in her dead father’s things. She doesn’t tell Cam because she didn’t want her dad to look bad. When she was a child she saw the cult doing a ceremony in the woods with naked men and women. For the rest of her life she tells herself it was just a dream and doesn’t want to tell Cam about it.

I would have preferred the characters do interesting or smart things. Instead this was mostly bad things happening to the main characters, and watching them wonder what was going on.

There was a happy ending for the good guys and some justice for the bad guys. But afterwards I was sad thinking about some of the people the cult had killed.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Kimberly Farr was excellent. I’d be happy to listen to other books she narrates.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual content: about two sex scenes for main characters but no details shown. A few scenes about raping women on the altar briefly described. Setting: around 1992 Emmitsboro, Maryland. Book copyright: 1992. Genre: romantic suspense.

I have mixed feelings about this book. As a suspenseful mystery it was really good but the romance part of the book definitely was lacking. The book is long and I wasn't really feeling it at first but I kept on reading the book because there are so many "evil" characters that I wanted to see them get justice in the end. I was surprised about how gruesome the book went into the descriptions of some of the killings, so this book may not be everyone. At times I would get annoyed with some of the characters for covering up things they knew that could have solved the mystery. One thing I didn't like was how the book just ended. There was no wrap up on how what happened affected the town or if they ever found the other bodies of the ones that were killed. It didn't need to be a happy ending all tied up with a bow it just would have been nice to see how a small town would cope with what had happened. Overall a good suspenseful mystery

Reeled me in from the first paragraph and kept me intrigued until the very end. The storyline was intricately weaved and built the mystery, revealing new surprises throughout the book. The characters were realistic and believable, captivating the very real emotions and complexity of humanity. This author never fails to deliver an awesome read that simply cannot be put down from beginning to the end. Loved it!

Clare Kimball, artist/sculpture extraordinaire, has decided that returning to her hometown of Emmitsboro, Maryland, may be what she needs to get the old creative juices flowing again. Determined to confront her fears, Clare begins to create art from images that come from her memory (she may have observed a satanic ritual) or from her nightmares. As a child, she saw her father go from a loving and caring gardener/real estate mogul, to a man that turned to the bottle because of shame (apparently the big land deal he brokered wasn't on the up-and-up) and regret (mistakes that he has made). While she has never felt comfortable with the events surrounding her father's death, she cannot think anything more sinister was afoot in this small idyllic town. Or could it?

Hoping for a new beginning, ex-DC cop Cameron Rafferty has returned to Emmitsboro following the death of his partner, and accepted the job of Sheriff. He doesn't expect to see anything more serious than a bar fight, which would probably initiated by his mean step-father. And he definitely didn't expect to find love (with the feisty Clare) or have to deal with murdered runaways, slaughtered cattle, satanic rituals or a murdered step-father.

In my opinion, Roberts has created the perfect story of betrayal, romance and sinister happenings. There were several things that made this story exciting and suspenseful ......like missing corpses; people wearing black robes & animal masks while performing sex fueled rituals; troubled teens; animal sacrifices; and a sense of impending doom. As the story unfolds, you find yourself captivated by all the evil in Emmitsboro and simply want to uncover the secrets long ago buried. Anyone who enjoys Nora Roberts will enjoy "Divine Evil". I give it 4.5 to 5 stars.

Clare Kimball found herself drawn back home to Emmitsboro, despite the memories of her father's suicide and embezzlement scandal. Former bad boy and D.C. detective Cameron Rafferty also had returned to become the town sheriff. Both had nightmares and pain that needed to be overcome, but they discover that Clare's might not be confined to her dreams.

The idea of evil behind the bucolic friendliness of small town America isn't new, but can be effective in the right author's hands. Stephen King and Ray Bradbury are both masters at it. Roberts also knows just how to weave that convoluted web. The members of the group honestly didn't surprise me, but the actual head and power behind the it all did. I'm surprised the author never revisited this one as there was a perfect setup for a sequel set far in the future. Romantic suspense at its best. 4.5 out of 5.

I have read several book by Nora Roberts and have enjoyed all of them. This one was not a disappointment either. From the start to the finish this author kept me engaged and wanting to read more. The storyline gets a bit dark, evil and very graphic in parts and may not be for everyone but I was not disappointed.

Set in a small town where everyone knows your business and you know theirs is a great back drop for this story. The one place where you would least expect to find this kind of dark, gruesome activity.

As Clare falls in love and then gets involved in solving the murders you have to cheer her on and to want to help her and in some places just put your arm around her and comfort her.

I didn't care for the ending very much. A fight between good and evil should end with evil being defeated...not with it getting away. I wonder if it is because Roberts at one point was thinking of writing a sequel to this book and then changed her mind???

This book is suspenseful, disturbing, and yet still manages to include a wonderful love story. If you are looking for a straight romance, this probably isn't the book for you. However, if you enjoy great romantic suspense and can handle a few graphic and gruesome scenes, you will love this book.
Clare is a famous artist who decides to return to the town where she grew up, Emmitsboro, to face her personal demons, and hopefully rid herself of them. Unfortunately, Clare's nightmare is only beginning! Clare develops a reltionship with Cam, a former bad-boy turned town sherrif, and together they try to piece together the events surrounding Clare's father's mysterious death years before and the strange and violent events that are currently going on in their sleepy little town. Clare and Cam are a great couple, and a compelling and touching love story develops amidst the horror of what is going on in the woods outside of town. Evidence of a satanic cult is discovered, and its members may be closer than Clare and Cam ever would have thought. As Clare and Cam come closer to the truth, and piece together facts from Clare's terrible recurring nightmares, their lives are put in jeopardy because of what they know. Soon all hell breaks loose and it's up to Cam to save the day.
This book is thrilling and well-written. I personally thought it was a wonderful departure on Nora Robert's part, and was a refreshingly different and darkly compelling tale of the forces of good and evil. This book is not for the faint of heart, but I truly believe it is well worth reading.

Honestly I don't understand why people keep saying this book was so disturbing, I personally found it intriguing. I adore light romance novels, but this really was gripping. It grabbed you and would not let go until you finished. The dark undertone truly is what made this book in my opinion. The different characters are portrayed well and the ending is a complete surprise unlike some of Roberts' books.

Now all this being said, I still wouldn't recommend this book for people who are easily disturbed. I started reading Roberts' books when I was twelve (two years ago) while I enjoyed her lighter romances, I looooved this one. She took more of her J.D Robb persona into this book, I think. Over the last few years of her work I begin to notice a pattern, The newer the books get, the more graphic and violently inclined they are. Frankly, I enjoy her newer books much more than her old ones simply because she adds to the characters and the plot so much more.

Anyway here's a summary:

Within the dark woods of Emmitsboro something evil spreads its poisonous power. Now the once-peaceful town is wrapped in a cloak of terror, hiding a teacherous heart. And now Clare must pay the price for digging up the secrets of the past. . . and confront an evil that may be unstoppable -- because those who practice it may be divine.

A decade ago, sculptor Clare Kimball fled Emmitsboro, Maryland, to take the art world by storm. Now she's celebrated as the artist of her generation. But no amount of success can eclipse the nightmares that haunt her--or the memories of her father's suicide. Just as her star is shining brighter than ever, Clare leaves it all behind to face her demons.
Emmitsboro sheriff Cameron Rafferty loved Clare from afar all through high school. Now that she's back, they form a bond that grows stronger each day--fueled by an attraction that's been simmering for years. But Clare's past soon rises up with a vengeance, rocking the town with a sinister murder that is clearly linked to her return. As an investigation gets under way, Clare and Cameron will learn that evil can linger anywhere--even in those you love and trust the most. But it's a discovery that may come too late to save them....

One more time for kicks, I truly loved this book!

Artist Clare Kimball returns to her hometown to try to figure out the nightmares that have always invaded her sleep only to find things pretty much as they were when she left. There is one significant change that is noticeable - bad boy Cameron Rafferty is now the local sheriff.

As one of the few who mix romance and mystery perfectly, Nora Roberts has another winner with DIVINE EVIL. The villain in this story had this bibliophile fooled until almost the end! I was so caught up in the entwining of personalities and players, that I didn't see this one coming. I won't tell you if it was the obvious or the least palpable or someone in the middle, but I will say that this is one of my all time favorites!

Evil takes on a new definition in this tale that is so reprehensible that no one would think something like this would live in a small town like Emmitsboro. Roberts weaves into the story of Clare Kimball the unexplained bizarre death of her father from years before. The reader isn't sure if this is part of the evil or an excellent attempt to throw you off the track of the evildoers. The great part of DIVINE EVIL is the subplots designed to keep the reader off guard until you're hit upside the head with the truth. Toss in romance to give the reader a chance to catch your breath, and it's the formula for a best-selling novel.

B+

Forgettable? Probably. "Divine Evil" kept me entertained throughout and there was never really a dull moment.

I'm still not sure why this wasn't a 5 Star for me...it might have been the characters (or maybe just my personal lack of connection with them), or the fact that the "cult" killed and raped for more than 20 years and no one in this teeny/gossipy small town noticed. WTH?!

Even after my negatives this was still a great summer read and I really enjoyed it. Nora never lets you down (well until her recent works)...When you buy one of her books you always have the comfy cozy "never a waste of money" feeling b/c you know you're getting a good story, fast action, a real romance, and an ending that never leaves any questions unanswered.

This is another great read from Nora Roberts who rarely disappoints me. Her characters are nearly always lovable and her stories emotionally satisfying and this one is no exception. It's about satanic cults and, although never gruesomely graphic, certain scenes may bother some readers (read this one with all the lights on!).

The heroine, a famous artist, decides it's time to go back home and face the demons of her past when she finds herself struggling with her creativity and having terrible nightmares. There she meets the hero Cam, former town troublemaker turned sheriff, who has his own set of problems. Mixed in between the terrific love story is a gripping tale of a town caught in the midst of a satanic cult and its effects on the people surrounding the h/h. The ending was a shocking surprise. This one makes you think twice about how well we ever really know someone.

I liked the book itself. Nora Roberts is a great writer and I have enjoyed her other books immensely. On my 1992 copy it is categorized as fiction. I am glad it is not under the romance category because I would greatly be disappointed regarding that. To me it is not a romance, it is more of a horror story but since I do like horrors and thrillers, I enjoyed reading the book. It was very graphic but she could branch out to horror if she chose because she did write it very well. I can't say I would recommend it to romance readers but possibly to horror fans or thriller fans.

This book is very, very dark. I would classify this as a horror book. I would not read this book before going to bed because it affected my sleep giving me nightmares even reading it during the day. I'm having to read Christian books to cleanse my thoughts after reading it. I will not be reading anymore of her books without reading the synopsis carefully. The ending left you knowing that the horror would continue, which was more horrifying!!

If you purchase the audio version be aware that the listed chapters and the verbal chapters do no match up. Its slight confusing if you care to keep track that way. I like to stop at the end of a chapter if i need to. Other than that this is my favorite Nora Roberts book, I actually threw the book when i figured it all out! Great read!

Normally, I love any book by Nora Roberts. However, this book was pure torture for me in its first 300 pages. I couldn't get into it and I also couldn't feel the chemistry between Clare and Cam. If it wasn't for my insane need to finish a book I'm reading, I would have chucked it long before it started to get interesting. This book could have been 200 pages shorter and I lost interest again somewhere past page 500. I had to keep telling myself, "You're almost done. Not too much longer." And the ending? Wha??? Like the reviewer before me said, I like to have the ending be nice and sweet, not like this ending was. I won't be reading this again and I put this up on [...] before I was even done with this book. I'm just glad this wasn't the first book of hers I read.

Well written, as always from Roberts, but the satanic content was too much. I was glossing over paragraphs in order to avoid the disturbing details. Wish I had read some reviews before picking up this copy.

Normally I love Nora Roberts, but this time the graphic violence and demonic worship went too far. I'm not into censorship and normally have a strong stomach but there were pages I had to skip over because it was just too much! I hate reading about this sort of thing in the paper let alone in something I am reading for entertainment. I would not reccomend this book to anyone. Normally I buy Nora's books and circulate them to my friends and family but this one I had to throw away. It just felt too evil. I didn't even want it around. I am not saying ban the book or anything, but be aware before you read it that it isn't Nora's typical style.

I found this story excellent. I really enjoyed the somewhat cookie cutter small town with the it's not so sweet after taste. The supporting characters were well developped without taking too much time away from the central characters. Though Claire seemed a bit touchy and in denial here and there, Cam's excellent common-sense more than made up for it. Other good points: Claire's creative process cleaverly included in the plot and dialogue, Cam's rocky relationship with his Mother, the turbulent teenager accross the street, the flowing dialogue and of course Claire's best friends Angie and Jean-Paul.

The mystery wasn't very suspensful, but it was still very well developped. I thouroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it all NR fans, especially those who are also fans of J.D. Robb.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, it was definitely not a typical romance novel. The subject was very dark. I just couldn't put it down, though! In fact, I got on here this evening to see if there were other books featuring some of the characters, include Clare's friends from New York, her brother, and even the dancer. I would love to read more!

I loved how it ended. I do enjoy older Stephen King stories, though. I think someone who reads strictly romance would probably not find this book to be nearly as enjoyable as I did.

So. Definitely not your normal Nora Roberts paper back, so I was really thrown off.

I couldn't stop reading.

As I was reading, I started to realized there would be a second book. She started to set up two different relationships that she could develop later, and I realized it might be another trilogy. Especially in the last line of "we start again."

Now I know... there is no sequel, and this makes me so so sad. I think she could have gone so amazingly far with this, maybe even talking of Wicca and the relation to Satanism.... but she didn't....

Now I must move on I guess. Darn.

First, this a a reissue. The orginal copywrite is 1992 in hardcover. I feel the publishers were out to make a quick buck off the reputation of Nora Robert's work since then. I also noted the book was never mass marketed until now, 15 year later.

It was a bad book then and it's a bad book now. The publishers know this, I'm pretty sure that's why it was never mass marketed in the early 1990's.

I know Nora Robert's name on a cover can sell a book, but I'm becoming more discriminating after this waste of money.

The romantic characters relationship is never fully developed. The fact they knew each other years ago doesn't change that. The female lead is just a weird, junk food eating slob. There's just no appeal.

She decides to go back to her small hometown and face down some of her demons. Little does she know, there are literally some real demons running around this quiet, sleepy town. The book focuses mainly on the activites of this devil worshipping cult. This story tells of their deeds in more detail than you probably want to know. That said, there was nothing suspenseful for me, I knew almost immediately who their cult leader was. This book is definitely not a romance. It is not a suspenseful romance. It's just kind of weird.

Nora Roberts is a good writer so I can't say this book was poorly written but, it is rather gruesome and quite predictable.

I felt that Nora was experimenting with her audience to see how much horror they could absorb. I did not like the fact that there was no "good vs. evil" in the traditional sense. The whole town was caught up in the corruptive power of the devil (evil) without there being any religious intervention (good). Where were the church leaders? Every town has at least one. Although Nora's writing is hard to put down (as usual), I would not recommend this book (especially as a bedtime read).

In a word, bleech, terrible story. Gratuitous violence, sadistic scenes, beleaguered hero at every turn who is stuck with the most irritating heroine I've run across in a long time - snippy know-it-all who acts like a 12-year-old most of the time. By the time she was captured I thought good, glad to see her go. With all the fantastic stories Nora Roberts has written, why oh why was this foisted off on the public as a re-release?! Truly, IMO it's an embarrassment both to the author and the reader who is disgruntled at themselves for finishing the darn thing. It should have had its first and last printing in 1992. Save your money.

I have been reading Nora Roberts for years now, and I came across "Divine Evil" for the first time last week. The subject matter seemed to be just like many of Roberts' novels, with a tale of romance intertwined with a tale of trial, heartbreak and action. Only, once I got into this book, my opinion changed. All in all, this book creeped me out. I don't know if Roberts was going through some cult phase or whatever, but this book was certainly not like any of the others she has written. If you are a person who is not bothered when reading about sexual rites and animal sacrifices, then go ahead and read it. Otherwise, stick to Roberts softer stuff.

I love genre fiction, but I usually avoid the Romance genre because of its cliches. Maybe Nora Roberts fans will like this book. John Saul fans might also like it. Personally, I found everything about it to be simplistic and downright idiotic.

The bad guys--Satan worshippers--fill every cliche and leave nothing original. They even call for Jesus when they die from stupidity. The main character, Clare, is a modest, rich, supermodel artist. Very realistic. The love interest, Cam, is a modest, rich, supermodel sheriff. Uh huh. Their chemistry together is a series of cliches taken from 80s movies. You know, I'm all for a dash of romance in a book, but please make it believable. I feel as if Nora Roberts is following a formula that made her successful long ago, in the 1970s or 80s, and no longer works for people who pay attention to modern TV, film, and books.

Nora Roberts is a truly gifted writer. What I love about her stories is that they stay so fresh in my mind, even after having read some of them several years ago. I can only pray that I'll be able to forget this one. Unfortunately her gift of description was used to describe in great detail pure evil, Satanism, rituals and enough perversity to give me a nervous stomach to contend with. I have read more Romantic Suspense than I can count, but this book in no way falls under that category in my opinion! It should be in the Occult section. I can't even recommend reading it for the love story because it's so lacking. I would say about ten percent of this book dealt with a great couple that I would have liked to read more about. The last conversation between the hero and the heroin leaves you hanging abominably. And the "twist" at the end was terrible, and ridiculously unbelievable. I can't even believe that I'm saying this about a Roberts book, but I strongly advise skipping this one. It's not worth the sick feeling that I hope soon fades.
For great Romantic Suspense I recommend every other Nora Roberts, Susan Anderson, Cherry Adair, Lauren Bach, Jane Graves, Linda Howard, and "To Trust a Stranger" by Karen Robards.

I really enjoyed this book, but could tell it was written some time ago. It didn't bother me, because it was vintage Nora Roberts.

It's got a great romance, but the subplot about a satanic cult and the suspense that goes along with it was center stage for me. I really enjoyed it and am going to download Carnal Innocence next.

I like Roberts's newer books, but it's fun to go back and read these older ones too.