Hanover House

Finished this thriller in 2 days - the story was captivating and the author did a great job with the narrative. It kept my attention and at parts I'm holding my breath.

Can't wait to read the sequel which has just been released!

The writing is great, the plot moves along and is a good one. I believe what probably leaves me vaguely dissatisfied if the setting. Alaska is a state of mind as much as it is a state. Those who haven't lived in Alaska for a reasonable amount of time or who never move past the city don't seem to get it.

I really enjoyed the character development of Dr. Evelyn Talbot and the rest of the characters. The storyline is believable and yet frightening. I liked the subject of the book, I have also wondered what makes a psychopath tick. Can't wait for more of the books to come out.

Fortunately, I bought this book on Kindle so it was inexpensive, but it was not worth even those few dollars. It got off to a very poor start and went downhill from there. I persevered until ch 12 and then quit! How can people give such drivel more than one star? I guess that is the audience for whom this author is writing (I use the term 'writing' very loosely here.).

Wow, I am really impressed by this prequel and can't believe it's going to be September before the next installment is out! Brenda Novak is one of my favorites. Every time I thought something was going one way the story took off in a different direction. Keep them coming Brenda!!!!

Review: HANOVER HOUSE by Brenda Novak

I can't wait till the next book In this set! I raced through HANOVER HOUSE non-stop. Many readers will enjoy the budding romance, on-again off-again (and not for the usual reasons) between protagonist Dr. Evelyn Talbot and the Alaskan State Police officer who patrols the tiny village of Hilltop, Alaska, where the brand-new first-of-its-kind maximum security institution for the incarceration and study of psychopaths is under construction. I was engrossed by the theme, and by Evelyn' s strengths, and by her bete noir' s implacability. Yet Evelyn perseveres, still alive, and far beyond mere survival.

I reviewed a digital ARC generously provided by the author and publisher via NetGalley, for review purpose only, at no remuneration.

Brenda Novak is an amazing story teller. From the moment the story begins, it captures your attention. There is no lag in between chapters. I read it all day, I couldn't put it down. Others will share the story in their reviews, but I will share my reading experience. You will become comfortable with characters. You will forget about the laundry that needs washed or the dinner you were going to fix or the sleep you think you don't need, so you can finish this book. So do yourself a favor and read this book. But make sure you have plenty of time, you really won't want to put it down!

I have always loved Brenda Novak' s books, especially her Whiskey Creek series, but Hanover House blew me away. It was thrilling, scary but also had a strong, wonderful heroine who was very well motivated, and a protective, hot hero. I did not want the book to end, and I can't wait for the next books in the series. Just shows the amazing range of Brenda Novak's gift of telling riveting stories. She is a fabulous writer!

This book was scary but fantastic! When it ended, I was looking for the next book. The characters were likeable and I always like a little love story mixed in for good measure. This author can write suspense, action, love stories....is there anything she can't write? She's an amazing author and I'm patiently awaiting the next book in the Hanover House Chronicles! You've got to read this book!!

From the very first page, Ms Novak had me hooked --- I couldn't put the book down; but, then again --- it was so intense, I simply had to, for very short periods -- in order to take a break from the suspense! HANOVER HOUSE has romance, mystery & suspense; it's a great read!

Hanover House was suspenseful and kept me engaged throughout the story. The characters are well thought out and the story flows seamlessly. I really like that the main character is a woman who survived an evil situation and refuses to let it define what she can do with her life! I can't wait to read more of the Hanover House Series in the future.

Absolutely loved it! Couldn't put it down and can't wait for next installment! Different type of story than I usually read so wasn't sure if I would like it but the story is riveting and keeps you on the edge - would make a great movie!

This book was an amazing prequel to the chronicles. It was in my opinion a very unique suspense book with a bit of romance added. It also sets the premise and what we can expect from the series. Evelyn didn't have a past like any other person. She survived a deadly attack from her then boyfriend. But this attack didn't break her but made her stronger. It gave her purpose and she decided to study psychopaths in a new medical center. I am a very curious person and also found serial killers interesting to read about. I also loved that this center is located in Alaska, because I really like stories set in remote areas. It adds a bit of extra creepiness/suspense to the story. Adding Alaskan State Trooper, Sergeant Amarok to the book and you have a winner. I really enjoyed reading about him and I loved how persistent he was. I definitely think Evelyn needs a friend and protector while she is studying these dangerous and twisted individuals. I can't wait for the next book to release! I recommend this book to everyone who loves a good suspense!

Here we go again with someone writing about an Alaskan setting without knowing anything about it. Because I've lived in Alaska I found it beyond annoying that the author had not done her due diligence.

1 - there are not Alaska Troopers assigned to villages. Just does not happen. They are assigned to centers around the state and often either are pilots or require pilots to get in and out of small areas. There are, however, VPSO's as described.

2 - There are areas without cell coverage, but anyone really concerned with communications would have a satellite phone. Further, there is Internet coverage for the area which is alluded to, and therefore there would be connectivity available through various Internet based services that could operate on a cell phone. Note: satellite based Internet available pretty much anywhere these days. Not paying attention.

3 - One hour from Anchorage (assuming they used main roads and not teleportation) is not actually all that far. Palmer, Alaska (where there is a prison) is 55 minutes from Anchorage.

4 - Then there is the female lead - a psychiatrist who has apparently not gone through enough psychotherapy herself to deal with her issues. She's inappropriate in terms of sexual come-ons with the male lead (trooper). Is this supposed to be a romance or a thriller? Because it feels like a badly plotted romance. A psychological thriller along the lines of the Dr. Alan Gregory books is better thought out than this. Possibly because this author does not understand the requirements of mental health professionals. (Argh!)

I had hoped for a book of the quality of writing of Steven White's Alan Gregory character. This is not it. The premise is fine, the lead character is very weak and poorly developed, the trooper needs training and should be moved back to Fairbanks or Anchorage for those purposes (I used to work with troopers on a professional basis) and my "suspension of disbelief" was close to nil for most of the book. He's too young to be a Sgt.

The author could have developed Fire Island (near Anchorage) as a potential location OR gone to Adak (now a deserted military base) on the chain for a remote location that is escape proof, although all the staff would have had to be on-site. I had the feeling that the author was looking for an exotic locale and didn't do her homework.

This could have been blockbuster material if adequately researched and developed. I am disappointed.