Night Sins (Deer Lake)

Plot alone earns all three stars. There were moments when I read this book that I literally moaned "this is so TERRIBLE" out loud. The two main characters are just terrible: how can such undisciplined hot heads hold responsible positions in the law enforcement community? The villian just doesn't make any sense: he's killing other kids at eight, but just kidnaps the little boy for the sheer fun of holding the kid long enough to be caught? No way. Read the serial killer literature to get just a little sense of where this guy would really have been headed. Margaret Mitchell used the smoldering sexual tension between her characters with magnificent artistry. Hoag just makes her cops look incompetent, juvenile, and utterly foolish. And jeez, isn't Mitch kind of sleezy, basically pawing at her and drooling on her with a few loutish compliments thrown in as his excuse for "charm." And he does this after challenging her professional competence at every turn; and, Hoag demands, we're supposed to think she likes this degradation. Plot alone carries this one. Nothing else here to admire or even like.

The words to describe the quality of her books don't exist. I'll tell you that right from the start. I have read all of her books, and i disliked not a single one.
I've reviewed many a Hoag book, and basically, my reviews always centre around a couple of main points.
Her stunning characters. I think Hoag is probably the best writer out there for the creation of human, believeable, compelling, realistic, interesting, characters. They leap off the page at you. You care about them, and when the books end you are sad to see them go, as you want to keep reading about their lives, to see what happens, and if things are okay for them. What makes them so vibrant and vivid is the fact that she draws their lives in good detail...she fully fleshes them out, and she inflects their lives with details which make them breath. She gives them worries, joys, anexities, all sorts of things. and not only does she do this, but she also does not tell the story solely about the murder. Other things happen in her characters lives AS WELL AS murder. It makes the world she creates far more rounded and realistic. Another of her many strengths are her subsidiary character. they are bright, colourful, interesting, and add spice to the story.
Her writing is one of the other stunning things. her prose is taut and vivid. her descriptions are beautiful. she really paints a picture for you with her words. I love being transported to the places she creates with her writing.
Her setting are also excellent. She conveys place excellently, especially with her books set in the french Triangle. And this tale of murder in a small Minesotta town is also hugely realistic and strikes many notes of truth.
Lastly, her plots. Not too far fetched, but still compelling, exciting, sometimes frightening, sometimes disturbing.
This is perhaps one of her best plots ever. A chilling, disturbing tale about the abduction of a child from a small community. Enter police, press, distraught parents, suspects, and the like.
It starts with a great kick with josh kirkwood going missing, and doesn't let up. i couldn't stop turning those pages. Tami Hoag is a highly reccomended author, and this is an EXTREMELY highly reccomended thriller. I absolutely loved the ending. And i lapped up the equally excellent sequel "Guilty As Sin" as soon as i had finished this book.

I went into this book, knowing that there would be a part 2 book. I picked up the book because I've heard Tami Hoag is a good writer. I'm into suspense (among other subjects for reading) and knowing that this took place in Minnesota (she is basically a Minnesota based writer), I was even more opened to reading the book (I was born and raised in Minn.).
A story about Josh being kidnapped in a small rural town in Minnesota. Being taken outside a skating rink, on a January evening, without the sign of anyone, anywhere. The sick and twisted person (or perhaps persons) who took him is now playing a sick game. A sick tail chasing game for the crime agencies and the town of Deer Lake itself to play...to guess. Who done it? Who could have done it? Who had that twisted ideal in them in Deer Lake, Minnesota? Who had something against eight year old Josh? Or Hannah (Josh's mother who was the head doctor in the ER at the hospital...very respected by the community)? or Paul Kirkwood? (Josh's father, who is an accountant...who was secondary in the head of the household...moreorless, always known as Dr. Hannah Garrison's husband).
Reading the book, kept me guessing. I had some ideals (which was correct so far...on to "Guilty As Sin" though). As you read, there were no real concrete answers in the book, as there was no real concrete reason for one to play this game.
I definitely say read the book, and have Guilty As Sin on hand because this book won't leave you with all of the answers...Night Sins isn't meant to be clean, cut and dried. So don't expect it reading only Night Sins!!

Hoag's descriptions were so vivid that I found myself cold through most of the book as the setting was in Minnesota during the winter. New as a bureau investigator to a quiet little northern town she finds that the first day on the job she is faced with a possible kidnapping and murder. The fact that all the other law enforcement officers are men and think that women should be in the kitchen making cookies makes her job twice as difficult.
After winning the respect of the town's sheriff, they join forces as well as beds and together through hallowing feats solve the crime. The mystery portions of the story were believable. The romance portion was a bit syrupy.

VERY predictable and boring through most of it. I wished at times that she'd get to the point already! The constant pages of the main character and her sexual escapades with another character isn't necessary; I considered it to be nothing more than filler to boost up the page count. One description of them would've been more than sufficient, but the author continues it throughout the entire book ad nauseum. The drama of the sex content is stuff of daytime soap operas...too "perfect" to be believed in the real world (damsel in distress, only lover can help her/save her, etc.). It seemed that every other chapter had the description of their sexual escapades on it. We get the point already...we don't need to read about it every ten pages or so and by doing this, it makes the book become a total turnoff and also the author equates sex and/or lust with love, which are two totally different things.

She also has the two main characters fighting, then having sex: predictable fluff. Sort of trying to tame a wild horse and again, only the one lover can do this...no one else. Get real! Life is NOT like this.

As far as the storyline is concerned, it is okay, but Ms. Hoag should've concentrated on that more than the sex adventures...it would've held my attention a lot more and been a lot more believable.

A real disappointment by this fine author who has written much better books than this one.

Don't waste your money on this book. Buy a new year from this author. This book is from 1995.

CD/Thriller: Big disappointment because there is no ending! Fortunately, the CD has book two as a bonus as a one disc MP3.

First, not only should you not sleep with your commander (he technically is not her boss), but you need to use a condom! I am completely serious. This guy starts to feel her up on their first kiss. Take a hint sister. He's a whore-dog and the probability of him having a disease is 80%. On top of that, he's not too smart.

I read this book several years ago, and most recently on my Kindle. It was well crafted, and kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the very end. The characters were realistic, and their flaws were painfully displayed under very trying circumstances. The potential loss of a child is always disturbing. I felt the frustration and pain of his mother as though it were my own.

Miss Hoag is an excellent author. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a tightly woven plot and a compelling mystery.

Eight year old Josh Kirkwood is abducted outside the hockey arena where he has finished practice. Only one clue is left in the form of a note regarding ignorance and sin. Josh's parents, Dr. Hannah Garrison and Paul Kirkwood are beside themselves. Enter Megan O'Malley, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Investigator and Mitch Holt, Chief of Police for the town of Deer Lake, Minnesota. They set out to investigate Josh's disappearance but don't have much to go on. The kidnapper leaves two more clues in the form of short religiously oriented notes but there still is not much direction. The town responds by setting up search parties and telephone volunteers. But it's not easy. Slowly some suspects come into the picture, yet, they seem to disappear as quickly as they arrive. Tami Hoag does a fine job in building this first of a two part story regarding child abduction and the challenges it presents to law enforcement. While the ending is very hopeful, the reader needs to go on to Guilty As Sin for the full story. Night Sins and Guilty As Sin provide the reader with an excellent story that you can sink your teeth into. It's nice that Hoag didn't choose to simply wrap up a complex story in the last chapter. Further layers unfold in this fascinating story in volume two. Well worth the time and effort.

Tami Hoag is a skilled author who typically crafts well-written and exciting stories that totally grab my attention and keep right up until the final page. Unfortunately, in Night Sins, she fell far short of her mark.

The book starts out with a prologue that sets the scene for a thrilling suspense novel. That thrilling suspsense novel never materializes. The plot is okay, the characters are okay, the twists and turns are not unexpected...the entire book never moves past the okay mark until you reach the ending. The ending is nothing short of lazy. It feels very much as if this author grew bored with her own story and decided to wrap it up as quickly as possible so she could move on to other things. My question is, if the author grew bored with her story, why does she think it's acceptable to sell it to her readers?

Do yourself a favor and skip this one. It's not worth the time it took to be disappointed by this author's failure with this particular story.

Tami Hoag, author of such bestsellers "Ashes to Ashes" and "Dust to Dust", knows how to write a book! Though "Night Sins" is an earlier book than the other two mentioned, it still displays her considerable talents as a storyteller, weaving intense emotional backdrops which she sets her dramatic thrillers against. Creating fully believable events that affect her credibly drawn cast of characters, Hoag delivers thrillers that continue to amaze by covering new territory on each outing, and bringing to life the people of the frozen north...Minnesota to be exact. Setting most of her stories in such a forbidding meteorological place, bringing out in bas relief the events that transpire, giving each story a moody and tense atmosphere. I was hooked after reading only one of Hoag's finely written thrillers...and now I can't seem to stop reading them!

Eight year old Josh Kirkwood is abducted outside the hockey arena where he has finished practice. Only one clue is left in the form of a note regarding ignorance and sin. Josh's parents, Dr. Hannah Garrison and Paul Kirkwood are beside themselves. Enter Megan O'Malley, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Investigator and Mitch Holt, Chief of Police for the town of Deer Lake, Minnesota. They set out to investigate Josh's disappearance but don't have much to go on. The kidnapper leaves two more clues in the form of short religiously oriented notes but there still is not much direction. The town responds by setting up search parties and telephone volunteers. But it's not easy. Slowly some suspects come into the picture, yet, they seem to disappear as quickly as they arrive. Tami Hoag does a fine job in building this first of a two part story regarding child abduction and the challenges it presents to law enforcement. While the ending is very hopeful, the reader needs to go on to Guilty As Sin for the full story. Night Sins and Guilty As Sin provide the reader with an excellent story that you can sink your teeth into. It's nice that Hoag didn't choose to simply wrap up a complex story in the last chapter. Further layers unfold in this fascinating story in volume two. Well worth the time and effort.

Tami Hoag is a skilled author who typically crafts well-written and exciting stories that totally grab my attention and keep right up until the final page. Unfortunately, in Night Sins, she fell far short of her mark.

The book starts out with a prologue that sets the scene for a thrilling suspense novel. That thrilling suspsense novel never materializes. The plot is okay, the characters are okay, the twists and turns are not unexpected...the entire book never moves past the okay mark until you reach the ending. The ending is nothing short of lazy. It feels very much as if this author grew bored with her own story and decided to wrap it up as quickly as possible so she could move on to other things. My question is, if the author grew bored with her story, why does she think it's acceptable to sell it to her readers?

Do yourself a favor and skip this one. It's not worth the time it took to be disappointed by this author's failure with this particular story.

Tami Hoag, author of such bestsellers "Ashes to Ashes" and "Dust to Dust", knows how to write a book! Though "Night Sins" is an earlier book than the other two mentioned, it still displays her considerable talents as a storyteller, weaving intense emotional backdrops which she sets her dramatic thrillers against. Creating fully believable events that affect her credibly drawn cast of characters, Hoag delivers thrillers that continue to amaze by covering new territory on each outing, and bringing to life the people of the frozen north...Minnesota to be exact. Setting most of her stories in such a forbidding meteorological place, bringing out in bas relief the events that transpire, giving each story a moody and tense atmosphere. I was hooked after reading only one of Hoag's finely written thrillers...and now I can't seem to stop reading them!

It was slow as molasses developing into a real story. And then when you were fully committed and had waded through all the boring and endless peripheral information, the reader expects a satisfying closing. NOTHING, the book just abruptly ended; the people involved in the abduction, the reason, the murders before that were referenced, none of it was revealed. The book just ended I was so pissed, I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. I think that is my last Tami Hoag book. It really cheats the reader out of any closure.

This was, without a doubt, one of the worst novels I have ever read. The major characters in Night Sins are all misanthropic whiners, and by the end of the book I was hoping that the author would manage to weave an outcome in which all of the characters ended up losing. I almost got my wish, as this novel doesn't *have* an ending. Absolutely nothing being investigated by the detectives is resolved-- the final page is a print of a hand-written note from the author in which she says you'll need to buy her next book too if you want to learn what happened.
The entire point of this book seems to have been to lock in sales for the next book, and, who knows, Hoag may just do the same thing again at the end of that book. I've learned my lesson, though-- Tami Hoag has become only the fourth author I've put on my mental "Never Read a Book from this Author Again!" list.
And to think, the time I lost reading this novel could have been spent doing something far more productive and fun, such as twiddling my thumbs or banging my head against a wall.

As far as plot movement is concerned, the 650 pages contain within them a 150-page story. The rest consists of enough filler to make Charles Dickens blush-- too bad Hoag is no Dickens. Be prepared to slog through 1200 pages, because the mystery herein is not revealed until at least the end of the sequel, Guilty As Sin-- but then again if mystery is what you are looking for you can stop reading now.

This is a really a rather repetitive, unrealistic romance. I've read (or, to be more clear, skimmed) several Hoag books and the formula she hashes out in work over work: Tough career woman gets beat down, realizes her dreams of career were hollow, turns crying to her alpha male and accepts role as happy housewife.

650 pages. Yawn.

As far as romantic suspense novels go, I liked this story. I liked the characters, plot & tidbits of info. about MN.

However, I didn't care for the "romance." The whole thing about Megan sleeping w/ her boss, after just meeting him, when she has so much to lose, all while there is this big case going on, just seemed unbelievable. I mean she's this detective that has worked so hard to establish herself & be taken seriously & has this rule never to date cops, but then she sleeps w/ her co-worker a couple days after meeting him - Please! If she is gonna sleep w/ him fine, but describing her as a no-nonsense/professional woman who can count the # of relationships she has had on 1 hand, didn't work for me.

My BIG gripe - the ending.... D NOT read this bk. if you want loose ends tied up & your ?'s answered/explained. Do NOT read/buy this bk. unless you don't mind buying/reading Guilty as Sin. Yes, you will need to read Guilty as Sin to find out what happens & why. Well, at least I hope Guilty as Sin answers all my ?'s from this bk.!

Even though I had some complaints about this bk., I still enjoyed it.

I really thought the book was entertaining and enjoyed it up until the end. I actually listened to it on CD in the car and it held my attention quite well. I hated the ending and have only realized now that it is the first half of a two-parter. It should have said that on this book or CD and then I wouldn't have been so confused. I like the two main characters and their stormy romance. I also thought that the search for the child was interesting. If you are going to read this, make sure you have the next book or you will be as mad at the ending as I was. Power Path to Love

I really enjoy thriller/crime drama novels and this had quite a few of the elements I expect and want from that genre. What I didn't care for was the romance component which was thrown in almost immediately and I didn't find believable or necessary. I downloaded the second book in the series and will read that and others from Ms. Hoag with hopes that the story is believable and flows well.

This was such a struggle to get through. Long, drawn out chapters where very little happens. Why Hoag thought Megan needed to have a romantic relationship to further her character development I will never know. The ending was less than satisfying, to say the least.

Excellent read. Lots of characters and lots of suspects. Once you get started its a hard book to put down. Like any good book, you can't wait to get to the end to find out everything, but also hate to get there because it will be over.

I just finished this 540 page suspense novel. The only positive quality that allowed me to give it two stars instead of one was that the beginning was suspenseful. This book could have been about 200 pages less and still have adequately presented the plot. Numbing repetition of character emotions and reminisces added to the monotony of the book. The ending was awful. Not wishing to spoil it for prospective readers, I will only say that when I was finally done I said to myself "Why did I bother finishing this?" Hoag employs "deus ex machina" to end her long drawn out book otherwise another 300 pages may have been needed. She also leaves the reader hanging probably to promote her sequel (which I have no intention of reading).
Lastly, from a purely technical standpoint, her writing skills were weak. She constantly changed the "point of view" shifting it from character to chartacter even within the same sub-chapter. The reader could be scanning the mind of one character and in the next paragraph be scanning another one. These gross violations of basic writing made me wonder if she ever took a writing class.
Summarizing, not the worst I've read but certainly not worth reading.

Tami Hoag made her living writing romance novels before she switched her focus, and it shows in "Night Sins". Raise your hand if you knew Megan and Mitch would end up sleeping together! Her descriptions are romance novel stock-in-trade, and the plot was predictable. Hoag's strength, however, is in her dialogue--she knows what she's doing there, and that's what kept me reading. Romance readers looking for a step up can start with Tami Hoag--a nice beach or plane read.

Throughout the book Night Sins, Hoag manages to keep the reader guessing to a fairly decent degree. However, when all is said and done, or, in other words, the last chapter of the book, she lets the reader down with a resounding thud. There is no real resolution, only a phony, half-baked resolution that leaves you wondering why you bothered to read the book. If Hoag's other books are anything like this one, then I guess it is good that until now I had never read any of them. I doubt I will be reading any more.

Enjoy all of Tami Hoag's books. They characters are interesting, but more importantly they draw you into their situations as though you are there.
Superb writing. I want to read her
next book because this really didn't have closure like her others.

I picked up this book with few expectations but got so involved with the story that I just about freaked when I realized that the solution wasn't given! It was the first time I ever read a book and almost demanded a sequel so I could finish the story. Yes, there is a sequel - Guilty as Sin. Luckily I didn't read this book until after the sequel had been published so I only had a day or two to pick up where I left off.
I would have to say that this is one of the best murder/mystery stories I have ever read. It's not a genre I usually read, partially because I rarely have trouble anticipating the ending. This didn't happen with this book (or the sequel). I was left puzzled until the end, which is a good thing!

I found out after reading this that Hoag was also a romance novelist. I wasn't surprised in the least. The incredibly unrealistic romance between the lead law enforcement officers (!), the cardboard cut-outs of all characters, ruined what was a pretty good mystery.
But the final blow was the discovery that the story was continued in Hoag's next novel, _Guilty as Sin_.
Save your money, go buy something by Laurie R. King instead.

Tami Hoag is very adept at creating atmosphere in her books. This one has many interesting characters. The chemistry between Megan O'Malley and Chief Mitch Holt works well. There are a few too many cutesy cliches. "...a pair of bushy eyebrows that should have had their own zip code". This story lags in places and could have benefited from more editing. Still, a fairly enjoyable read.

The book Nights Sins was a very interesting book to read. Tami Hoag is a very good author. Nights Sins is about a kidnapping that happens in the small town of Deer Lake, Minnesota. This town however, has not experienced anything like this so the townsfolk don't know what to do at the beginning. Hoag does a good time with keeping you interested in the book and developing the characters. However, the author goes off on little tangents that can make you put the book, down, or lose interest. If you can get past that then you'll see that it's a good book.

Night Sins is an interesting book that makes you want to see what happens at the end of things. The author puts twists and turns in the story when you least expect it. For example, the story opens up with kid playing outside of a hockey rink since their practice was over. One kid is left behind since his mom is busy dealing with her work at the hospital. Then the story goes to when Megan O'Malley, BCA's first female field agent, first visit the police station. She is taken to see the Chief of Police, Mitch Holt, and sees him and other officers playing around in their long johns and making a jerk of themselves. Also during the kidnapping, Tami Hoag puts in plot twists when she makes the kidnapper toy with the town. The kidnapper leaves the victims jacket and bag at key spots in the kidnapping. This seems to tighten things up pretty well.

The author does a good job with developing the characters, as well as telling their pasts too. You find that the main characters have to face their past and the troubles they have before them. One thing that Megan and Mitch have to deal with is the fact that they have to resist the fact that they want to rip each others heads off at every turn it seems. The author reveals their past pretty well without making the story too boring or anything, but there are times when she goes a little too far and you begin to wonder where the story is going.

The times that the author does go off are few, but they are there. When she has the main characters travel down their sad path, it seems that its almost the same really. Megan O'Malley dealing with the fact that she has to be headstrong and determined to get the right to stay as a field agent for the BCA. Mitch Holt's burden was something he could have prevented, but he didn't. he now just lives with his daughter. Also the parents that had their child kidnapped also deal with their past and each other too.

Overall the story was really done well. The author keeps you interested in the story for the most part, she also develops the characters in the story as well. The only thing that was keeping this book from a 5 out of 5 is the trailing off into characters past. This book is still a must read.

This was a passable mystery, not great but a decent beach read, until you get to the lack of an ending. At that point you realize that what you have bought is actually the first half of a sequel and that what was an acceptable ...540 page book isn't worth the time or money at ...1000 pages. I don't think I'm giving away the ending since I never invested the time or money in Guilty as Sin, so I don't know the ending.

Upon beginning the book "Night Sins" by Tami Hoag, I was unsure if it would be able to retain my attention through the end of the book.
I was completely and utterly shocked when I couldn't put the book down! The heartwrenching story of a kinapping in a small Minnesotan town really hits home to the realities of the dark world. Hoag does an excellent job of portraying the many emotions and stresses that a grief stricken family, a corrupted police force, and a psychopathic mind all experience. Combine the angst of a kidnapping with an unexpected romance, and you have a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I reccomend Night Sins as a book that pushes you to the edge of the cliff, only to let you hang there in suspense.

I recently took a break from reading the awesome romance novels and jumped into Tami Hoag's novel "Night Sins". This is an awesome horror story about a small town and a little boy of 8 being kidnapped. Tami had a lot of twist and turns in her novel that kept you guessing about who did the kidnapping. It's also a great story about letting go of the past horrific events and being able to move on. Tami did a wonderful job in writing this great suspensful novel.

Thanks Tami!

This is my first and definately last Tami Hoag book. Most of the characters were annoying and vulgar and should use have their mouths washed out with soap. The identity of the villain was predictable and the final fate of the kidnapped child seemed rather unlikely. If you are looking for a cheap Harlequin type novel disguised as a thriller, this book is for you. If you want a better quality book, I'd advise you to save your money and skip this book. If I could give this book less than 1 star I would.

This isn't a thriller, not a police procedural--more a meshing of Ed McBain and a romance novel. The story is contrived- the "villian" is revealed far too late, and with no fleshing out of his character. The notion that Megan would hop in the sack a few days after hitting town is moronic, and the sex scenes read as if they were written by a nun.
Don't waste your time.

This book is completely captivating from the beginning. It is written with a unique flair, combining the thrilling tale of a kidnapped child with an exciting adventure of a brave woman, and a bit of romance as well. This book has everything and when you finish the novel you won't be able to wait to dig your teeth into the sequel.

A very interesting book that captures you from page 1. It has a little bit of everything....love, mystery, suspense. This was the first book of Tami Hoag's that I read and I loved it. I am now reading the sequel, Guilty as Sin. Can't wait to get to the end. A great whodun it tale. Keeps you guessing till the very end!

Tami Hoag's book Night Sins is a very interesting book. It does have some down spots where it can be a little boring to read the book, but most of the book is really interesting and fun to read. What interested me in this book was how it deals with a really scary real life event. I like how it keeps the reader posted on every little detail during the investigation and how it seems so real that this could really be happening right now. This book shows the reader that life isn't perfect and anything can happen when you least suspect it. The story can also help parents realize that no matter how well behaved, smart, or if you kid is bad and breaks the rules your kids can still get kidnapped even if the parent believes that they have the perfect life.

I picked up this book after reading and loving Hoag's Ashes to Ashes and Still Waters. I have not finished it however, because I actually groaned out loud at the "female heroine who is investigating the crime who gets involved with the man who is bad for her" theme. It is exactly the same in these 3 books. Maybe I can tolerate finishing it after a few months when I forget how much this book is like the other ones. Other than that problem, I have found her books to be most enjoyable. Let's just come up with some new characters, please!!