Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

Tami Hoag has written two of my favorite novels, 9th Girl and Cold Cold Heart. I have recommended both suspense novels to all of my readers, friends and family. There is a certain thrill that comes from a Tami Hoag novel. Once she draws you in with her dynamic narrative, she has a hold of you for many hours. I have lost sleep, forgot appointments, and ignored phone calls when reading her works. This time was no different.

Deeper Than the Dead is the first novel in Tami Hoag’s Oak Knoll trilogy. It is published by Penguin Random House under their Dutton Books imprint. The year is 1985: Members Only jackets, the Golden Girls, and leg warmers rule. Criminal investigations are aided by tape recorders, fingerprint dusting, and fax machines. The CSI-electronic age is years away and profiling is in its infancy. For the small precinct of Oak Knoll, California most of what we see on television in 2018 would be science fiction to them. But under their leader, Sheriff Cal Dixon, Oak Knoll’s finest does their best to keep the peace. But it is Detective Tony Mendez that knows that the future of law enforcement is changing. His mentor, Vince Leone, is a profiler for the FBI, and uses techniques that seem foreign to the small town officers. Especially Frank Farman, a racist and chauvinistic officer who is happy staying in the past when it comes to crime-solving.

Life in Oak Knoll is quiet. Crime is minimal. And the small community enjoys their fair share of family-oriented events. In a place like Oak Knoll what could possibly go wrong? One day four fifth graders find out when they come upon the body of a dead woman buried in the park, her mouth and eyes glued shut.

The condition of the victim is similar to a victim in another case, and Tony places a call to Vince Leone. The veteran FBI agent agrees to come to Oak Knoll to help profile the case, and see if the dead woman is indeed the latest victim of a serial killer. Meanwhile school teacher Anne Navarre is busy trying to help her students cope with their discovery in the park. She knows that out of the four the worst to deal with is Dennis, son of Frank Farman. At eleven years old Dennis is a cold and angry child that is a vicious bully to his fellow classmates. She also worries about young Tommy Crane, who fell on the dead woman after being chased by Dennis. Tommy is the son of a narcissistic woman who likes to medicate him so that she does not have to deal with him. Anne is a loving and caring woman whose heart aches at the traumas that her students endure. But with parents like Janet Crane and Frank Farman, her job is an extra struggle.

It becomes clear to Leone and Mendez that this serial killer is cocky. He taunts the police and displays his victims. And he knows that he is so thorough that the authorities will never find the place where he tortures and murders his victims. He likes the game. And Vince is ready to play. As the case continues to unravel before the Oak Knoll lawmen, another woman is abducted, and she and the dead woman have a common link: the Thomas Center for Women. Is there a killer working at the center that is targeting their clients? Is Anne Navarre getting too close to the truth that she may be the next victim? And just what secrets do the citizens of Oak Knoll carry that lead to murder? Time will tell when the truth is buried Deeper Than the Dead.

Tami Hoag held my hand at the beginning of this book and led me into the idyllic life of an Oak Knoll citizen. She showed me beauty, fun, and family life in a community that I would have loved to live in. Then she let go of my hand, told me to go forward alone, and there I found the dark underbelly of this community; dark, twisted, and full of rancor. But I could not leave. I was hooked, and I had to go forward and see who the killer was. And when I reached the end of Deeper Than the Dead, I was ready for book two, Secrets to the Grave.

This novel was a fantastic blast of light, sound, and nostalgia with Hoag’s expert storytelling enlivening my senses. I was fully invested in her characters. And I rooted for the protagonists and booed the antagonists. Hoag twisted the path and surprised me many times. Her crafty way of storytelling presented many suspects and gleefully introduced slick elements that had me truly enjoying the mystery that unfolded. I loved Vince Leone and Anne Navarre. Their mutual attraction played out very well, and at times became steamy; reminding me that Hoag also writes romance novels very well.

I read this book in part with the narration of Kirsten Potter. I loved her work narrating Lisa Gardner novels, so when I heard she was the narrator for this series; I immediately acquired the audio books. Potter has a way of presenting a story that is very cinematic in scope. She plays the characters with depth and at times I feel that more than one person is reading when she is involved. I loved her reading of this novel. Excellent.

I gave Down the Darkest Road five out of five stars. I left the book wanting more of her amazing characters. And I genuinely felt that my time reading this book was well spent. I highly recommend this thriller.

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This one was a bit much.

On the one hand, you got your formulaic, tried-and-true murder mystery components. Characters are dysfunctional enough, she sprinkles in a couple of good possible suspects.

Then again, by process of elimination, figuring out the killer’s identity was more or less a no-brainer by the one-third mark. What kept me going at that point was less the “whodunit” but “how much more is he gonna do it before he messed up?”

The cast in this book is made up of little more than caricatures. Not at all sure what Anne’s father’s role was besides having (yet another) dysfunctional family relationship with (yet another) overbearing and tiresome parent. Considering this book is set in 1985, I’m very ??? confused as to why Hoag decided to make an openly gay man part of the cast—and to include him as a KINDERGARTEN TEACHER seemed bold beyond realistic expectations. The fictional FBI hero legend also seemed to be a lot of handsome, a lot of cynicism, a lot of soft man in a hard man’s job—and the whole issue with his injury seemed like a useless plot device than anything that mattered.

That said, the kills are gruesome. The exploration of how and why of profiling was fun, even if a little liberally slathered on.

Not sure how I feel about Dennis, or Frank, or the ending.

One of the fun things about regularly winning books from GoodReads.com is that I get to read an ecclectic mix of genres and books that I might not actually pick up off the shelf at the book store. Deeper Than The Dead by Tami Hoag is one of these books. The book sat on my pile of to-read books for awhile and I decided to read it this weekend.

This murder mystery is intense and thrilling and will keep you up at night, which is exactly what you want from a murder mystery. In a quiet community, four ten year old children, cutting through the woods after school, find the dead body of a woman--brutally murdered by what appears to be a serial killer. Another young woman is missing.

Although written and published recently, the story is set in 1985, before DNA evidence and just as the FBI's Behavioral Science/Investigative Support Unit is getting attention for a new technique--"profiling". The 1985 time, allows the mind to work over time while the CSI aspect of most modern day murders. I liked that aspect. Also, I was also ten in 1985 and got a kick out of all the cultural references from the time.

I was pretty sure that I knew who the serial killer was early in the book and it turns out that I was right, but there is enough suspense and evidence thrown on other characters and enough twists and turns in the plot to keep me guessing and doubting until the end. There is a little romance and some interesting and sympathetic characters in the story to make it additionally appealing.

I really enjoyed Deeper Than The Dead and I'm glad that I finished only so that I can go back to sleeping at night.



In full disclosure, there is some bad language, gruesome details of murder and one sex scene.

Loved the buildup and and suspense of the case. Always a fan of a good multi-suspect FBI crime novel. I wish the romance aspect had more of a slow burn and less of a “I love you after three days”. Otherwise it would have been 5 stars.

In this book, a killer is stalking vulnerable women and removing their ability to see, speak or hear. The local police in Oak Knoll (a small town outside of LA) work with Vince Leone, a veteran FBI profiler, to try to catch this "see-no-evil" killer. A local fifth-grade teacher, Anne Navarre, becomes involved in the investigation when three of her students discover one of the bodies. The investigation is rife with complications and suspects, although little hard evidence ties the killings to any one suspect. The book grabs you from the first pages. The cast of characters is compelling and the plot keeps you guessing throughout. This is a very strong showing from Tami Hoag, reminiscent of earlier books like Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust.

This particular book was set in 1985 which really brings home all the changes in technology and conveniences that have occured in the past 25 years. Just try to imagine life without cell phones or even computers nowadays.

This is a book that sticks with you. I finished it a couple days ago yet I keep thinking back to it. Very well written and the narrator was excellent.

There is just thing in the story that sticks out as very improbable. Anne's, the heroine, best friend is a gay male. That isn't such a big deal but the fact that he is a kindergarten teacher. Even in today's more relaxed social mores, there is quite the fluster when gay individuals are around the children. I just can't imagine a very flamboyent gay man being allowed to teach school in 1985.

--I purchased this book thru Audible.com.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I have to say I'm really enjoying her work. Both books kept me wanting more. I look forward to reading more by her.