Carla norton

Despite a happy childhood, successful entrepreneur Addison Fox has always yearned to find her birth mother. And with the unexpected death of her adoptive parents comes a renewed determination to fill in the missing pieces of her life - to find her "other" family. But she's too late. Addison is the sole survivor of her bloodline - a line that a killer is determined to make extinct. World-weary detective Randall Talbot has little regard left for life, but he may be the only man capable of saving hers By: Linda Castillo.

Two victims of the infamous Cleveland kidnapper share the story of their abductions, their decade in captivity, and their final, dramatic rescue. A horrifying story rapidly unfolded. Ariel Castro, a local school bus driver, had separately lured Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight to his home, where he kept them chained in the basement. By: Amanda Berry , and others. In July , teenagers Sylvia and Jenny Likens were left in the temporary care of Gertrude Baniszewski, a middle-aged single mother, and her seven children.

The Baniszewski household was overrun with children. There were few rules and ample freedom. Sadly, the environment created a dangerous hierarchy of social Darwinism where the strong preyed on the weak. What transpired in the following three months was both riveting and chilling. In The Lost Girls , John Glatt tells the truly amazing story of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight - who were kidnapped, imprisoned, and repeatedly raped and beaten in a Cleveland house for over a decade by Ariel Castro - and their amazing escape in May , which made headlines all over the world.

In , year-old Colleen Stan left home to hitchhike from Oregon to California. Seven years later she emerged from hell, the victim of a bizarre and extraordinary crime. Known as the "sex slave" or "girl in the box" case, here's the whole story - too strange to be anything but true - of Colleen's horrifying imprisonment by Cameron Hooker.

Told by the district attorney who tried the case, it is a tale of riveting intensity and gripping courtroom drama. At times she talked in a whisper and then when starting the next sentence she spoke so loud it startles you. I found the book it's self interesting. Hated the narrator.

Book is interesting on its own but the narrator is not great. Inconsistent tone, volume and speed. Interesting story I heard a podcast on so I wanted to check out the book.

If I knew ahead of time how horrible the narrator was going to be I would have totally not bothered. Whoever cast this story did an awful job. Would you consider the audio edition of Perfect Victim to be better than the print version?

Better for me -- I fall asleep when I read the print version of anything. What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative? The compassion and calmness of telling the story. Which character — as performed by Amanda Plummer — was your favorite? Any additional comments? Well written and well narrated. Hard to believe that a human being can be so evil and sadistic! That is very strong woman.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not? This just wasn't right with the narration.

The woman has almost a child voice and she is reading such gruesome sadomasochistic material. Reader Reviews Write your own review. She has twice served as a judge for the Edgar Awards. She lives in California and Florida. Visit her at carlanorton. More Author Information.

How a humble bookseller fought incredible odds to bring one of the 20th century's most important books to the world. A page-turning exploration of power, ambition, and the intertwining of love and obsession. Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes! Your guide to exceptional books. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email. Write a Review. About this book Summary. She is sure there is still at least one more predator out there and he may be a wolf in sheep's clothing. This book explores the difficult topic of surviving the experience of being held prisoner, being tortured, and raped repeatedly over a period of years.

The psychological damage that one would have to live with on a daily basis, and the inability of others to relate to being that type of victim.

Families walking on eggshells, friends not knowing what to say or now to act around you, feeling distanced from the world as a whole. The physical and emotional scars that linger. The first part of the book deals with the aspect of Tilly's reliance on Reeve and her attempt to gain back some normalcy in her life. We also see law enforcement trying to gather as much information about the kidnapping and not really being all that sensitive to the victim or those trying to treat the girl.

We are of course shown the media barrage that follows in the aftermath. Seeing your face of television, having the details of your experience splashed all over cable channels, being analyzed and picked over. However, not all the members of the press were unfeeling. One member of the press was of great help in this case.

The second part of the book deals with Tilly's startling revelation, Reeve being sworn to secrecy, and her own investigation. The heart pounding conclusion was incredibly intense. The recent headlines regarding the Ariel Castro kidnappings has this subject fresh in our minds. But, this author has wrote true crime books about this subject a while back. She draws on her expertise to bring us a taut, emotional, and terrifying novel.

Reeve, gets a new outlook on life after her experiences with Tilly and becomes a true hero. Be warned that the subject matter is emotional, but the author handled these subjects with delicacy and didn't put graphic descriptions in the book just for shock value.

The author writes the story as though we are living events right along with the characters. This was very well written, suspenseful thriller - I thing it deserves an A. Oct 23, Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing. But Ten years ago, she was kidnapped and held captive. But when he asks her to help another girl rescued from a similar situation, Reeve realizes she may not simply need to mentor this young victim—she may be the only one who can protect her from a cunning predat In many ways, Reeve LeClaire looks like a typical twenty-two year old girl.

An excellent and addictive thriller due mostly to the accomplished portrayal of a victim in recovery — a survivor, a woman who knows her own limits and sets out to test those limits when asked to help another girl in a similar situation. Reeve is extremely likeable and very sympathetic, and so invested was I in her future that I could barely put this book down.

When her therapist, Dr Lerner, asks for her help she is reluctant — unsure if she is in the right headspace to be of any use and having finally managed to eek out an existance for herself that is out of the spotlight, ultimately she agrees to become a mentor for Cassie, a girl who has recently been rescued from captivity.

As the relationship between the two girls develops, it becomes apparent that everything is not clear cut — and that danger still lurks close by. It is rare to find a thriller that is as subtle yet sophisticated as this one — the cleverly drawn relationship between Cassie and Reeve, the understated trust Reeve has with Dr Ezra Lerner, the way both she and Cassie react to the ongoing police investigation, all brilliantly compelling.

Then add to that mix a truly unsettling villain, the fate of other girls still missing and some truly edge of the seat moments and you have a perfect storm. Yes I loved this one. Of all the wonderful thriller and crime fiction tales I have been reading lately this one touched my heart as well as made it go boom. Highly Recommended. Happy Reading Folks! I received this book from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. This is a very emotional and raw thriller with gruesome detail so please be of mature audience.

This book features a girl, Reeve, who has gone through sheer hell for a period of life and is recovering from that. Just trying to get a grip on reality. Then it happens again and Reeve is asked to help. She can barely make it through daily life but now shes being asked to relive it to help. Is it worth the little sanity she has? The ultimate ch I received this book from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. The ultimate choice of right or wrong in a situation you never wanted to happen again.

This is real and heartbreaking. So realistic, at some points I had to take a break in fear of my heart about to break.

Give this a try if you like suspense with plot twists. Overall very great book. Oct 17, Donna rated it it was ok Shelves: criminal-element , uncomfortable-subject-matter , mental-illness , read-in , dark-and-disturbing , terrible-audio-narration.

I'm not even exaggerating. And the story itself was almost a repeat of every single thing I hated about The Never List. I'm so disappointed. Review soon. Sep 22, Raven rated it it was amazing.

Admittedly having read at least four with this theme last year with varying degrees of success, I was a little ambivalent at facing another, but thankfully The Edge of Normal has neatly circumvented the woe has produced a plethora of fiction based on the theme of abduction, and the emotional and traumatic journey to recovery undergone by women held captive at the hands of abusers, and with the revelation of the Ariel Castro case in America, there is much to be said about art mirroring life.

Admittedly having read at least four with this theme last year with varying degrees of success, I was a little ambivalent at facing another, but thankfully The Edge of Normal has neatly circumvented the woeful plotting and laboured narratives of the others I have read this year, and really struck a chord in its depiction of Reeve St Claire as a survivor of long term abduction, and her journey back to life. Naturally, Reeve finds herself in danger as her utter determination to stop this particularly manipulative and brutal man, still holding another girl captive, and as the story unfolds the empathy we have established with this fragile young woman, becomes even more potent.

Likewise, I found the characterisation of the abductor himself, an outwardly charming and professional man in a position of authority, who dispassionately manipulates other men to do his dirty work for him, extremely effective in the story.

View 1 comment. Mar 11, Dawn Stowell rated it it was ok Shelves: my-reviews. Norton does not give us an edge of your seat thriller or a psychological portrayal of a victim become vigilante. What we get is mystery with little action. What we get is the suspense of a whodunnit where we already know who the perp is so we also know that its just a matter of time before he is caught.

Reeve at first is a sympathetic character but she has only slight flaws. There is nothing abnormal about her. Her flaws are shown as mild symptoms of PTSD; like hypervigilance being acutely aware Norton does not give us an edge of your seat thriller or a psychological portrayal of a victim become vigilante. So she ends up coming out as a flat character. As does the perp, whose only goal is to masquerade as a good guy meanwhile being the super-intelligent villain underneath.

Norton presents Reeve as a vigilante but does not explain to us how she shifted from victim to vigilante. Norton actually uses Reeve in the end to forward the plot by giving her both an uncharacteristic trusting nature which flies in the face of her overall character and a level-headed-ness that allows her to view spoiler [ inflict physical damage on the perp twice and not only escape captivity but a raging fire as well hide spoiler ] I give this a rating of 2.

It is an okay read but not memorable. I did like the premise, but not a lot of the content. I would recommend, "Room," to those interested in the psychological after effects of this type of crime. I was left with a feeling of, "Dammit this could have been so much more. Then again I prefer books to TV - can you tell? Shelves: suspense , drama , won-in-giveaway , books-i-own , secrets , favorites , mystery , 5-stars , reading-list , favorite-reads.

She was brutally raped, humiliated, and horribly tortured. Through an accident, she was found alive and not well inside a car trunk. After a lengthy trial, her captor Daryl Flint is sent to prison. She sees a psychologist to help deal with the aftermath. She changes her name. She gets a job. She's better now. She's almost normal. Years pass. Then young females begin to disappear.

Tilly Cavanaugh is found alive and not well inside a dark and hidden basement. A mirror image to Reeve. Her captor Randy Vaderholt is sent to the local jail.

He's just a puppet for the true captor. A man of many puppets. Who is this mysterious man? How many young girls will be abducted?

Will they be found alive? I enjoyed it immensely. This felt so real. This book was very visual. Ohh my! View all 5 comments. Aug 19, Patrice Hoffman rated it really liked it Shelves: first-reads-giveaways. The Edge of Normal is the first fiction novel written by Carla Norton.

Immediately the plot sucks readers in with the failed attempt to move Reeve LeClaire from one hiding place to another ten years earlier. It's the perfect mix of irony and realism. I don't want to spoil it because I thought it was pretty good. They discuss how much she's recovered since her abduction and captivity. Reeve isn't able to see the changes but Dr. Lerner insists they are there. Then news of a newly escaped victim, a young girl named Tilly, thrusts Dr.

Lerner and Reeve back into the spotlight. The spotlight also places Reeve in danger of the person who's trying desperately to keep his secrets untold. Carla Norton does not skimp on the details of the heinous crimes done to these girls while in captivity. The violence Reeve endured by the sexual sadist in this novel gave me chills.

I could not imagine another human being treating someone that way. The Edge of Normal is not for the faint of heart, but it is such a worth it read.

On her journey to becoming "normal" Reeve discovers she can help Tilly, and others in her same situation. With her high intelligence, she is able to piece together clues that the police are either ignoring, or not made aware of. No one knows the dungeons like she does and she's hoping to find this accomplice for Tilly and every other girls sake. Reeve really evolves into a character that will stick with readers past the last page.

I would love to see her featured in future novels by this author. This psychological insight gives The Edge of Normal a depth many suspenseful thrillers lack. The one gripe I have is that the characters, outside of Reeve, Tilly, and the predator Duke, all seem to be under developed. There's a scene with Tilly's older brother that leaves me wishing he'd been kept out of the book.

I don't know why every teenager has to be as selfish as they are written. It's enfuriating!! Also, the prosecutor Burke is a jerk. I mean what sadist crawled up her anus and decided to live there? Are all prosecutors that numb to cases and only want to win that they forget how to care? And a woman prosecutor at that who seemingly has no sympathy.

The Edge of Normal will have readers on the edge of their seats cliche I know but I had to say it. I am so happy I did not allow this to gather dust on my shelf.

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