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Bishop/Special Crimes Unit #16
Fear the Dark
In New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper’s new novel, an SCU team investigates a troubling string of disappearances. But how do you find someone who has vanished without a trace?
Something strange is happening in the small mountain town of Serenity, Tennessee. People going on routine errands never reach their destination. It’s as if they simply disappear. Over the past few weeks, it’s happened to five men and women—and now a child.
The local police chief calls the FBI, and a team from the Special Crimes Unit is immediately sent in. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, partners in work and in life, have very different abilities. Samantha is clairvoyant and Lucas possesses a unique ability to find the lost or abducted. With them are new partners Dante Swann, a medium, and Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The town is already on the edge of panic, but the mysterious events take a sinister turn when a body unrelated to the missing persons case surfaces and one of the SCU agents vanishes. Now, the team’s hunt for the lost has turned into something very personal…and very dangerous.
Something strange is happening in the small mountain town of Serenity, Tennessee. People going on routine errands never reach their destination. It’s as if they simply disappear. Over the past few weeks, it’s happened to five men and women—and now a child.
The local police chief calls the FBI, and a team from the Special Crimes Unit is immediately sent in. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, partners in work and in life, have very different abilities. Samantha is clairvoyant and Lucas possesses a unique ability to find the lost or abducted. With them are new partners Dante Swann, a medium, and Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The town is already on the edge of panic, but the mysterious events take a sinister turn when a body unrelated to the missing persons case surfaces and one of the SCU agents vanishes. Now, the team’s hunt for the lost has turned into something very personal…and very dangerous.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2015
484 people are currently reading
2281 people want to read
About the author
Kay Hooper
97 books2,447 followersKay Hooper (aka Kay Robbins) was born in California, in an air force base hospital since her father was stationed there at the time. The family moved back to North Carolina shortly afterward, so she was raised and went to school there.
The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.
Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas.
Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.
The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.
Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas.
Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
October 29, 2015
1,5 stars
Fear the Dark is the 16th novel in Kay Hooper’s Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Series and I’ve read and enjoyed most of the books in the series but the latest addition was not one of those that I liked…in fact, I didn’t like it at all.
Cardboard characters which I did not find at all relatable. I felt I knew none of them by the end of the story. There was so much explaining and giving you details about everything supernatural and somehow nothing about the actual plot…okay, I think I’m confusing even myself but let me just give a few examples…..
Oh, I see!!! I get it….
Allright, nothing I’ve written so far makes no sense to you or does it? Okay, I’m going to give you a short breakdown about the story…yes, I’m going to do my own ….
Weird things are happening in the small town of Serenity. People have gone missing under very strange circumstances.
The local Police Chief Jonah Riggs contacts the Special Crimes Unit people for help…and soon 4 agents arrive to assist him in solving the baffling mystery.
The story is more plot than character and I would have liked to feel more connected to the characters, which I didn’t feel at all.
All the pages of explaining the supernatural things drove me crazy and after a while I just skipped all the pnr info.
And romance….what romance!!!!
And really, when the villain is revealed and the reasons given for why he committed the crimes just felt a bit unreal and unbelievable.
There are a lot of readers who liked this book, but for me ….just didn’t get to me!!!!
Fear the Dark is the 16th novel in Kay Hooper’s Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Series and I’ve read and enjoyed most of the books in the series but the latest addition was not one of those that I liked…in fact, I didn’t like it at all.
Cardboard characters which I did not find at all relatable. I felt I knew none of them by the end of the story. There was so much explaining and giving you details about everything supernatural and somehow nothing about the actual plot…okay, I think I’m confusing even myself but let me just give a few examples…..
”Are you saying we don’t?” She was curious rather than confused.
Oh, I see!!! I get it….
”Then how was Jonah – how were you both, I guess, able to home in on her like that?”
Right, I got that too!!!
Allright, nothing I’ve written so far makes no sense to you or does it? Okay, I’m going to give you a short breakdown about the story…yes, I’m going to do my own ….
Weird things are happening in the small town of Serenity. People have gone missing under very strange circumstances.
The local Police Chief Jonah Riggs contacts the Special Crimes Unit people for help…and soon 4 agents arrive to assist him in solving the baffling mystery.
The story is more plot than character and I would have liked to feel more connected to the characters, which I didn’t feel at all.
All the pages of explaining the supernatural things drove me crazy and after a while I just skipped all the pnr info.
And romance….what romance!!!!
And really, when the villain is revealed and the reasons given for why he committed the crimes just felt a bit unreal and unbelievable.
There are a lot of readers who liked this book, but for me ….just didn’t get to me!!!!
October 23, 2015
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At first I thought it was cool this book was set in Tennessee, but then I was like.. uh..no I don't want this creepiness in my state. LOL
All of these people in the town of Serenity are vanishing. I was thinking alien abductions, or some other wackadoo thing. I was wrong!
The Chief, Jonah, is stumped trying to figure out how people can just vanish. They bring in some FBI agents that are actually psychics etc. They do a really good job at helping to find out exactly what is going on.
I really didn't see that one coming. I thought this was a good mystery book. I was really freaked out about it in the beginning. I wanted it to be the crazy Bermuda Triangle type stuff. LoL. It's really good though. a lot of suspense and a sad part. :-/
I think people that love mystery/thrillers would love this book!
At first I thought it was cool this book was set in Tennessee, but then I was like.. uh..no I don't want this creepiness in my state. LOL
All of these people in the town of Serenity are vanishing. I was thinking alien abductions, or some other wackadoo thing. I was wrong!
The Chief, Jonah, is stumped trying to figure out how people can just vanish. They bring in some FBI agents that are actually psychics etc. They do a really good job at helping to find out exactly what is going on.
I really didn't see that one coming. I thought this was a good mystery book. I was really freaked out about it in the beginning. I wanted it to be the crazy Bermuda Triangle type stuff. LoL. It's really good though. a lot of suspense and a sad part. :-/
I think people that love mystery/thrillers would love this book!
January 3, 2016
Crime is low for the little town of Serenity, so when several people go missing in the span of one month, Police Chief Jonah Riggs is baffled. What make these occurrences stand out even more are the strange, unexplainable details accompanying each case. Jonah reaches out to a special, not well known, branch of the FBI, the Special Crimes Unit which is made up of people with special/unconventional talents and gifts suited for this investigation. Fear the Dark was sort of like X-Files melded with X-Men, two shows I gravitate toward, so I was delighted!
Don’t let the fact that Fear the Dark is number sixteen in the series; it can be read as a standalone. Yes, there are characters from the previous installments, but the story focused more on Chief Jonah Riggs and the local mystery. The story was addictive, puzzling and a bit creepy! One thing I did miss was romance. I kept hoping something would develop between Jonah and Robbie, one of the SCU team members. There was a married couple from the previous installment, Lucas and Samantha, part of the SCU, and I appreciated the obvious care and deep connection they had, but other than that there was nothing. This story was more plot than character driven, which is usually not my favorite type of story, but there was enough action and mystery to still make it enjoyable.
Any fan of mystery with a paranormal base or anyone who was addicted to the X-Files like I was should enjoy Fear the Dark. It’s the perfect time of year for this type of spooky mystery!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
Don’t let the fact that Fear the Dark is number sixteen in the series; it can be read as a standalone. Yes, there are characters from the previous installments, but the story focused more on Chief Jonah Riggs and the local mystery. The story was addictive, puzzling and a bit creepy! One thing I did miss was romance. I kept hoping something would develop between Jonah and Robbie, one of the SCU team members. There was a married couple from the previous installment, Lucas and Samantha, part of the SCU, and I appreciated the obvious care and deep connection they had, but other than that there was nothing. This story was more plot than character driven, which is usually not my favorite type of story, but there was enough action and mystery to still make it enjoyable.
Any fan of mystery with a paranormal base or anyone who was addicted to the X-Files like I was should enjoy Fear the Dark. It’s the perfect time of year for this type of spooky mystery!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2017
I like reading Bishop series but this book was a little disappointing. It started really well but the ending seemed rushed and none of the characters introduced in the book were well developed. Overall just 2 1/2 -3 stars
November 11, 2015
Fear the Dark was my first novel by Kay Hooper and therefor an introduction to the authors writing style.
At first glance, Fear the Dark looks like a thrilling mystery with a suspenseful storyline and captivating characters, and it was exactly everything I hoped for.
I picked this one up thanks to a wonderful review by Sophia @ Delighted Reader and boy was I glad I did that. I stepped into a world of atmospheric and spooky mystery with a criminal that had a thirst for revenge.
When people of Serenity, Tennessee start to disappear one by one into thin air, Jonah the local chief of police comes to a conclusion that he is way over his head and calls in Bishop SCU. Arrive at the scene two couple sent over by their boss to investigate the strange disappearances that seem to pulse with sinister energy. Lucas, Samantha, Dante, and Robbie are the four couples that must work together and use their hidden and special abilities in hopes of bringing the man behind these disappearances to justice.
The author does an excellent job setting up the small town and everything that was creepy behind this entire mystery. It literally left goosebumps on my arms anytime we got experience the tragic evil that drove the criminal to do what he had done. The story ended up being gripping and sad, and I couldn't help but feel for Jonah and how he was connected to the entire thing.
Though there were couples in this book, I didn't really get any sense of romance and I was okay with that. I liked seeing how each couple cared for their partner and the length they went to protect them. Lucas and Samantha are together and the care and connection between them is genuine and apparent. Robbie and Dante are a couple that started working together and Bishops main goal is for the couples to come to trust and rely on each other.
I love learning about their special abilities as mediums and how they used to uncover the culprit behind the disappearances. Each couple was different with their own special skills that aren't perfectly refined but that is what makes the characters appear human, flawed and interesting.
The ending threw me. I was not expecting what had happened. Thought the conclusion felt a bit distressing, I too was a little surprised how quickly everything escalated and then ended so suddenly - I think an agreement Sophia and I shared on this.
Thought despite the sudden ending and what happens, I don't believe this is the last book in the series.
This can be read as a stand-alone, I had no problems jumping in.This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Café
November 24, 2015
this was a serious disappointment. first of all, ALL YOU FICTION WRITERS please STOP giving girls boy's names!! we have Sam and Robbie. that's just confusing as you read along! second, i really don't like Noah and Miranda playing God. who do they think they are, anyway? they obviously think they are superior to other people and more important than other people. this story started out like it was going to be very interesting and exciting. but it had more holes than swiss cheese. how did the bad guy get his victims to such a far away location? did he keep them there totally by drugs or was he really able to hypnotize SIX people (and more) at a time? WHY is it assumed that the "older" victim will have to go to an old folks home after being a victim? can you say "ageism"??? why is it assumed that all of the victims will be permanently scarred by something they can't much remember? how did the bad guy know that the teenagers were leaving town? how did the bad guy know where the judge would be? etc, etc.!! did the bad guy have no family and no support system? how did he buy groceries? for that matter, WHERE did he get all those medical supplies? how did he get them transported and where was he keeping them refrigerated? the whole thing was just never explained. AND! how did the bad guy hide 5 feet away from a bunch of psychics with evit intent?? they established at one point that the bad guy had knowledge of security systems and computers, but they never followed up on that! just plain bad storytelling.
October 13, 2016
The first half was good. The plot really bogged down in the middle, due to endless rehashing of the clues. The story didn't improve after that.
April 25, 2022
Fear the Dark is book sixteen in the Bishop/SCU series by Kay Hooper. In the small town of Serenity, Tennessee couple of strange disappearances of people in the community. The Chief of Police of Serenity, Jonah Riggs, called in the FBI's Special Crimes Unit, and Agents Lucas, Samantha Jordan, Dante Swann and Robbie Hodge arrived in town to find the answers. However, on arrival, one of the local law enforcement officers was killed, and it became a race to find answers before someone else died in the community that was on the edge of panic. The readers of Fear the Dark will continue to follow Chief Jonah Riggs and the team from the Special Crimes Unit to find out what happens.
I enjoy reading books by Kay Hooper and how she incorporates paranormal and romantic suspense into her plots. Fear the Dark continued my tradition with Kay Hooper's books which is that I engage with the story and the characters from the first page. I love Kay Hooper's portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. Fear the Dark is well written and researched by Kay Hooper. I like Kay Hooper's description of the settings, which allows me to imagine being part of the plot.
The readers of Fear the Dark will understand that brain cancer can change a person's personality and beliefs. Also, the readers of Fear the Dark will learn about safety when transporting petrol in a car.
I recommend this book.
I enjoy reading books by Kay Hooper and how she incorporates paranormal and romantic suspense into her plots. Fear the Dark continued my tradition with Kay Hooper's books which is that I engage with the story and the characters from the first page. I love Kay Hooper's portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. Fear the Dark is well written and researched by Kay Hooper. I like Kay Hooper's description of the settings, which allows me to imagine being part of the plot.
The readers of Fear the Dark will understand that brain cancer can change a person's personality and beliefs. Also, the readers of Fear the Dark will learn about safety when transporting petrol in a car.
I recommend this book.
November 7, 2015
When I hear the name, Kay Hooper, I automatically think of telepaths and empaths, psychics and mediums, clairevoyants. This is as close as I get to the paranormal ..not a shape shifter or vampire anywhere in sight. There is usually a bit of romance in her books. I have enjoyed them all immensely.
In a very small town in Tennessee, people are disappearing. Not only going missing, but seemingly disappearing into thin air. First it's two teenagers, eloping. Then a judge.
That's when the local sheriff calls in this very special branch of the FBI, whose agents all have one gift or another.
The agents are stymied .. and then a housewife goes missing. A 10-year-old child disappears in the middle of the night .. under the sight of a camera.
The secret to this mystery lies in what single connection they all have.
The suspense becomes more strained when a police office officer is murdered. The town is terrified and no one seems to be safe.
As with all Kay Hooper's book, I really enjoyed this one. There are several twists and turns leading away from outer space theories straight into the real here and now. Since I am not a psychic, I had no idea where this was going ... which makes the reading a lot more interesting.
I would recommend this one to anyone who likes the elements of magic, suspense and lots of surprises.
November 21, 2015
This was too predictable. The main characters were not developed enough so I really didn't care about them. Also, this thing with Noah and Miranda not providing information to there people is getting old. I found myself not liking them in this book.
Overall I felt that Hooper just jotted down an outline for a story and filled in out of necessity to get it published. I wouldn't recommend this.
Overall I felt that Hooper just jotted down an outline for a story and filled in out of necessity to get it published. I wouldn't recommend this.
April 5, 2024
Fear the Dark
4 Stars
After several people seemingly vanish into thin air over several days in Serenity, Tennessee, police chief Jonah Riggs is at a loss and requests the assistance of the FBI's SCU. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, along with two trainee agents, arrive in the small town whose terrified residents are on the verge of panic. As the evidence accumulates, the investigators rapidly realize that a malicious villain is at work, and they will have to use all of their talents to stop them.
Series note: Lucas and Samantha Jordan first appear in book #7, Hunting Fear. However, the stories are unrelated, and there is no need to read the earlier book first.
Fear the Dark is one of the best installments in Hooper's series. The details surrounding the disappearances of the citizens of Serenity are disturbing and create an intense and frightening atmosphere reminiscent of one of my favorite Dean Koontz novels, Phantoms, although the plots are quite different.
Like most of the recent books, there are no romantic elements, and the focus is on the mystery and the investigation. As a romance reader, this has been disappointing in the past, but here, the absence is barely noticeable as the suspense plot is gripping. The eventual explanation is satisfying although the villain is someone , which is annoying.
Overall, an excellent addition to the series, and I hope we will be seeing more of some of these characters.
4 Stars
After several people seemingly vanish into thin air over several days in Serenity, Tennessee, police chief Jonah Riggs is at a loss and requests the assistance of the FBI's SCU. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, along with two trainee agents, arrive in the small town whose terrified residents are on the verge of panic. As the evidence accumulates, the investigators rapidly realize that a malicious villain is at work, and they will have to use all of their talents to stop them.
Series note: Lucas and Samantha Jordan first appear in book #7, Hunting Fear. However, the stories are unrelated, and there is no need to read the earlier book first.
Fear the Dark is one of the best installments in Hooper's series. The details surrounding the disappearances of the citizens of Serenity are disturbing and create an intense and frightening atmosphere reminiscent of one of my favorite Dean Koontz novels, Phantoms, although the plots are quite different.
Like most of the recent books, there are no romantic elements, and the focus is on the mystery and the investigation. As a romance reader, this has been disappointing in the past, but here, the absence is barely noticeable as the suspense plot is gripping. The eventual explanation is satisfying although the villain is someone , which is annoying.
Overall, an excellent addition to the series, and I hope we will be seeing more of some of these characters.
October 11, 2015
So I read this blurb that just compelled me to read the book. I saw that, whew, this was already far into a series and established in a spin-off series. What was a reader gal to do? Well of course I snatched it and did some finger crossing that I wouldn't be hopelessly lost. Small town, spooky vanishings, FBI unit of psychically skilled investigators, yep, just hadta...
So, it didn't burn me that I jumped into the middle of the series because of the way the author set up the story. She started with the new situation and new characters before bringing into play the established ones. I definitely had the vibe that I was reading about people who got their own story earlier when it came to the FBI team, but it was secondary to the engrossing present situation.
The story opens when small mountain town chief of police, Jonah, gets a call from one of his officers. He arrives at the scene to find a recently abandoned vehicle, evidence that two teens were eloping together, no signs of a struggle, and foot prints that just stop and disappear. This is followed by a rash of people vanishing and no clues left behind. Jonah can't keep his town safe on his own so he calls in the FBI Special Crimes Unit.
Jonah is joined by Luke Jordan whose psychic ability helps him find people and Jordan's wife, Sam, who is a strong telepath, two junior members of the team, Robbie and Dante. The FBI team aren't in the area long before they sense the strong residue of evil and a cunning hunter who is strong and getting stronger. They need to stop him soon.
Alright, this was the perfect blend of atmospheric, sinister, and spooky. I enjoyed tracking with the law enforcement team on their case. The story was so strong that it could have easily overpowered the characters, but the author wrote a strong lead in Jonah and surrounded him with a well-drawn team both of local townspeople and the FBI agents. The story was mostly Jonah's narration, but it did flip between several others including the villain and one of the victims.
I loved that I wasn't able to solve it and was pointing fingers a few different directions. It is a gritty and darker story, but doesn't drop into horror.
Even though, Luke and Sam were new to me, I could tell that they are a well established couple in the series. I enjoy couples who share a detecting partnership because of the dynamics involved and these two were no exception. Sam is the stronger psychic and prone to push past her limits to help people and Luke is her lead on the team and has the job of knowing the difference between a lover's worry about the danger and a leader's concern that his subordinate might be pushing too hard. I definitely want to go back and get the start of their story and the start of the Bishops' story (couple who are the founders of the special psychic unit), too.
Only niggle was the abrupt ending though I will say that it was the type of abrupt that you usually get in a series when storylines will carry forward so maybe I just need to be patient.
All in all, this was a great introduction to a series of psychic thriller suspenses and I want to go back for the backlist and continue forward. I think these would have appeal to a broad range of readers from lovers of straight thrillers to paranormal mystery lovers and through on to blends of paranormal romantic suspense or thrillers. See? lots of folks should trysy!
My thanks to Penguin Group for providing the book in exchange for an honest review.
So, it didn't burn me that I jumped into the middle of the series because of the way the author set up the story. She started with the new situation and new characters before bringing into play the established ones. I definitely had the vibe that I was reading about people who got their own story earlier when it came to the FBI team, but it was secondary to the engrossing present situation.
The story opens when small mountain town chief of police, Jonah, gets a call from one of his officers. He arrives at the scene to find a recently abandoned vehicle, evidence that two teens were eloping together, no signs of a struggle, and foot prints that just stop and disappear. This is followed by a rash of people vanishing and no clues left behind. Jonah can't keep his town safe on his own so he calls in the FBI Special Crimes Unit.
Jonah is joined by Luke Jordan whose psychic ability helps him find people and Jordan's wife, Sam, who is a strong telepath, two junior members of the team, Robbie and Dante. The FBI team aren't in the area long before they sense the strong residue of evil and a cunning hunter who is strong and getting stronger. They need to stop him soon.
Alright, this was the perfect blend of atmospheric, sinister, and spooky. I enjoyed tracking with the law enforcement team on their case. The story was so strong that it could have easily overpowered the characters, but the author wrote a strong lead in Jonah and surrounded him with a well-drawn team both of local townspeople and the FBI agents. The story was mostly Jonah's narration, but it did flip between several others including the villain and one of the victims.
I loved that I wasn't able to solve it and was pointing fingers a few different directions. It is a gritty and darker story, but doesn't drop into horror.
Even though, Luke and Sam were new to me, I could tell that they are a well established couple in the series. I enjoy couples who share a detecting partnership because of the dynamics involved and these two were no exception. Sam is the stronger psychic and prone to push past her limits to help people and Luke is her lead on the team and has the job of knowing the difference between a lover's worry about the danger and a leader's concern that his subordinate might be pushing too hard. I definitely want to go back and get the start of their story and the start of the Bishops' story (couple who are the founders of the special psychic unit), too.
Only niggle was the abrupt ending though I will say that it was the type of abrupt that you usually get in a series when storylines will carry forward so maybe I just need to be patient.
All in all, this was a great introduction to a series of psychic thriller suspenses and I want to go back for the backlist and continue forward. I think these would have appeal to a broad range of readers from lovers of straight thrillers to paranormal mystery lovers and through on to blends of paranormal romantic suspense or thrillers. See? lots of folks should trysy!
My thanks to Penguin Group for providing the book in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2015
The Special Crimes Unit is called to Serenity, Tennessee when strange happenings have people disappearing without a trace and the town is on the edge of panic in this thrilling paranormal suspense.
This fast paced and smooth flowing plot pulls readers in with lots of suspense, thrills and very strange happenings as seemingly random people disappear into thin air. The local police chief makes note of a quite a few oddities that mark each crime but leave no clues to the how or whys so with five men and women and one child missing, he calls in the SCU. The characters are strong, compelling and grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning and I have to tell you that there is no romance in this story as it is all about the mysterious with unexpected twists that keeping everyone guessing.
Agents Luke and Samantha are teamed up with newbies Dante Swan and Robbie Hodge and even with their unique abilities they realize this case is something they have never seen before. Spine tingling anticipation builds lots of pulse-pounding tension as the story progresses and the oddities lead to some very startling discoveries with excitement building even more as one of the agents becomes a target of the darkness. The scenes and details are well written which brings the story to life with vivid images and makes it easy for the reader to become absorbed in all the chilling excitement as the intriguing events guarantee that the reader can’t put the story down.
This case pulled me in from the very beginning and had me as baffled as all the characters and I have to say not only kept me guessing, it kept surprising me as well. I always find that joining the SCU on a case is a thrilling experience, so of course I am looking forward to the next one. On a side note and not exactly important because it doesn’t change my opinion of the book one way or the other…after reading the story I find that the synopsis is a bit misleading.
- Eva
This fast paced and smooth flowing plot pulls readers in with lots of suspense, thrills and very strange happenings as seemingly random people disappear into thin air. The local police chief makes note of a quite a few oddities that mark each crime but leave no clues to the how or whys so with five men and women and one child missing, he calls in the SCU. The characters are strong, compelling and grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning and I have to tell you that there is no romance in this story as it is all about the mysterious with unexpected twists that keeping everyone guessing.
Agents Luke and Samantha are teamed up with newbies Dante Swan and Robbie Hodge and even with their unique abilities they realize this case is something they have never seen before. Spine tingling anticipation builds lots of pulse-pounding tension as the story progresses and the oddities lead to some very startling discoveries with excitement building even more as one of the agents becomes a target of the darkness. The scenes and details are well written which brings the story to life with vivid images and makes it easy for the reader to become absorbed in all the chilling excitement as the intriguing events guarantee that the reader can’t put the story down.
This case pulled me in from the very beginning and had me as baffled as all the characters and I have to say not only kept me guessing, it kept surprising me as well. I always find that joining the SCU on a case is a thrilling experience, so of course I am looking forward to the next one. On a side note and not exactly important because it doesn’t change my opinion of the book one way or the other…after reading the story I find that the synopsis is a bit misleading.
- Eva
January 18, 2021
So a mentally deranged psychic goes about kidnapping people from a small town, as some sort of twisted way to punish the man who saved him but left him unwhole. Okay.
This book, while it has a good concept, is really just too unresolved.
First case: the inexplicable disappearance of the eloping teenagers. How come the footsteps just miraculously stopped. Yes, I know, the unsub can tinker with tech evidence, and muddle the mind... But still. It never explained how two people simply vanished!
Second case: the lil girl who escaped. Now, what was the motive behind the unsub allowing her to escape? To such a careful planner, what was the end goal? And how was the girl able to hide her emotions?
Third case: the case primary. Luke. What exactly was his role the whole series of events? What was his contribution to the investigation? Honestly seemed pretty useless to me.
Fourth case: the psychic bad guy. The way I see it, his back story and motives are just, well, funny. Yeah funny. This just reminded me of the bad guy in the Shanara Chronicles TV series; who, after much hype and suspense, was just totally a disappointment.
Well, just my thought though. The only part that seemed reasonable, was the death of Dante. Another pretty useless character.
Well... There you have it.
This book, while it has a good concept, is really just too unresolved.
First case: the inexplicable disappearance of the eloping teenagers. How come the footsteps just miraculously stopped. Yes, I know, the unsub can tinker with tech evidence, and muddle the mind... But still. It never explained how two people simply vanished!
Second case: the lil girl who escaped. Now, what was the motive behind the unsub allowing her to escape? To such a careful planner, what was the end goal? And how was the girl able to hide her emotions?
Third case: the case primary. Luke. What exactly was his role the whole series of events? What was his contribution to the investigation? Honestly seemed pretty useless to me.
Fourth case: the psychic bad guy. The way I see it, his back story and motives are just, well, funny. Yeah funny. This just reminded me of the bad guy in the Shanara Chronicles TV series; who, after much hype and suspense, was just totally a disappointment.
Well, just my thought though. The only part that seemed reasonable, was the death of Dante. Another pretty useless character.
Well... There you have it.
December 24, 2015
Fear the Dark is the 16th book in Kay Hooper's Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series. I wanted to love this book because I really like this series and physic FBI agents are so fun to read about. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed.
This book centers around a small town that has a serial killer who is making his victims just vanish and leaves nothing behind except that "time stops" whenever anyone comes within a certain radius of the crime scene. The story itself was fascinating but at the end there were too many unanswered questions that I felt didn't adequately explain some of the things that happened in the book.
This book had four agents trying to solve the crime and I really didn't feel like we had enough character development for Dante (who was new) and Robbie. Lucas and Samantha were the other two agents who had a previous book. I wanted to know more about Dante and we got very little about his past or his feelings in this book.
There was no romance to speak of and that seems to be a bit of a trend in this series that I am sad about. The ending had a twist that would have had so much more of a payoff had we had more character development.
I enjoyed this book but I expect more from a book in this series.
This book centers around a small town that has a serial killer who is making his victims just vanish and leaves nothing behind except that "time stops" whenever anyone comes within a certain radius of the crime scene. The story itself was fascinating but at the end there were too many unanswered questions that I felt didn't adequately explain some of the things that happened in the book.
This book had four agents trying to solve the crime and I really didn't feel like we had enough character development for Dante (who was new) and Robbie. Lucas and Samantha were the other two agents who had a previous book. I wanted to know more about Dante and we got very little about his past or his feelings in this book.
There was no romance to speak of and that seems to be a bit of a trend in this series that I am sad about. The ending had a twist that would have had so much more of a payoff had we had more character development.
I enjoyed this book but I expect more from a book in this series.
November 29, 2015
Review to follow.
March 11, 2017
Fear the Dark features a pair of new agents: Dante, a medium, and Robbie, a telepath. They’re green, inexperienced, and are under the impression that Bishop is scarier than Miranda. In other words, they’re adorable. In that new agent kind of way that we haven’t really seen from this particular series before.
They team up with Samantha and Lucas, who were the stars — and an absolute treat — in Hunting Fear. Now they are doubly so. While not exactly in the spotlight and not nearly as significant as they were in their own book, Sam and Luke are precious and charming and so wonderfully contrasting against Robbie and Dante. A little bit weary, a lot more experienced, and still hopeful. Plus, their new dynamic is to die for. Fussing husband Luke will never be forgotten. Oh, how far he’s come!
Finally, there is Jonah, the local sheriff who cares about his town and his people very, very much. He is charming in the way most Kay Hooper’s men are. Which, of course, is always a delight. Especially because all these men are very much aware that they are surrounded by remarkable women, dealing with whom is a struggle of its own kind. Kay Hooper always handles that particular issue magnificently.
(Bishop and Luke talking about their amazing wives, though. I'm still screams.)
But the true treat of Fear the Dark is the plot. It starts out truly mysterious. People vanishing in the dark, with no signs of, well, anything. Then, with the first body, it turns dangerous. And, finally, it proves to be different from the latest SCU books, in which Evil was almost an abstract concept.
Because the truth is, there are all kinds of monsters in this world. And not all of them are Evil. Not all of them even sociopaths, or psychopaths. This monster in the dark is very, very human. Despite his abilities. And I liked that. A lot.
Fear The Dark by Kay Hooper turned to be an absolute treat from the first word to the last. It isn’t perfect, it has things I would’ve maybe preferred to be a bit different, a shift in focus here, a little less description there. But as a whole, it is fantastic. No character felt unnecessary, which is something that was present in a few previous books, no romance was forced, and the villain was well and truly real. Dark and scary, but delightful. Just as all SCU books are.
(Also, GODDAMN MIRANDA BISHOP and her ability to shatter my heart and soul and god knows what else WITH JUST ONE SENTENCE, hell, just one gesture. Literally, one tiny gesture and I started sobbing uncontrollably. And haven't stopped.)
They team up with Samantha and Lucas, who were the stars — and an absolute treat — in Hunting Fear. Now they are doubly so. While not exactly in the spotlight and not nearly as significant as they were in their own book, Sam and Luke are precious and charming and so wonderfully contrasting against Robbie and Dante. A little bit weary, a lot more experienced, and still hopeful. Plus, their new dynamic is to die for. Fussing husband Luke will never be forgotten. Oh, how far he’s come!
Finally, there is Jonah, the local sheriff who cares about his town and his people very, very much. He is charming in the way most Kay Hooper’s men are. Which, of course, is always a delight. Especially because all these men are very much aware that they are surrounded by remarkable women, dealing with whom is a struggle of its own kind. Kay Hooper always handles that particular issue magnificently.
(Bishop and Luke talking about their amazing wives, though. I'm still screams.)
But the true treat of Fear the Dark is the plot. It starts out truly mysterious. People vanishing in the dark, with no signs of, well, anything. Then, with the first body, it turns dangerous. And, finally, it proves to be different from the latest SCU books, in which Evil was almost an abstract concept.
Because the truth is, there are all kinds of monsters in this world. And not all of them are Evil. Not all of them even sociopaths, or psychopaths. This monster in the dark is very, very human. Despite his abilities. And I liked that. A lot.
Fear The Dark by Kay Hooper turned to be an absolute treat from the first word to the last. It isn’t perfect, it has things I would’ve maybe preferred to be a bit different, a shift in focus here, a little less description there. But as a whole, it is fantastic. No character felt unnecessary, which is something that was present in a few previous books, no romance was forced, and the villain was well and truly real. Dark and scary, but delightful. Just as all SCU books are.
(Also, GODDAMN MIRANDA BISHOP and her ability to shatter my heart and soul and god knows what else WITH JUST ONE SENTENCE, hell, just one gesture. Literally, one tiny gesture and I started sobbing uncontrollably. And haven't stopped.)
February 10, 2020
The story was especially interesting at the beginning. How did the teenagers disappear leaving all of their belongings in the car with the doors all open...but when the police photographed the car the doors all appeared to be closed and the footprints that they had seen had all disappeared? I almost expected space aliens. The story would have progressed better from then on if it had been space aliens. Five more people just vanished and the FBI team of psychics arrived and spent countless hours going over their various skills...just as they did in the book I read before this one, [Haunted]. I don't know how or why an interesting beginning seems to always turn into the same old same old. I gave it 3 stars because I really liked the beginning of the story and the little mountain town of Serenity along with Jonah, the sheriff. I wish it would have continued in the vein that it started out in.
October 22, 2015
Review at The Book Nympho:
http://thebooknympho.com/2015/10/fear...
I started reading these books as mysteries but I loved the paranormal elements. There are psychics, mediums, clairevoyants, telepaths and empaths, etc. These are my FAVORITE paranormal stories plus maybe magic. The earlier books also normally had a romance, which added another good element.
I enjoyed Fear the Dark more than the last few books in the series. The characters and the mystery held my attention. Some of the latest books, including this one, do not really have a romance.
One of the main characters, besides our FBI team, is the sheriff of the town, Jonah. I liked him and it developed that he had some abilities in addition to being a really good cop.
I’m sure there is an earlier book where Luke and Samantha get together but sadly, I do not remember it. (OK I found it, Hunting Fear, #7 in the series published in June 2005. I gave it 5 stars.) I do remember, very well, Bishop and Miranda in several of the books, and they make a brief appearance here.
Since this series has my favorite type of paranormal combined with mystery, I will always continue with it. If you enjoy that combination, I highly recommend the series since it is one of the few I have found with this focus. Fear the Dark is a fine addition.
http://thebooknympho.com/2015/10/fear...
I started reading these books as mysteries but I loved the paranormal elements. There are psychics, mediums, clairevoyants, telepaths and empaths, etc. These are my FAVORITE paranormal stories plus maybe magic. The earlier books also normally had a romance, which added another good element.
I enjoyed Fear the Dark more than the last few books in the series. The characters and the mystery held my attention. Some of the latest books, including this one, do not really have a romance.
One of the main characters, besides our FBI team, is the sheriff of the town, Jonah. I liked him and it developed that he had some abilities in addition to being a really good cop.
I’m sure there is an earlier book where Luke and Samantha get together but sadly, I do not remember it. (OK I found it, Hunting Fear, #7 in the series published in June 2005. I gave it 5 stars.) I do remember, very well, Bishop and Miranda in several of the books, and they make a brief appearance here.
Since this series has my favorite type of paranormal combined with mystery, I will always continue with it. If you enjoy that combination, I highly recommend the series since it is one of the few I have found with this focus. Fear the Dark is a fine addition.
October 26, 2022
The Special Crimes Unit is called to Serenity, Tennessee when strange happenings have people disappearing without a trace and the town is on the edge of panic in this thrilling paranormal suspense. This case pulled me in from the very beginning and had me as baffled as all the characters and I have to say not only kept me guessing, it kept surprising me as well. I always find that joining the SCU on a case is a thrilling experience, so of course I am looking forward to the next one. On a side note and not exactly important because it doesn’t change my opinion of the book one way or the other…after reading the story I find that the synopsis is a bit misleading.
See my full review at:
http://paranormalhaven.com/2015/10/re...
See my full review at:
http://paranormalhaven.com/2015/10/re...
November 14, 2015
What was happening to this sleepy little town was beyond creepy! I felt for Jonah, the sheriff, he wanted to find the people, but there wasn't anything to go on. He is one of the minority that have heard about Bishop and his crew and believed in them, so asked for help.
The SCU crew was interesting, I liked how they respected Jonah and how they explained things to him, opening his eyes in a good way. I was glad that they figured out where the people were, but learned who the bad guy was made me a bit sad. Life took a normal person and made them evil. Everyone who worked this case will long be affected by it.
The SCU crew was interesting, I liked how they respected Jonah and how they explained things to him, opening his eyes in a good way. I was glad that they figured out where the people were, but learned who the bad guy was made me a bit sad. Life took a normal person and made them evil. Everyone who worked this case will long be affected by it.
October 21, 2015
I am a long time Kay Hooper fan but I have to say as much as I have enjoyed the Bishop stories in the past I won't be purchasing any future books. In the past few books characters I have come to know are getting killed off which while it may be like "real life" it doesn't make for an enjoyable read and I see no point to their deaths.
March 18, 2017
This is my least favorite in this series. There are too many holes in the theme that doesn't add up or make sense. The fact that one of the talented, and strongest of the mediums on the team could not know that the bad guy was walking right into the Sheriff's office is not consistent. And many other points don't make sense. Even parts of the plot doesn't make sense. Very disappointed in this one.
October 8, 2018
Set in small town Serenity, Tennessee, psychic investigators from the FBI's Special Crime Unit assist Jonah Riggs, the Police Chief in finding six people who have disappeared within one month during the ordinary course of their days. They include: two eloping teens, a judge, new mother, 10 year old girl and young man. A female police officer is killed and they are tasked with solving this crime, too. Hopeful the disappeared are still alive, investigators attempt to establish a common link in an attempt to rescue them.
At the end of the book, the author includes agent bios, definitions of psychic terms plus a time line pertinent to this series. Practical for first time readers (like myself) and hence, noteworthy.
An intriguing plot, the crime is complicated with technological invention, energy bursts, hacking of security systems, mind manipulation and references to a "dark hungry force."
Quotes such as the following from Chapter Seven prompt reader contemplation on larger issues:
"Evil hides," Sam reminded him. "More often than not, behind something familiar, something nonthreatening. That's its ace, being able to hide....SO they aren't looking for one (monster), especially close to home."
"It only has to make sense to him," Dante spoke up to say. "A madman has his own mad logic."
The twist of psychic characters was interesting but I rated the common link Chief Riggs shared with the disappeared "obvious" and a weak point in the novel. The conclusion was laced with tragedy yet satisfactory.
At the end of the book, the author includes agent bios, definitions of psychic terms plus a time line pertinent to this series. Practical for first time readers (like myself) and hence, noteworthy.
An intriguing plot, the crime is complicated with technological invention, energy bursts, hacking of security systems, mind manipulation and references to a "dark hungry force."
Quotes such as the following from Chapter Seven prompt reader contemplation on larger issues:
"Evil hides," Sam reminded him. "More often than not, behind something familiar, something nonthreatening. That's its ace, being able to hide....SO they aren't looking for one (monster), especially close to home."
"It only has to make sense to him," Dante spoke up to say. "A madman has his own mad logic."
The twist of psychic characters was interesting but I rated the common link Chief Riggs shared with the disappeared "obvious" and a weak point in the novel. The conclusion was laced with tragedy yet satisfactory.
March 20, 2023
Another great book by one of my favorite authors. Full of twists and has you wondering about how people can just vanish in thin air? Or do they? This book will have you questioning going into an all dark room without a light. Small Tennessee town in the mountains being overrun by something to fear in the dark. 😬 Must read psychological thriller that will leave you wanting more.
January 30, 2020
★
★
★
How do you find someone who has vanished without a trace?
Something strange is happening in the small mountain town of Serenity, Tennessee. People going on routine errands never reach their destination. Over the past few weeks, it's happened to five men and women - and now a child.
A team from the FBI's Special Crimes Unit is immediately sent in. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, partners in work and in life, have very different abilities. Samantha is clairvoyant and Lucas is able to find the lost and abducted. With them are new partners Dante Swann, a medium, and Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The town is already on the edge of panic, but when a cop is killed, the team’s hunt for the lost turns into something very personal… and very dangerous.
THOUGHTSThis wasn't what I was expecting!
I'm defiantly a fan of the Bishop / Special Crimes Unit its right up my alley, and I couldn't wait to lap up this installment. The synopsis looked pretty darn good. So there I am all prepped and ready to go to get lost between the pages with Bishop and the gang .. and well what followed was a heap load of disappointment.
This time Kay Hooper decide to throw in two teams of two to go up against the "baddie" while Bishop took a back seat. A bit like a creepy stalker waiting in the wings! But we all know that Bishop has he's own way of doing things and things just have to unfold without too much influence from the peeps with the special powers *personally I think this sucks balls! you have these powers but you're not really meant to use them because you might bring the down fall of the universe or something -- no pressure*
When I say this isn't what I was expecting I mean... the disappointment. The characters normally have a really great backstory on how they came into their powers or how they came into the team. And its through that that you really connect with them and pretty much start rooting for them from the get go. Maybe due the whole team scenario. I didn't really gel with them.
And don't get me started on the romance!!!! Yeah there isn't any. If you expecting there to be a love story with Jonah the Sheriff you'll be nightly disappointed - not a snippet of romance shall be seen in this book! *existing romances obv don't count plus you only had a tad of that sprinkled in -- and in all honest if you aren't gonna give me a proper romance then don't put sprinklings of it!
Can you tell how disappointed I am??
October 30, 2015
The first two people that seem to have completely vanished from Serenity, Tennessee were seventeen year old Amy Grimes and her boyfriend, eighteen year old Simon Church. Their abandoned Jeep was found on the north side of town by Detective Sarah Waters. The doors were opened and Amy’s purse with her savings was sitting in the front seat. It appears that Amy and Simon just got out of the Jeep and disappeared. There were some faint footsteps nearby, but these don’t show up in the crime scene photographs. Also, Sheriff Jonah Riggs’ watch and the clock on his cell phone lost the time while he was involved with the crime scene.
One week later Judge Phillip Carson was seen with his fishing gear going to his favorite spot. All of his equipment was located there undisturbed, but no sign of the judge. Once again the sheriff’s watch stops at the crime scene. More missing persons – a young mother going to neighbor’s to borrow baby food; man at a moving getting up to get refreshments; a ten-year-old girl getting up to get a drink of water during the night. A total of six mysterious disappearances, including a child; an Amber Alert is put out for her.
Jonah has been to workshops concerning the FBI’s Special Crime Unit, and feels he needs the help of Bishop and his team to help him. Four special agents are sent to Serenity: Lucas Jordan, psychic and his wife, Samantha, a clairvoyant; Dante Swann, a medium; Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The villain does his work in the darkness, and changes his method of operation on the next victim just because he can. He takes the life of a police officer while trying to get into Robbie Hodge’s mind and that was his first big mistake. Robbie is much stronger than expected by anyone.
Kay Hooper skillfully balances emotion and suspense in one more spellbinding and creepy psychological page-turner. The atmosphere and firm pacing make FEAR THE DARK an eerie, knuckle-clenching read. Kay Hooper is a master creator of magnificent characters and stunning narrative.
December 14, 2015
The usual intense spooky psychic thrill..Some newbies introduced in the unit but only time will tell how or where they will fit in, in the big picture.
I was slightly disappointed with Sam and Luke.. I was hoping for more of a connection to feel between them... there was certainly not the same intensity as before. That is to be expected since this isn't them coming together.. but even past Miranda and Bishop's coming together book, the reader can still feel a connection between them. What I'd REALLLLLLY like is to have a reappearance of Isabel and Rafe and see how they are handling each other.
Intriguing look into Jonah with a comment from Sam but I doubt anything will come from it in the way of the unit. He seems very attached to Serenity.
Now, on the close up of the case... Miranda and Bishop finally make it to town and there's a comment about whether they knew what was going to happen. They knew someone was going to be 'lost' and that Luke would take it hard cus he finds people, not loses them.
AND, it finally hit me.. there's a complete lack of a romantic element.. I know how could you miss that? Well there's so much other to concentrate on.. I think that's what bugged me the most, that lack. But it doesn't effect the story
I was slightly disappointed with Sam and Luke.. I was hoping for more of a connection to feel between them... there was certainly not the same intensity as before. That is to be expected since this isn't them coming together.. but even past Miranda and Bishop's coming together book, the reader can still feel a connection between them. What I'd REALLLLLLY like is to have a reappearance of Isabel and Rafe and see how they are handling each other.
Intriguing look into Jonah with a comment from Sam but I doubt anything will come from it in the way of the unit. He seems very attached to Serenity.
Now, on the close up of the case... Miranda and Bishop finally make it to town and there's a comment about whether they knew what was going to happen. They knew someone was going to be 'lost' and that Luke would take it hard cus he finds people, not loses them.
AND, it finally hit me.. there's a complete lack of a romantic element.. I know how could you miss that? Well there's so much other to concentrate on.. I think that's what bugged me the most, that lack. But it doesn't effect the story
October 26, 2015
Local police chief Jonah Jonah has called in the Special Crimes Unit of the FBI due to the strangeness of disappearances in his town of Serenity, Tennessee. A teenage couple intending to elope never made it out of town. The local judge goes fishing one night and is not seen again. A young mother goes to borrow baby food and simply disappears within an apartment complex. A young girl is gone from her own home. Cameras are around these crimes but do not capture it. The FBI team sent to investigate includes a clairvoyant, medium, and telepath. The team soon realizes they are dealing with a strange evil force. Then, a cop is killed and the panic grows.
I've read most of the novels in this series. I don't care to read a lot of books that deal with the paranormal but I like Kay Hooper stories. I did not foresee the ending to this book.
I've read most of the novels in this series. I don't care to read a lot of books that deal with the paranormal but I like Kay Hooper stories. I did not foresee the ending to this book.
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