The Night Before
2 Stars

Series note: While this is book #1 in the Savannah series, it is loosley linked to the New Orleans series and should be read after Cold Blooded.

***Warning: Spoilers ahead***

Not only has the plot of this book been done before (and better), but there are several exceedingly problematic tropes that undermine both the romance and the mystery.

To begin with, the writing is overly dramatic and overwrought with excessive amounts of internal ramblings. The pacing is exceedingly slow for the first half of the book and if this hadn't been a group read, it would have been a DNF.

None of the characters in the book are particularly appealing, which makes it difficult to care either about the murders or the romance. The nature of Adam and Caitlyn's relationship is especially troubling considering the unethical and unprofessional implications of a doctor becoming sexually involved with his obviously mentally unstable patient.

That said, the mystery is intriguing and there are several excellent twists as well as an exciting climax and resolution. Nevertheless, the incorporation of the MPD/DID within the storyline adds nothing to either characterization or plot development. Moreover, the association of the disorder with Schiziphrenia is medically unsound and misleading.

Overall, this is not a good example of Lisa Jackson's work and I cannot recommend it for anyone other than those, like myself, who prefer to read in order. ( )

The Night before by Lisa Jackson

Caitlyn wakes to find herself covered in blood with no memory of the nigh before. Soon she learns her estranged husband has been murdered. She is being questioned the police and coping with personal problems. She turns to the new psychologist in town. Nothing is as it seems, as more (people) end up dead, and her life is in danger.

The story moves at a steady pace, with well devolved characters, engaging dialog and attention to detail. Plenty of twists, turns and secrets revealed A who-done-it fee , blended with (procedural) suspense, I was hooked from the first page until the end.

Overall I found The Night Before enjoyable and feel other who enjoy murder/mystery/suspense will enjoy it as well. ( )

Caitlyn Bandeaux wakes up in her bedroom and has no memory of how she got home the night before and why she is covered in blood. When she finds out that her estranged husband has been murdered, she begins to wonder if her lack of memory could mean that she has once again been visited by the Montgomery family curse as when her daughter died. As more murders start piling up in Savannah, the police begin to suspect that Caitlyn is involved. Caitlyn is desperate to meet with her therapist, but she has gone away, so she takes a chance and contacts Dr. Adam Hunt, with whom she shares an immediate attraction.

Angry and frustrated. Among others, those are the feelings I'm left with after reading The Night Before. Almost immediately, I knew what was going on with the character of Kelly, and I hate that type of story. In addition, the story is filled with way too much telling rather than showing and the relationship between Caitlyn and Adam is ridiculous. The majority of the characters in the story are very one dimensional with little or no development and the plot is so far-fetched that I just wanted to quit reading. Overall, The Night Before is a major disappointment from an author who has written so many other wonderful books. ( )

it took me a while to finish this book, and near the middle I found it was kind of slow, but it was a good book. I would have liked it if there were more hints avout who the murderer was throughout the book, but in the end it was fine. (^~^) ( )

In Jackson’s suspense novel, a serial killer is picking off victims one by one in the dead of night. When Caitlyn Montgomery Bandeaux wakes up covered in blood, she has no memory of what happened. When the police find her estranged husband dead, Caitlyn finds herself wanted by the authorities. Not knowing what else to do, Caitlyn turns to psychologist Adam Hunt to help her piece together the haunting and fragmented memories that have begun to surface. And when all is said and done, she finds herself wondering if she can trust anyone at all.

Fast-paced and intense storyline that will keep the reader eager to get to the last page. ( )