Reviews for The Night She Came Home
"Suspenseful, a real nail biter!!!"
Her world, as she knows it, is shattered when Jesse arrives home to find her husband, Dave, stabbed. As his lies in her arms, his life slipping away he begs for forgiveness and tells her he loves her at the end. But the nightmare has only just begun for Jesse. She changes her last name, moves to a different state and finds a place for herself in another law firm. Even after a year of Jesse hounding them constantly, the police still haven’t caught the killer and they have only one suspect.
Kyle Whitman, prominent orthopedic surgeon, had much to gain from Dave’s death. He claims he’s innocent and wanting the best legal representation possible he seeks out Jesse. Can she defend the man who is suspected of killing her husband? Or more to the point, can she resist the pull of attraction that’s growing between them? But as things heat up between them, death and danger becomes a reality and Jesse discovers no one is who she thought them to be. Her husband, her colleagues…not even Kyle.
From the very first page of this riveting story, the reader is compelled to forget about the outside world as they read on and on trying to unravel the complex and suspenseful mystery. Ms. Bingley shows considerable talent in this, her debut novel with vibrant, interesting characters and an entertaining plot that will keep the reader guessing and biting their nails till the very surprising end.
Reviewed by Lue Anne Adams, November 17, 2002 - http://timeless-tales.net/
Jesse Brooks lives every woman’s dream. She is a competent attorney, married to a doctor, and they just moved into the dream home that they helped design. Tragically, Jesse’s life turns horribly astray when she arrives home one night to find her husband has been stabbed. He dies in her arms.
One year later, Jesse has changed her name, moved to a new town, and by outside appearances she seems to have moved on, until Kyle Whitman walks into her life. Kyle is the prime suspect in her husband’s murder and he wants to hire her. She knows she cannot represent him, but she also wants to learn the truth behind that fateful night. Before long their working relationship turns passionate, can Jesse trust her instincts? Is she falling in love with a crazed killer or the victim of some madman’s plans?
THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME is an intriguing romantic suspense with plenty of twists along the way. Though the plot kept me guessing, I did unravel part of the outcome early on. This is not an impossible case to solve, but the red herrings keep you on your toes. It is an admirable first novel from Lori Derby Bingley; and I am anxious to see how her writing progresses in future books.
The romance between Jesse and Kyle progresses rapidly. Almost too rapidly to be believable. Jesse is not completely over her husband's death, but she seems to find no problem hopping into a relationship with the man who had a perfect motive for killing her husband. She never seems to look at the mounting evidence, she takes Kyle solely at his word.
I did have one very minor complaint that is not by any means the fault of the author. The cardboard stock that PublishAmerica uses for their paperback covers curls up in the slightest of humidity. As this has happened in the past with PublishAmerica books, I fully believe it is the qualities of the paper that causes it to happen. I do wish they would find tougher stock, as it can make for difficult reading when the cover will not stay straight. Again, this is not the fault of the author, but with the list price of $19.95 some readers would expect a tougher cover.
Reviewed by Tracy Farnsworth - http://www.theromancereadersconnection.com/
The cause: Your husband is murdered the night you forget your house keys.
The effect: A romance with the suspected killer brings the truth of your husband’s real murderer, and, a betrayal you never suspected.
Jesse Brooks Saunders is a lawyer. She loved her husband and wished someday for children. Now it is a year after Dave’s still unsolved murder, and though she remains in touch with the investigating police detective, little information is forthcoming.
Then, dark and handsome Dr. Kyle Whitman, trying to clear his name for a murder he never took part in, approaches Jesse to engage her as his criminal attorney. What he never suspects is that she is the widow of the man he is accused of killing. He insists he’s innocent, and even Jesse, with him every day, starts to believe him.
But her faith is eroded when innocent people are discovered dead, and it appears all evidence leads to Kyle. Not only does he have to clear his name with the police, he must clear Jesse’s conviction he is a killer. As bodies start appearing, they work together to clear him and find out who really killed Dave Saunders.
THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME tells a story of a woman trying to find her husband’s killer a year after the fact. Though the murder remains unsolved, she still has faith the person will be uncovered. Except she never suspects that she will fall in love with him.
Author Lori Bingley injects utmost suspense into her story, and has created fully dimensional characters. Jesse the lawyer fights to maintain her professional ethics and keep an emotion distance from Kyle, her client. But her convictions are lost as the two grow closer and work to prove his innocence. Together they must elude the danger that threatens their lives and hides the astounding secret Jesse’s husband kept hidden for so long.
Lori Bingley’s new romantic suspense will keep your attention from the first chapter till the end. You will enjoy THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME.
Reviewed by MELINDA February 2003 - http://loveromances.com/
Tangy! Five star rating!
If ever a book was written that screams "Movie of the Week", this book, THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME, would get my vote. The story line was so great that I could not put the book down. I will be adding this book to my "KEEPER'S LIST". I would highly recommend this book to all suspense lovers. You are kept guessing as to what was the motive for the first murder and what secret led up to all the other murders. Why were only pregnant women being taken? A very good romance in itself as the widow falls in love with the man accused of killing her husband or was he her husband?
Darlene Howard - www.escapetoromance.com
The course of Jesse Saunders' life changed in a single night: the night she came home to find her husband, Dave, lying in a pool of blood, the victim of a fatal stabbing. A year later, Dave's final words to her still haunt Jesse -- his blue-tinged lips pleading for her forgiveness, his cryptic comments followed by a warning that she's not alone in the house. Jesse has since moved on with her life, reverting to her maiden name of Brooks to dodge the notoriety of her husband's murder, but she's still living in a kind of limbo, constantly aware that Dave's killer has yet to be caught.
As a successful defense attorney, Jesse has dealt regularly with people guilty of such crimes and has even managed to set some of them free, sending them on their merry way in a salute to the justice system and all of its inherent ironies. Having transferred from a New York law firm to one in New Jersey, she has built up a solid reputation for professional excellence, in fact. Jesse never dreamed the man suspected of killing her husband would seek her representation, but Dr. Kyle Whitman has done exactly that, albeit unknowingly.
Although it would be unethical to represent Kyle in a court of law, and could even result in a mistrial, Detective Paul Rawlings has urged Jesse to play along with Dr. Whitman's wishes and agree to consult on his case. The evidence against Kyle is purely circumstantial, and the police are in need of evidentiary proof that will hold up beneath the court's careful scrutiny. Jesse reluctantly offers her services to the handsome doctor, hoping that she is doing the right thing by doing so, and begins to dig deeper into a case that's painfully personal.
Is Dr. Kyle Whitman guilty or innocent: a victim of sabotage or the perpetrator of a cunning crime? Jesse has only her instincts to guide her, and the escalating fatality rate to warn her that evidence can lie, and love can bloom in even the darkest garden.
Taut, tense and terrifically suspenseful, The Night She Came Home is Lori Derby Bingley’s debut novel, and what a fabulous first impression she has made! Fooling readers about a killer’s identity – and the motivations behind such a crime – can be an incredibly difficult task to master, but the ample twists and turns of Ms. Bingley's plot baffled and befuddled this reviewer as few novels of recent memory have done. Jesse and Kyle's relationship has a dubious beginning, it's true, as secrets and suspicions taint what they tentatively share and color their perceptions. There's also a faint whiff of implausibility to their quickly developing relationship: precisely where, when and how they fall in love is a mystery best left unsolved.
I recommend you focus instead on Ms. Bingley's clean, precise prose and the plot's mounting tensions, both sensual and anticipatory. Time is tick-ticking away, and with every new obstacle placed in Kyle and Jesse's path, a new challenge must be analyzed, thought through and overcome. Disappearing evidence, physical threats, and encounters in dark alleyways are sharp counterpoints to the embedded love story. Eventually, readers will learn that the past and present are tied together with a neatly intertwining bow, but not before Ms. Bingley leads readers on a merry chase. The Night She Came Home will have you reading into the wee hours of the morning, so plan your day accordingly, and indulge yourself with a fictional foray into the "danger zone" -- where love, greed and murder collide with calamitous results.
Reviewed by Cheryl L. Jeffries, September 24, 2002 - http://romanticfiction.tripod.com/
An interesting plot and quick pace make THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME an intriguing mystery. The characters are likable, the dialogue is realistic. I enjoyed THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME and the mystery of Dave's death kept me reading.
As the book unfolds, it's sometimes difficult to figure out who can be trusted. The resolution of the mystery with the unveiling of the murderer was a complete surprise to me, and the reason behind the murder was as well. Fans of romantic suspense will appreciate the plot of THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME
Reviewed by Terrie, 20 January, 2003 - Romance Reviews Today
This reader had a fine time with this story, the presence of the killer was interwoven throughout the tale, giving you tidbits from a murderer’s point of view, creating an ominous, and tension filled setting! However, I felt the romance took a backseat to the suspense; there was a great deal going on, and the plot was intricate, though well developed. Jesse and Kyle had so much going on around them, that when they did connect, it was a pleasure. Still the author managed to make me want to root for them as a couple!
Many twists and turns and a surprise ending made up for the lack of heat between Kyle and Jesse. I found myself questioning every secondary characters motive more than once, and it kept this reader turning the page!
An easy read, with a well planned plot make The Night She Came Home worth taking a look!
Reviewed by Connie, April 3, 2003 - www.aromancereview.com
THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME is a suspenseful tale of murder and romance with intriguing characters. Kyle is successful, handsome, and a little miffed that Jesse rebuffs him. Jesse loved her husband and hasn't dated in a year, but she finds herself attracted to Kyle. Jesse agrees to take his case, under false pretenses, hoping to discover if he killed her husband and the reasons why. Kyle has no idea she is Dave's widow since he never met her, and really only knew Dave as a soon to be partner. Let's not forget the killer. He is still out there, watching and waiting. He wants Jesse and is determined to get her. This story moves quickly, and I found myself turning the pages quickly to find out the who's and why's.
Author Lori Bingley writes an intriguing, suspense-filled romance with THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME. The in-depth characterizations and interesting storyline makes this book hard to put down. Order your copy of THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME today. It's perfect for those romance readers who like a little suspense interwoven into their romance.
Reviewed by Robin Peek, 14 November, 2002 - The word on romance