The Darkness Gathers
A Novel
by Lisa Miscione

List Price: $23.95
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0312283598
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur

Following up Angel Fire, Lisa Miscione's gritty acclaimed debut featuring reclusive true crime writer Lydia Strong, this second novel ratchets up the suspense and the stakes. Fresh from a book tour promoting her account of her last case, Lydia receives an anonymous cry for help in her fan mail—a tape of a missing young girl's desperate message on an answering machine. The accompanying note begs Lydia to find and protect Tatiana Quinn, "and all the other girls in need of rescue." Maybe the plea strikes close to her heart; maybe her investigator's intuition starts buzzing. But she can't stop thinking about Tatiana Quinn.

But this simple case of a missing teenager soon becomes much more. Apparently someone is anxious that Lydia drop the case, someone powerful and anxious enough to engineer the reappearance of one of Lydia's first—and most dangerous—adversaries. Now, in addition to tracing the roots of Tatiana's disappearance on a trail across the country from New York to Miami and eventually overseas, Lydia must find the man who wants her dead, his unfinished business from years ago.

Miscione's talents for creating taut prose and bone-chilling suspense come alive once again in this gripping novel about obsession, greed, and revenge.

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1. How does it make Lydia feel when she gets requests for help in her fan mail? Can you explain why?

2. What is it about Lydia's recent past that makes her want to help Tatiana Quinn? What about her not-so-recent past?

3. This novel touches upon some very disturbing real world issues. What are those issues? How would you compare Lydia and Jeffrey's reactions to those issues with your own?

4. Since Angel Fire, Lydia has been working on putting some of her demons to rest. Why does their visit with Jenna Quinn stir up old fears and issues for her?

5. Why do you think Jeffrey is so willing to follow Lydia into situations that he instinctively knows could be dangerous for both of them?

6. What would you identify as some of the major themes in this novel? How do you see them playing out?

7. Lydia is a little bit hung up on name brands and designer clothing. Why do you think that is? What role does fashion and material things in general play in her life?

8. What do you think Jacob Hanley's primary motivations are? What about Jenna Quinn? Detective Ignatio?

9. What has Jed McIntyre come to symbolize for Lydia? How does that change when she finally confronts him?

10. Near the end of the novel Lydia makes a significant and difficult choice. What do you think that choice was? Why do you think she chose as she did?

11. How do you think Lydia has changed and grown by the end of the story?

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"A harrowing ride in the company of Lydia Strong, one of my favorite new characters, by one of my favorite new writers."

—Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of Persuader

"The Darkness Gathers is flat-out terrific."

—Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Dancer

"Lisa Miscione appeared on the thriller scene a year ago with the widely acclaimed Angel Fire and should garner equally enthusiastic reviews for her second novel… it soars."

—St. Petersburg Times

"The second in Miscione's series featuring true-crime writer Lydia Strong is a winner… An exciting story enriched by a glamorous writer-heroine who carries a Glock and knows how to use it."

—Booklist

"Taut and suspenseful"

—Cleveland Plain Dealer