Almost Night

By Ann Prospero

Book Overview

Miami homicide detective Susannah Cannon finds herself drawn into the realm of a cunning serial killer whose victims are lonely, successful women. For Susannah, the case triggers disturbing memories... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525945326
• ISBN13: 9780525945321
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Tropical Treat

As a resident of Miami I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It is what my wife calls, "an easy read". Ann Prospero tells a story about a female detective hunting a killer/rapist. During the course of her investigation the detective reflects on the similarities between the victims' lives and her own. Ms. Prospero shows her poetic abilities in the beautiful word paintings describing Miami nights, the Everglades, Coconut Grove, Coral Way, and many other places. She also develops the main character, Susannah Cannon, carefully. As the story progresses you get a glimpse into Susannah's past and come to understand why she is where she is. The story has a very tropical feel and tempts me to turn off my air conditioner tonight and admire the silvery shine on the palm fronds.

Gripping suspense thriller

ALMOST NIGHT is certainly an entertaining read despite the disturbing subject matter. Although the mystery reveals itself early on for the reader, it remains suspenseful through the end. Furthermore, Prospero presents herself with a rather obvious (and chinsy) opportunity for a knight-in-shining armor ending, but thankfully, does not take that avenue, choosing, rather, to further develop the strength of her lead character. Susannah Cannon is a headstrong, yet vulnerable character that I feel most people (male or female) would be able to identify with. The supporting characters are presented excellently, going so far as to create a certain understanding for their own personal flaws, and finding a reason to respect the reason behind their views, whether one agrees with them or not. Every character is presented with a depth that adds so much flavor that the story comes to life. Add to this the vivid descriptions Prospero provides for the locales in Miami and the Everglades, and the book becomes much more than words on a page; every scene becomes visual, instead of words trying to describe something visual. I for one look forward to more books on Susannah Cannon's mysteries.

Poetic Prospero Writes With Passion

The first person POV drags you into this story quickly as Susannah searches for the serial killer who's mutilating and murdering lonely Miami women. There's a great beauty to her descriptions of the city and the Everglades, and an urgency and directness to her writing style. This is a fast-paced novel with flawed characters who seem all too real. A strong debut.

A winner for serial killer fans

Miami is rocked by the brutal slashing murder of businesswoman Carla Reeves. Homicide Commander Bea Williams assigns the investigation to Detective Susannah Cannon. Soon other victims with one trait in common are found viciously mutilated. Susannah realizes that she and her crew are on the trail of a serial killer who selects lonely single women as his victims.The link personally hits home to Susannah because she too is a desolate individual who seems to only hook up with destructive males. As the investigation begins to uncover the identity of the mass murderer, Susannah begins to wonder if the cold-blooded killer might have included her on his list. Will she find him in her professional life or her personal life?ALMOST NIGHT, a South Florida mystery, is an entertaining tale that centers on an emotionally damaged lead protagonist and a support group with diverse ethnic backgrounds. The story line is fun though the killer is obvious rather early in the plot. The "good guys" team is what makes the novel fun to read. Their various backgrounds blend into a cohesive crew who operates at peak capacity during the intriguing investigation. They also allow readers opportunities an exciting glimpse into the multicultural heritage of the Miami area. Those subplots involving diversity cleverly blend into the main story line making this a unique regional police procedural worth reading.Harriet Klausner