I have forgotten how scary this series could be. Face Off is a great reminder. Brenda Novak writes beautifully written romances and small-town stories, she brings that incredible talent to the psychological thrillers too. However, the Hanover House Series is nail biting; the kind that I don’t read just before bed kind of scary stories.

Evelyn Talbot is one tough woman, who has overcome her own terrorized kidnapping. Instead of breaking her, it made her a resilient psychiatrist. Studying sadistic serial killers comes with a price, which includes her often in danger. This story hits close to home for her. You have to admire this woman, you just wouldn’t want to be her.

Well-structured plot with the irrepressible Evelyn. It even has a bit of romance. Yet the focus remains fixed on the disturbing case. No lag in the pacing of this addition to the series. Each story follows the last, so I would suggest that the series be read in order.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Evelyn has drama at work, at home with Amarok, and with her parents & sister back in Boston. Is there are wonder her anxiety is worse & she’s having trouble dealing with memories? As a reader, we are let in on the murderer’s identity early in the plot but the characters are still working to figure it out. The interactions between the characters are realistic & lifelike. As a reader you find yourself hoping Evelyn stays safe & you are invested in her happy ending. The dynamics of her family’s relationship in understandable & you can understand why it’s hard on Evelyn & on her sister. This has been a great series but there is enough background in this book that it can be read as a stand alone.

Wow! What an intensely dramatic thriller! I just could not put it down because it included my favorite Brenda Novak characters, Amarok and Dr. Evelyn Talbot. The saga of Dr. Talbot versus her nemesis Jasper Moore continues in this third book in the series. Although the reader will be able to understand the story by not reading the first two, I highly recommend that the books be read in order so that you get the complete backstory. That being said, this book would be an excellent standalone with all of its drama and tension and the story about Jasper’s prior attack of Dr. Talbot is thoroughly explained. Jasper is in Alaska and is determined to catch, torture and kill Evelyn. Amarok, an Alaska state trooper and Evelyn’s lover, is equally determined to catch him before he can wreak havoc in their small town of Hilltop and kill the woman with whom he has planned a future. I enjoyed meeting Evelyn’s sister Brianne in this story and finding out more about Evelyn’s family, including her parents back in Boston. I also enjoyed t he interactions between Evelyn and the prison guards at Hanover House. Evelyn is a very strong woman and shows this in how she exerts her authority at the prison. My favorite character was Amarok. He is a hero with a big heart, and I know that anyone who reads the book will sympathize with him and his need to protect Evelyn at all costs. This was the best Hanover House book so far! It kept my heart thumping and my eyes reading late into the night, and even when I put the book down, I was still thinking about it.

I started reading this book on 8/8/18 and finished it on 8/16/18. It took a little longer than normal since I worked more than normal.
This book was so good. This is one of my favorite series and the books just get better. There is JUST enough romance to not be too much and still make a good story line. Even though the author does a good job of reminding readers of what has happened previous, you really should read the series starting with the prequel.
Jasper is still there, hiding right under Evelyn's and Amarok's nose, and loving every minute of it. Too bad he is getting sloppy and making careless mistakes, starting with killing his parents in the previous book. We start off the book with a description of the basement he built and his excitement to finally be so close to getting Evelyn. He thinks he is invincible. Why wouldn't he? He has evaded the police, and Evelyn, for so long. But killing a tourist and not only dumping her but another body of a woman he had killed was another careless mistake. Even though he went back to get them from the first dump site, the damage had already been done. One mistake after another after another.
Some parts of the book were a little bit out there, but it adds to the bigger story. There were parts where I just had to know what was going to happen, I had to make myself slow down so I wouldn't skim over something big.
I cried, smiled, laughed out loud, even chewed my lip in suspense. This book is right on par with the other thrillers this year. And the fact that there is going to be another book?! OMG. The preview at the end already has me hooked and Face Off hasn't even been released yet!

One of my most very favorite authors, I was so very thrilled to receive this ARC from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 3rd installment of the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, while it COULD be read as a standalone, you would definitely benefit from reading the books in beginning of the series. The Jasper saga continues in Face Off, with Amarok and Evelyn both aware that they have all the confirmation they need that he is in their small town. Considering that no one has noticed any strangers, they're just beginning to understand that he must be someone they KNOW.

Like I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy Brenda's books, and this one is no different. I enjoyed the new characters though parts were just a miss to me. I'm getting kind of burned out with no resolution. Certain aspects seem rather implausible, but Brenda is a strong enough author that it's easy enough to let those parts slide. Here's to hoping that #4 ends things once and for all.

On a side note, I wish they would make a movie out of this, with the right casting, it would be AMAZING.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2484499781

Thank you NetGalley and Brenda Novak for the ARC of Face Off by Brenda Novak that I read and reviewed.
This book was the third book in the Evelyn Talbot series and it was the showdown that we have all been waiting for between Evelyn and her exboyfriend, Jasper Moore, who has been stalking her for over twenty years since he did not kill her when he tried he high school. This book was full of action and suspense and a bit of romantic turmoil between our beloved couple of Evelyn and Amarok, her boyfriend and also the sheriff of the town she lives in and the man whose mission it is to protect her from Jasper.
Overall, this was an excellent read the only thing that I had a problem with was that anticlimactic end. I was expecting a bit more with everything that was leading up to it but that was just my take on it. Someone else may love how it ended.
However, I am still giving Face Off five out of five stars.

Face Off by Brenda Novak is third full length novel in the The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles but there was also a prequel novella setting up the series before the full length books began. The story is ongoing from book to book so it is a series that needs to be read from the beginning to be completely understood but the author also does a wonderful job refreshing readers with each addition.

This series really is a bit of romantic suspense mixed into a harder edge thriller story as there is a relationship that developed in the early installments that does have some steamier moments. But with the plot being centered around serial killers it is definitely a bit more than just “suspense”.

The character that the series is centered around is Dr. Evelyn Talbot who was once a victim of a killer herself when she was attacked and abused by her high school sweetheart who went onto becoming a serial killer himself. Evelyn has lived with the fear of him being out there but has tried to move on with her life as best she could by going into studying psychopaths and setting up a maximum security prison in Alaska to house the worse of the worse offenders.

Each book in the series picks up from the last with this being no exception. Again the sleepy little Alaskan town is hit with the disappearance of another young woman. Readers are immediately drawn right back into the action as Evelyn and Amarok are drawn into the investigation and the intensity slowly increases page by page.

I’ve been a huge fan of this series from the beginning and can’t recommend it enough. The setting is so wonderfully done, the characters fully fleshed out and the story keeps a steady pace keeping me completely engrossed from beginning to end and always wanting to see what will happen next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The title of this book lives up to my expectations in this next installment of the Evelyn Talbot series. Jasper is hiding in plain sight and Amarok and Evelyn are trying to hunt him down before he gets his next victim.

I admit - I thought this book was the end of the series. I loved the thrill of the chase in this book and the ending was a perfect ending. I have loved the journey of Evelyn and Amarok and they deserve happiness. This book even reads like the end of the series. The book is a true page turner and I love how it didn’t go the way you may expect it to.

My biggest disappointment in this book is not even with the book itself - it’s the sneak peek at the end for the next book - I rolled my eyes and said really? I regret reading it. I’m going to pretend I didn’t and bask in the awesomeness of the end of this book and probably stop reading the series given the direction the sneak peek went in.

Whether this is the first book you’ve read in the series or you’re invested in these characters, lovers of suspenseful thrillers will enjoy this book and the series up to this point.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

I really like Brenda Novak's books. The storyline is familiar in that the main character, Evelyn, survived a traumatic even when she was young. She's a strong, brave character, which the author does a good job with. Even though I've been reading a fair number of books about brave women who survived a traumatic past, I still liked it. I wasn't fond of the cliffhanger ending. However it did leave me wishing the next book was ready!

Face Off by Brenda Novak was a difficult book to read.. It is the story of a woman was was brutally attacked when a teenager and who has dedicated her life to finding the man who harmed her. She seems to care only about finding him and doing her research into what makes a psychopathic killer. She even started a research hospital in remote Alaska to study the killers housed there. She falls in love with a policeman who lives there and he is dedicated. to her. Her life continues to be focused on finding the killed who harmed her and she cannot rest until he is caught.

Book Description from goodreads.com Tortured and left for dead at sixteen, Evelyn Talbot turned her personal nightmare into her life’s work—studying the disturbing psychopathy of some of the world’s most vicious serial killers. Now a leading psychiatrist at Hanover House in a small Alaskan town, she tries to believe the past will never come back to haunt her—until a woman goes missing from a cabin nearby, and every clue points to the man who once brutalized her…

As her boyfriend, who is the area’s only police, begins to investigate—and finds not one but two bodies—Evelyn can’t forget that her would-be killer, Jasper Moore, was never caught. But there are no new faces in tiny Hilltop, no one who seems suspicious or potentially violent. In this twisted game of cat and mouse, Evelyn is certain of only one thing—Jasper must be hiding in plain sight. And if she can’t find him before he comes for her, she won’t be lucky enough to survive twice

Wow this book had me on the edge if my seat. This is definitely a must read for anyone who lives olves a great psychological thriller. I appreciated that the prison scenes were not overly gruesome and I loved the ending I highly recommend tihs book

Aptly named, Face Off, is the final battle between good and evil. Face Off takes the reader back to the exciting world of Dr. Evelyn Talbot and her psychopath, Jasper Moore. Jasper was Evelyn’s high school boyfriend who tortured and killed her best friends and left her for dead. She survived and became a highly respected psychiatrist. Dr. Talbot created Hanover House, a prison to study psychopathy, in a remote Alaskan town. Hanover House is a secure prison housing some the worst serial killers imaginable, so murdered women should not be appearing in the town’s wilderness. All the killers are locked behind bars or are they?

Brenda Novak is a master of suspense. I was immersed in the battle between Jasper and Evelyn. Just when you thought it was over, a twist! I love when authors can surprise me and this book kept me on the edge of scared. I even checked the locks on my door at one point while reading, I was that spooked. If you would like a suspenseful read, pick up a copy of Face Off. Although, this book is the fourth in The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, the author has provided enough backstory so the reader will not be lost if this is the first book read.

Can Evelyn capture Jasper once and for all or will he finally finish the job he thought he did twenty years ago and kill Evelyn? Read Face Off to find out.

Wow! Brenda has definitely out done herself with this suspenseful story. Dr. Talbot is such a pivotal character and is taken to a whole new level on her own personal accomplishments and staying ahead of what haunts her the most. This is the 3rd book in this series however it can be read out of order as Brenda gives the reader enough back history on Dr Talbot, her history and her family.

Dr Talbot is up against a serial killer all the while in her profession she deals with psychopaths. A lot of research has gone into writing this book to make sure all the psychological terms, prison details and geographic information are as accurate as possible. The reader is kept on the edge of their seat while reading and this story unfolds. I highly recommend this book and give it a 5 star rating.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This was another amazing chapter in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles and this one most certainly kept me guessing!

The one negative thing I would have to say is that I really enjoyed the previous novels with real quotes from famous serial killers, so that was a bit missed in this novel. Regardless, that did not detract from the novel at all.

We pick up this novel only a few months after the end of the previous novel where Evelyn is still a bit shaken up from the incidents that occurred and Amarok is fiercely on the hunt for Jasper, but it seems to no avail. Evelyn begins to realize that she is not holding up well any longer and may have to make some changes for her life and her sanity, but can she leave the man who is the love of her life? Amarok wants to do anything he can to NOT lose Evelyn because he feels like he has found his partner for life, but Jasper cannot keep evading him forever and he is hot on his tail. As we are seeing the novel from these two love birds perspectives we also get to see everything going on with Jasper, who has taken the name of Andy Smith and is LITERALLY right under Evelyn and Amarok's noses as a security guard at the Hanover House institution. As Amarok begins to draw more and more near, Jasper/Andy is becoming more and more impatient and wants to finish of what he started more than twenty years ago and he is determined that he will have Evelyn for himself.

Another thrilling novel that one does NOT want to put down at all and this one REALLY had me scared at a few points there where I am just reading with my mouth completely open! Such a good novel and series and I would highly recommend to anyone who is enjoying anything like the likes of True Detective or Mindhunter, pick up this series! I also really appreciate that you can tell the author has done some series research to fully understand psychopaths and sociopaths and how they would react and respond in so many different situations.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. This book is part of a series. I have not read any of the previous books in the series and it would have been helpful to have some of the background from the previous books, but was able to determine enough of the previous story line to comfortably read the book. This is the main reason that I only rated this book 3 stars.

Evelyn Talbot is living her dream job in the wilds of Alaska. Working with psychotic prisoners, doing research has given her the means to help herself heal from an ordeal as a teenager, where she was almost killed. Her assailant was never found, and with the help of his parents, has eluded law enforcement for all of these years. As this assailant continues to stalk her and attempt to finish what he started Evelyn and her boyfriend must do their best to catch this assailant.

I love you're work and the writing style that you portray to the readers. This book was good, never a bad thing about you're work.

Another great addition to the Evelyn Talbot series. I was hooked from the start of this book. The twists and turns definitely kept me on my toes. Highly recommended!

This isn't a stand alone novel!



Face Off keeps readers on their toes as they walk in Evelyn Talbots shoes while she researches psychopathy. Readers will struggle Evelyn who can't commit to anything in her life but work until the man who tried to kill her as a teen is caught.

She pushes family and her boyfriend away why she dives head first into her research.

Readers will not put down this dark and gritty novel that brings readers face to face with killers who kill for fun.

The question is will they catch Jasper this time or will he get away once again?

This book isn't one you want to home alone. The story will keep readers wanting more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Headlines for the advance copy of Brenda Novak Face Off

Face Off by Brenda Novak

The thrilling third novel in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles.
Edge of the seat reading.
Psychological thriller best read in series order.

Jasper has been hunting Evelyn for a very long time. From the prior book we know he’s very close to her, even working in the same prison under an assumed name. Killing for him is a need. Since he is waiting for the perfect opportunity to capture Evelyn, it’s inevitable that there are other casualties to quell his obsession.
Her sister is visiting Evelyn. Is it safe? No. It is not! Look over your shoulders everyone.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley.