Cover Image: The Dangers of an Ordinary Night

The Dangers of an Ordinary Night

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Member Reviews

Thank you to Crooked Lane Press and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't have any expectations going into this book, which was great, because i ended up loving it.

June and Tali are high-performing high school drama students who go missing one night on their way home from audition call backs. Two days later they show up on a beach, one dead and the other in bad shape. We then get to watch the story unfold while the detective, Fitz, works on sorting out who was at fault.

There were a number of characters woven in and out of this story, with multiple story lines running at the same time. Once I knew who was who, I had no problem keeping up with all the lines and characters. I was completely shocked when I discovered who was to blame for June's death.

I especially liked the added drama from all the students being performers, it made it so I was never sure if they were being truthful or acting. Between this and the creepy atmosphere that kept showing up I am totally sold and hope to find more by Lynne Reeves in the future.

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I think some readers will enjoy this, but it wasn't my particular cup of tea. I feel that sometimes multiple narrators can be very effective, but fell flat here.

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Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh I really wanted this book to be better. The writing was fine but the characters were so unlikable here. There is June and Tali who go missing after an audition for a play. Tali is found 2 days later disoriented and roaming around and June is dead. We are then introduced to a cast of characters and I easily worked out who did it. There is an investigator and a social worker who are more interested in their problems then trying to find out what happened to June. The girl's parents are involved with each other and each have, again, their own problems. Tali's mom is weak and unlikable and and her father is not much better. Meanwhile, Tali's mom is having an affair with June's father. Like I said, the characters are unlikable and the story is more about all the characters and their own problems and less about what happened to June.

Altogether, the characters are so unlikable, it ruins the book and the storyline.

This book was a little short of ,2.5 stars but I will bump it up to 3 stars.

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Boston-set psychological thriller Dangers of an Ordinary Night is my first read of this author and did not disappoint. I particularly enjoyed its deeply flawed characters, integral setting of a performing arts school, and themes around the destructiveness of different addictions and secrets carried for many years. It starts with the disappearance of best friends Tali Carrington and June Danforth after auditioning for a play. Two days later, Tali is found safe, but tragically, her friend June is dead. Tali has more than enough to cope with, but then her father is rumoured to be involved in the girls’ disappearance. Her mother Nell will do anything to protect her from further emotional harm, and that includes seeking help from reunification therapist Cynthia Rawlins. Meanwhile, Detective Fitz Jameson is on the job, digging for answers. Each of Nell, Cyn and Fitz have their own burdens, struggles and agendas as they search for the truth in an environment of artistic overachievers and pushy parents. I must say, the ending took a twist I didn’t expect, though it might not be the one some readers want. Highly recommended for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Advance review copy received with thanks from the publisher and NetGalley. 4.0-4.5 stars

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This had an interesting premise, but it all fell flat for me. None of the characters felt real, and the “twist” ending was rushed and unsatisfying.

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I love Celeste Ng and Megan Abbott, and I grew up in Boston, so this blurb immediately caught my attention.

June and Tali are students at the Performing Arts High School in Boston. One night, late after callbacks, the two girls disappear. One of them survives. One of them doesn't. But what happened those missing days on the beach?

Overall, I thought this was a fun, twisty thriller. I enjoyed seeing the pieces of the puzzle come together. I did really enjoy that the setting was in Boston and the surrounding area - I was able to recognize and picture many of the places mentioned, which was a fun treat. This was a quick and satisfying read - I was able to finish it in a day.

I would probably more accurately rate this as 3.75 stars. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Dangers of an Ordinary Night and provide an honest review.

I found the premise of the story interesting and it was an entertaining enough for a beach read / thriller. Unfortunately, With the absence of any particularly likable characters, the plot twist at the end didn't offer much of a payoff for me and I found myself not really caring who committed the crime.

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This was a Boston based crime thriller that did possess a little grit and a little heart. However, despite a strong start, I found it a little too meandering and unclear which left me feeling frustrated.

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Two girls vanish, reappearing on a beach with one dead and one in bad shape. There are layers of secrets and obfuscations and pretense. This should be a thrilling edgy mystery but instead lacks immediacy or an understanding of the characters which left me uninvolved and disenchanted. It doesn’t help that it is also a police procedural with little comprehension of actual procedure. Disappointing.

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Atmospheric writing, deeply flawed characters struggling to find their way to what is right, and a plot that bulldozes along in a way the feels absolutely real. What a read!

Perhaps the most compelling part of The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is the way it shines a light on the impact of addiction and the devastating choices that go with it on the people who love and try to care for the addict: how they struggle, how painful it is, how little control you have in the lives of people you love if they are determined to destroy themselves. And how hard it is to pull back before you’re destroyed yourself. Author Lynne Reeves has done a real service with this domestic suspense novel, and you can see her professional background and a school and family counselor shine through her writing as she brings this story to life.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

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I was drawn to this book by the description provided, and also because, yes, I’m a fan of both Celeste Ng and Megan Abbott. I went into this book expecting a “dramatic mystery” with rich characters and an equally compelling storyline. The characters had depth, and while they weren’t always likable, they were always very human. I enjoyed the pace of the novel, and the many twists and turns kept it interesting. As a parent, I related to Nell’s deep need to protect her daughter and how sometimes our desire to protect can also create harm. Told from multiple character points of view, The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is a good read with a satisfactory and somewhat predictable ending, All in all, an enjoyable read and, yes, a good cross between Ng and Abbott.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

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This is such a good book. I think the main appeal here is definitely the story. I was drawn in from the beginning and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. There’s never a slow pace here it’s pretty much a thrill ride from the moment you start reading it.

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Intensely suspenseful this book is not to be missed!
This is my first book by author Lynne Reeves and it did not disappoint! Uniquely captivating with an intriguing plot that I just had to see through to the end. Devoured this book over the course of the afternoon and did not put it down until it was over.

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3 for neutral, unfortunately I couldn’t get into this one enough to finish. Did try a few time’s. Will update if able to finish later!

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So well done and so haunting. The twists in this book will leave you guessing about what is going to happen next and I love when a book can do that. It’s very easy to start this book and not want to put it down.

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The teaser on the book jacket “had me” it states ~
This is perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Megan Abbott.
True, I don’t always believe those teasers but I was willing to give this a try!

Story starts when teenager best friends Natalie aka Tali Carrington and June Danforth both students at a Performing Arts High School in Boston go missing after auditioning for the next performance. Two days later June is dead and Tali is found traumatized on the coastline between Boston and Cape Cod.

Awww that teaser! I had my doubts going into this but the story and characters had me curious.
I soon found the characters were unlikeable and I was having a hard time staying focused.
I hung in there ~ it ended up an okay read certainly not terrible but just wasn’t a Wow read for me.

Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 9, 2021

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The beginning was excellent. The reader is drawn into what is happening to June and wants to continue reading to find out what will happen to her. The rest of the story was at a good pace, except for Nell, whom I didn’t take to. I find Nell irritating, soft, undecided, drinking too much when she’s supposed to concentrate to try to help her daughter.
On the whole it was a good story but without reading the author’s interview and the questions and answers session, I would never have understood the meaning of the title. When I finished the story, I was actually upset that I find the title irrelevant. I was disappointed with the ending, even though I didn’t see it coming. I have difficulty in accepting that a mother will react as Nell did. Her reactions were stilted.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for letting me read the book in advance.
My review will be published after 9/11/21 in Amazon.fr

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The Dangers of an Ordinary Night by Lynne Reeves is a twisty, suspenseful crime mystery, I have not read this author before, but after reading this story, she is someone I would recommend.
The setting of this crime in and around the Boston area is a location I'm familiar with. The descriptions were both atmospheric and authentic. The culture of the story takes place at a the prestigious Performing Arts high school. The pressure teens are exposed to there is dramatic and harsh.
June & Tali, two teenage girls, don't come home one night after practicing line rehearsal, every parents worst nightmare. Families will be upended and secrets uncovered. Two days later one girl is found, one girl is dead. The are as many suspects as there are motives for who took them.
There are characters galore in this story: parents, neighbors. X's,  siblings, teachers, detectives, students, psychiatrist. It took me awhile to get them all sorted out. As I got further into the story,  the character development was believable and realistic. The lives of each character were interwoven with varying outcomes. Not all of them are likable, but I know people like them. The relationships grew, changed, started and ended.
The clinical part seemed very well researched.  It was enlightening to follow the methods the  psychiatrist used to treat the surviving victim and family.
Nobody knows what is in someone else's mind, how they feel, or how they are going to react under extreme circumstances. 
As in real life, the conclusion may not have been the result I wanted or expected, there were surprise twists. The story was a good read. It accurately included social media, reporters, and current issues.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy. This review is my voluntary opinion.

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"On a chilly fall evening at the prestigious Performing Arts High School of Boston, best friends Tali Carrington and June Danforth go missing after auditioning for a play. They're last seen in grainy, out-of-focus surveillance footage that shows them walking side-by-side. Two days later in a town south of Boston, Tali is found disoriented and traumatized by the ocean's edge, while June is pronounced dead at the scene." - Good Reads

Hmm, I am not sure how I feel about this novel. I would have to classify it as a mediocre. This is disappointing as I had high hopes . I was drawn into the cover, and intrigued with the description. However, the characters just fell short. The ending was satisfying and at times I did find this book enjoyable, I guess I just was not as "wow'd" as I would have liked to have been?

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Than you Netgalley for this advanced copy of the Dangers of an ordinary night. On a chilly fall evening at the prestigious Performing Arts High School of Boston, best friends Tali Carrington and June Danforth go missing after auditioning for a play. They're last seen in grainy, out-of-focus surveillance footage that shows them walking away from the school. Two days later in a town south of Boston, Tali is found disoriented and traumatized by the ocean's edge, while June is pronounced dead at the scene.

Tali's mother, Nell, is so bent on protecting her daughter from further emotional harm that she ignores rumors of her husband’s involvement and enlists the help of Cynthia Rawlins, a reunification therapist with personal insight into the riptide that hides below the surface of every unsuspecting family. Meanwhile, Detective Fitz Jameson uncovers a criminal undertow involving the high school’s overachieving students, and finally sees an opportunity for personal redemption from a secret that’s haunted him for years.

As Nell, Cynthia, and Fitz confront their own contributions to the scandals that beleaguer them, their lives turn out to be more deeply intertwined than they'd ever imagined. In the end, they must decide what lengths they're willing to go to protect the people they love while also saving themselves.

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