The Comfort of Black

By: Carter Wilson

Narrated by: Rebecca Roberts

Though they seem to have everything, Hannah Parks has watched her husband, Dallin, become increasingly distant. Her hope is buoyed when the couple decides to start a family, but what Dallin reveals in his sleep one night rocks Hannah to her core. As she starts to investigate a much darker side of Dallin than she ever knew existed, Hannah peels away the layers of a diseased relationship closely tied to her own abusive past.

When Dallin attempts to have Hannah abducted, she is forced to run, doing so with the aid of a man named Black - an ex-con and expert at helping people disappear. Together they must keep Hannah safe from her husband's far-reaching grasp, all the while trying to solve the mystery behind Dallin's sudden violence. Does Hannah's dark family history hold the key to her survival?

©2015 Carter Wilson (P)2015 Cherry Hill Publishing, LLC

Critic reviews

"Gritty, unflinching, and sometimes violent, this thriller is reminiscent of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and the television series The Equalizer. The characters are intriguing and the writing deliciously descriptive. Adrenaline junkies and fans of darker crime fiction will take to this book, which is compelling and exciting enough to be read in one sitting." ( Library Journal)

"Outstanding paranoid thriller." ( Publishers Weekly)

"In addition to its rollicking pace and complex characters, the book's turns of phrase and evocative imagery make it enjoyable. 'Hannah's premarital fling is a romance that lasted not much longer than the flowers.' A promontory is described as 'a snake of land'. Hannah thinks of the color black: 'She could hide in [it]. Wrap it around her.' Thriller aficionados, especially women, will wrap themselves in this novel's pages with gusto." ( ForeWord Reviews)

keeps you guessing until the very end

This book is about, Hannah, a woman whose life is turned upside down when she finds out that her husband, Dallin, isn't the man she thought he was. After confronting him things go downhill quickly for Hannah. She is framed for embezzlement and someone from Dallin's company comes after her for damage control. After they attempt to abduct her, she is rescued and forced to go on the run with a man named Black. Black's job is to help people disappear. Dallin isn't willing to to give up looking for Hannah so easily. As the danger and lies continue to spiral out of control. Hannah must keep running with Black while trying to figure out which parts of her life are real.
Hannah was a strong female heroine. She didn't fall apart under all the stress and pressure. She wanted answers. Sometimes it was a bit hard for her to let go of the past but she was doing what any person in her situation would.
I didn't like Dallin at all. He was manipulative and spineless. He loved Hannah at first but then his world fell apart quicker than he could handle and she didn't matter.
Black was dark, broody and had a sexy edge to him. He was full of secrets and each time Hannah let her guard down and thought she could trust him she found more secrets.
This book was an intense rollercoaster ride. Each time I thought I knew what was going to happen I was wrong. Usually I'm one step ahead of the main character when reading psychological thrillers but I was just as shocked as Hannah when things would happen.
The narrator did a really great job portraying each of the characters. You could feel the fear and anxiety coming off of Hannah. Black had a distant, confidence about him. I think that Hannah's father was portrayed the best though. He was so cruel and full of hate. It was particularly well done being that the narrator was a woman. The narrator also did a good job at keeping up the pace and suspense. I couldn't stop listening.

I was given an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good Book and Great Narrator

I almost didn't stick with it because the beginning started off a bit twisted for my taste, but I'm glad I hung in there! There were several twists and turns and I never really knew which way it was going. I wouldn't call it an amazing book - but it was really enjoyable and I do recommend it.

Chilling!

This is an absolutely chilling tale of a modern Cinderella who finally finds happiness only to have it taken away in the cruelest ways imaginable. The scariest part of this book is the stark realism of the plot; these are the types of things human beings do to each other. This book had all the elements of a great story, trauma, intrigue, romance, suspense... The narrator did a great job, and I especially liked the voices for the different male characters. Black was my favorite, with that gruff East Coast cop voice. All around, a great book!

Story 3.5 stars, 5 star performance

What did you love best about The Comfort of Black?

I really, really loved the narration. I have listened to more than one book narrated by Rebecca Roberts, but I really felt this was one of her best performances.

Would you be willing to try another book from Carter Wilson? Why or why not?

This was a thriller that held my attention. I did guess a few things that happened, but I enjoyed the pacing which is a big part of making a successful thriller work. So if Carter Wilson continued to write thrillers I would definitely try another one.

What does Rebecca Roberts bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really enjoy the way Rebecca Roberts makes her characters come to life. Vocal performances add a great deal of emotion to writing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A story of love that could be. (I'm awful at taglines, so not sure if that one is any good, but it's as close as I can get to how the book made me feel, off the top of my head.)

Any additional comments?

I received this book in exchange for a fair and balanced review. This is not my first review of a Rebecca Roberts book, and if you enjoy this book I particularly recommend her narration of Raveled!

crazy good

I always try to predict what's going to happen or where things are going, but with this book I was thrown for a loop every time. the writing was excellent and the narration was fantastic. I loved this book and will recommend to to my family and friends.