Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Dark Side Of Love

When does love become a murderous obsession? Prolific author Nicholas Sparks masterfully interweaves a love story with a chilling undercurrent of tension and suspense in this compelling novel, The Guardian. When Julie Barenson's young husband dies after a battle with cancer, he leaves her with a promise that he will always be her guardian angel, and a gift of a Great Dane puppy named Singer (who is an excellent judge of character). As time passes, Julie begins to date, and must choose between two very different suitors: Richard Franklin, a charming and worldly engineer, and Mike Harris, a kind-hearted auto mechanic who was also her husband's best friend. When Julie decides to pursue a relationship with Mike, she feels happy and settled again, but after a string of sinister occurrences, she finds that she is being stalked by a madman with dangerous secrets. This is an absorbing thriller with memorable characters, a pervasive sense of dread, and a riveting conclusion.