| | |  | | Home » Waking Hours (The East Salem Trilogy) | | | | | | | Description: | | All towns have secrets. Some have demons. Welcome to East Salem. A deceptively sleepy town where ancient supernatural forces are being awakened. A local high-school girl is found murdered in a park amid horse farms and wealthy homes of northern Westchester County, New York. The shocking manner of her death confounds the town and intrigues forensic psychiatrist Dani Harris, who is determined to unravel the mystery. All the suspects are teenagers who were at a party with the girl-yet none remembers what happened. Could one of them be a vicious killer? Or is something more sinister afoot-something tied to an ancient evil? But it's not just her waking hours that challenge Dani. Each night, her eyes open at 2:13 due to troubling dreams. Dreams filled with blood, water, and destruction. Is it a clue-or a supernatural sign? Across town, former NFL linebacker Tommy Gunderson finds his state-of-the-art security system has been breached by an elderly woman. Mumbling threats in Latin, she attacks him with an uncanny, preternatural strength. Before he has time to process the attack, someone close to him is implicated in the girl's murder at the park. He agrees to help-and finds himself working with Dani, the only girl who could resist his charms years ago when they were in high school. A heavy darkness is spreading. Yet a heavenly force is also at work. It will take astute analysis and forensic skills to solve the crime. But Dani and Tommy suspect there's more the the mystery than murder, more to their growing friendship than chance . . . and more to the evil they're facing than a mere human killer. | | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
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Average Customer Review:
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17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Lis Wiehl opens her East Salem trilogy with a terrific tale!Sep 28, 2011
By Keri W. Kent
"writer and reader"
Waking Hours (The East Salem Trilogy)A gruesome murder has rocked the affluent, quiet little New York town of East Salem. A teenage girl is killed, apparently in a violent and bizarre ritual during a party. The only suspect is another teen--but the more prosecutors dig into the case, the more confusing it becomes. Forensic psychologist Danielle Harris is assisting the DA's office in solving the crime--when she gets an offer of assistance from the last person she'd expect.
The author, Lis Wiehl, is a legal analyst for Fox News. She teamed up for this book, the first in her East Salem series, with Pete Nelson, author of Left to Die. It's a winning combination. The writing, plot and characters all deliver in this story of a small town and a big murder.
The plot is full of twists and turns, with a few red herrings thrown in just to confuse you. The large cast of characters in this story keep you on your toes. The simmering romance between Dani and former football star Tommy Gunderson makes things interesting. As in her previous novel, Heart of Ice, Wiehl depicts psychopathic characters with stunning accuracy.
Heart of Ice (A Triple Threat Novel)
Satisfyingly creepy without being over the top, the book explores the struggle between good and evil--not just in the physical realm, but in the supernatural as well. Highly recommended.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Excellent!Oct 05, 2011
By Taliesin Tale-Weaver
The sleepy little town of East Salem is startled into fear by the gruesome murder of a teenage girl (note: it's probably safer to avoid small, East Coast towns called Salem: I'm started to think the five letters are shorthand for `and now, everybody dies!'). Criminal psychologist Dani Harris must find the killer before he strikes again. Meanwhile, former NFL player Tommy Gunderson is finding himself embroiled in a strange series of events that just might be connected to the killing. As Dani and Tommy join forces amidst an atmosphere of increasing paranoia and inexplicable encounters, the world takes another step toward the worst-
-Well, I can't really tell you what, because you have to find out for yourself.
I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The plot is intricate and deftly woven, managing neither to fall into the pit of campy horror nor to careen off the other side into hackneyed thriller. Yes, the story is centered around a murder, but Wiehl doesn't force her readers to wallow knee-deep in gore and mutilations (unlike some other authors I could mention in this genre). The characters are likable and have lives of their own. And the book's clean-no sex, no cursing-so it's a bright spot in a genre usually loaded with both.
I'd highly recommend it-with one caveat: I said earlier that the book isn't as graphic as it easily could have been, but don't take that to mean there's no violence. If books had movie ratings, I'd give this one a PG-13. We hear plenty about the nature of the girl's death that's just disturbing, there's no other way to put it. But even so, it's not as graphic as some of Ted Dekker's later works or Kathy Reichs, definitely not as much as a James Patterson.
In accordance with Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, I am disclosing that I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My opinions are my own, and I am not required to write a positive review.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Good....If you can make it through the first half.Oct 16, 2011
By M.Potvin
The grotesque murder of a teen girl puts, Dani Harris, a forensic psychiatrist, trying to find the killers or killer. Early in the case, she runs into Tommy Gunderson, an ex-football star, a high school crush that seems to still be intact. They agree to team up in trying to find the killer or killers. During the case, they are haunted by strange dreams and paranormal experiences.
Two people, Dani and Tommy share the viewpoint of this book. They are both from the second person. The book is advertised as a supernatural thriller and I must say that I was rarely thrilled and felt that the elements were not particularly strong, though the end feels like that element will be stronger in the second two books in the trilogy.
I had a hard time with the romantic part of the book at first, it seemed a bit naive, but it was manageable. The some of the writing was rather chunky, going on about unimportant things. The first half should have been about half as long as it was. It was hard to get into until about the second half. Overall it was very enjoyable and I am looking forwarded the next book in the trilogy.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Waking HoursOct 15, 2011
By Alyssa Brennan
When a seemingly ritualistic murder of a high school girl takes place in East Salem, Dani Harris and Tommy Gunderson team up to solve the case and examine the supernatural that seems to haunt the town. Waking Hours is the first book in a new trilogy by Lis Whiel.
I honestly thought I would enjoy this book. I had never read anything by Lis Whiel before, and one of my friends really seemed to enjoy her books. The synopsis was interesting, and the cover caught my eye. I'll sometimes read murder mysteries or supernatural thrillers. However, I was completely disappointed. This book did not meet my expectations at all. It went completely under.
My biggest complaint has to be the writing. It was very awkward, and contained tons of unneeded text. For example, there were several paragraphs describing Dani buying a clock radio and being excited about waking up to it the next morning. And then the next paragraph she is complaining about clock radios, wondering why a clock can't just be a clock and a radio can't just be a radio! Very confusing and pointless.
All in all, the book didn't keep my attention, and I found it very hard, even painful, to get through. If Lis can clean up her writing and work on her technique and voice, the next book in her new trilogy might not be so bad. But I think this may be the last book I'll read by her.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Some books you HAVE to force yourself to put down...Oct 04, 2011
By Phillip Coxwell
Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl is one of those. You don't want to put it down, but things like work, eating and sleeping force you to. The story takes place in a small town just outside of New York City called East Salem. An unexplained, and gruesome, murder gets the book off to a quick start, and the questions just build from there. Of course there's they usual "who did it?" but as the story progresses, you end up having more and more questions, which to me is what makes a mystery novel good.
Like I said, it sucked me in and did not want to let me go. I've ready the Triple Threat books by Lis Wiehl as well, and in my opinion the East Salem series is looking like it's going to be even better than those books were. I'm already eagerly looking forward to the next one!
- FYI, I got this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for my review. I was not required to be positive, and did not receive any other compensations. If you enjoy reading, and have a blog of your own, check out Booksneeze.com!
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