Eclipse

by Hilary Norman

Overview

A serial killer is at work in Florida and Detective Sam Becket is hoping and praying that a body doesn’t turn up on his patch. But when a local woman is found neatly arranged on her bed with two bullet wounds where her eyes used be, there can be no doubt that the ‘Black Hole’ killer has come to Miami Beach. The murderer’s unusual modus operandi seems to be the only thing that connects the victims, but can Sam piece together the clues and stop him from striking again?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780727896988
Publisher:	Severn House
Publication date:	06/30/2014
Series:	A Sam Becket Mystery , #6
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Hilary Norman’s first novel, In Love and Friendship, was a New York Times best-seller. She has travelled extensively throughout Europe, lived for a time in the US, and now lives with her husband in London.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Norman weaves multiple strands with ease, building tension to a climax that doesn’t disappoint.
Kirkus Reviews on Eclipse

Editorial Reviews

Norman’s sixth outing for Det. Sam Becket of the Miami Beach Violent Crimes Unit (after 2011’s Hell) features a hunt for a serial killer that’s too familiar to be satisfying. The psycho in question, dubbed “Black Hole,” has just struck for the fourth time. In each case, the murderer sedates his female victim before shooting out her eyes. This grisly story line isn’t improved by subplots that prove no more compelling, such as one that involves Becket’s child psychologist wife, Grace, who’s attending a conference in Zurich and befriends an odd young man after saving his life. Most readers’ antennae will be quivering from the outset, and their patience will be increasingly tested by Grace’s slowness at figuring out that something is amiss with her new friend. An even duller diversion is provided by Mildred, Sam’s stepmother, whose fear of cataract surgery eventually proves relevant to the plot only in a contrived manner, unfortunately typical of the entire novel. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Norman weaves multiple strands with ease, building tension to a climax that doesn’t disappoint.
Kirkus Reviews on Eclipse

“This dark psychological thriller is packed with plenty of action and enough twists to keep even dedicated fans guessing. Highly recommended.”
Library Journal Starred Review of Eclipse

From the Publisher

Det. Sam Beckett has his work cut out for him in Miami Beach. A serial killer dubbed "Black Hole"—known for shooting his victims' eyes out with a pistol—has surfaced nearby. Across the ocean, his wife Grace is at a conference, not realizing that a sinister gaze is trained on her. As the bodies begin to stack up, the search for Black Hole narrows and someone from Beckett's personal life is affected. Will he bring the killer into his sights before another life is lost? VERDICT The sixth entry in Norman's series (after Hell) grabs readers from the first page and doesn't let go. Featuring multiple storylines tied together by one dark theme, this dark psychological thriller is packed with plenty of action and enough twists to keep even dedicated fans guessing. Highly recommended.

Library Journal

A South Florida police detective chases a serial killer with a strange M.O. Detective Sam Becket (Hell, 2011, etc.) is a worried man. The Black Hole killer, who leaves each victim laid out neatly on her own bed with two gaping cavities where her eyes had been, is inching closer to Miami. There's never a sign of forced entry, so how does the killer persuade these attractive young women to let a stranger into their homes? And where is Sam's young friend Billie Smith, co-starring with him in an amateur production of Carmen, who has disappeared between rehearsals? When Sam's wife, Grace Lucca, attends a conference in Zurich, a handsome young Frenchman strikes up a conversation with her. Suddenly, he seems to be everywhere: at her hotel, in front of the cafe where she lunches and, after her return home, in Miami. Sam's dad, David, has his worries too. His second wife, Mildred, after years on the street, has finally settled into a comfortable domestic routine. Now that's disrupted by the news that she needs cataract surgery and must confront her pathological fear of having her eyes examined. Dr. Ethan Adams is supposed to be the best, but something about him puts Mildred off. How can she overcome her fear when all of Miami is abuzz with news of a killer who targets women's eyes? Norman weaves multiple strands with ease, building tension to a climax that doesn't disappoint.

Kirkus Reviews