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Title/Author

The House of Dark Shadows

Digger Cartwright

Average Review Rating Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)
Book Details

Publisher : Xlibris Corporation

Published : 2011

Copyright : Digger Cartwright 2011

ISBN-10 : PB 1-4653-9993-3
ISBN-13 : PB 978-1-4653-9993-9

Publisher's Write-Up

Alex Rommel, a debonair Charleston playboy, is sceptical about online dating. When he encounters an old college buddy by chance, he learns his friend has found love over the internet. Tormented by demons from his past, a contentious land deal, the memories of the woman he loved, and his sexually insatiable secretary, Alex wades into the shadowy world of internet dating only to find the woman of his dreams - a French freelance journalist, Hope. Just when he thinks he has found true happiness, Alex's relationship takes a mysterious turn, and he finds himself immersed in Hope's world - one plagued by a nagging mother, lies, and drama. As pressures mount in the relationship and in his business dealings, Alex, torn between love and reality, finds himself questioning Hope's motivations. As the sinister web of deceit and danger slowly begins to envelop him, Alex frantically searches for the truth. Not knowing who to trust or believe, Alex finds himself trapped in a house of dark shadows. With time running out, Alex must summon the courage to face the truth before the doors close behind him and he is locked in the house of dark shadows forever.

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Reader Reviews

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Review by Paul Lappen (300412) Rating (9/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 9/10
This is a novel about an Internet romance that starts off very innocently. It quickly enters the realm of weird and bizarre.

Alex Rommel is a young, hotshot attorney in present-day Charleston, South Carolina, with a large hole in his heart. Not only did Shannon, his long-time love, break up with him, but she also moved to Brazil, with the intention of never being found by Alex. One day, he runs into an old college buddy with his new girlfriend, who he met on the Internet. They seem totally compatible and happy, so Alex, the last of the Internet dating sceptics, joins a dating site.

He gets an e-mail from Hope, a twenty-something French photojournalist who is living in Atlanta, and studying for her doctorate in international relations. She is a bit of a traditionalist, insisting that Alex come to Atlanta for their first date. The fact that she is gorgeous makes the travel very much worth it. She also lets Alex know that she is a virgin, and will stay that way until her wedding night. Hope does and says several things that, individually mean nothing, but when put together, mean that something is not right.

After their second date, Alex gets a phone call from Charity, Hope’s mother. First, she demands Alex be tested for HIV, in Atlanta, by a doctor of her choosing. Then, she wants to know when Alex is going to marry Hope. Right after that, she implies that Alex doesn't know how to satisfy a woman. In the meantime, Alex owns a piece of ocean front property in Hawaii that a shadowy corporation named Xanadu Holdings wants very, very much. Alex learns that Xanadu is having him followed, because they know about him seeing Hope in Atlanta. Things are getting more and more bizarre, so Alex's friends encourage him to get out now, before it is too late. Does he listen to them, or does Alex see things through to the bitter end?

This is a really good cautionary tale about Internet dating. That person with whom you have a blind date could be just a jerk. He or she could also have ulterior motives of a very different sort. This one will keep the reader very interested.
Paul Lappen (30th April 2012)

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