BOULDER GIRL, REMEMBER ME WHEN THE MOON HANGS LOW

In Clark’s novel, a woman finds love and terror as she tries to move on after a divorce.

Lana Ross Chisholm’s 10-year marriage to Cadillac salesman Lucas Chisolm has ended, and she’s ready to begin her life anew. That first means changing the locks at her house in Boulder, Colorado, and she hires locksmith Leon Alvarez to do it. Alvarez secretly sets up security cameras to spy on Lana, and although she briefly thinks that he may be up to something shady, she dismisses her own fears. Meanwhile, she quickly revs up a relationship with Vincent Romano, who owns a Harley-Davidson dealership in the Boulder area. (He also happens to be the subject of a story Lana’s writing as the editor of Boulder Essence magazine.) What follows is, in part, a story of a romance, as Lana may have found the man of her dreams in Vincent. Mostly, though, it’s a tale of suspense, as Alvarez and, eventually, Lana’s ex-husband terrorize her. Alvarez, it turns out, has been obsessed with Lana since high school, which puts her and those around her in danger. Clark handles the romantic passages well, although the fact that Lana never suspects that Alvarez is stalking her may be difficult for readers to believe. In an odd conceit, Alvarez always talks out loud to himself, so readers know what he’s thinking. The novel also mentions the songs that Lana is listening to—an initially clever gimmick that becomes overused, as nearly 60 songs are referenced by the end of the story. Despite these hindrances, Clark manages to maintain a quick-paced narrative, and readers will find themselves invested in Lana’s story and her reactions to the awful events that transpire. Clark’s characters are consistently compelling even when their actions and reactions don’t always make sense.

A sometimes-compelling suspense novel that’s hampered by the protagonist’s failure to recognize trouble.