"Black As Night"

I get to do this one. I'm doing #2 and #4. :)

This is Black As Night by Regina Doman:

(The book we own doesn't look quite like this...it's a little less....ghosty!!)

This book is based on "Snow White"...so the plot is very predictable, but the author changes it a lot...so it's still a very good book.

This book kind of continues with the life of Blanche, Rose, Bear, and Fish. Bear and Fish are now wealthy and decide to travel out of New York and take a European tour. Rose and Mrs. Brier are in California, Bear and Fish are in Europe, and Blanche is alone at home....or so everyone thought.

Bear and Fish suddenly go back to America when Bear starts to have a suspicion that Blanche isn't at her home. When they get back, she's missing, and they've been framed for drug dealing...again.

All the while, Blanche is at a friary hiding from something...or someone (BEWARE: This book and author are Catholic, but please don't make that keep any of y'all that aren't Catholic from reading these...these are some of the best books I've read!).

Rose and Mrs. Brier get called home from California and they, Bear, and Fish try to find Blanche...who seems to have been framed also. They try to figure out what Blanche could be hiding from, who framed them, and where Blanche could be.

Blanche is slowly recovering from a big scare...and thinks she safe--that is, until someone starts threatening her life.

And then it all happens, and because of this, Bear, Fish, Rose, Mrs. Brier, and the friars are all pulled into helping Blanche get out of trouble...if she's still alive...

I'm going to leave the rest of the book for y'all to find out...I don't want to give away too much. ;) So, if you want to know the rest of the story, YOU HAVE TO READ IT!!

And now for just a couple paragraphs from the book:

Rose Red-

Mr. Carnazzo stopped in front of Bear and Fish and scrutinized them distrustfully. “I’m sorry, but as manager of this establishment, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” he said stiffly.

Bear stared at the manager. “We’re just—“ he said. Fish put up his hand and stepped forward authoritatively, cutting his brother off.

“Leave?” he repeated. “Isn’t this hall available?” he asked, pulling out an appointment calendar. “I’m interested in renting your facility for an event I’m having.”

“What kind of an event?” the manager said suspiciously.

Bear looked at Rose. “A wedding,” he blurted. Rose, immediately picking up the cue, moved closer to Fish and took his arm possessively.

“Yes, that’s right, a wedding,” Fish gritted his teeth in a smile at his brother. “So can I rent this place? We were just looking it over and it seems adequate.”

“Well—“ The manager hedged. “I’ll have to check with someone first.”

Fish heaved a deep sigh, took Rose by the arm, and flipped open his calendar. “The date’s December eighteenth, and I want the best hall you have to offer. How about the one downstairs with the drippy things on the chandelier?” He started to trail the manager, who was retreating in the direction he had come.

“But honey, are you sure it’s big enough?” Rose queried, putting on her sunglasses. “We have five hundred guests coming.”

“Five hundred? Who said we were inviting your side of the family?” Fish glanced over his shoulder at Bear and grimaced, meaning, “Hurry up and look. I can’t keep this up forever.”

Snow White-

As she opened the door to her room, pulling bobby pins out of her veil, she heard a faint noise. A rat? She dropped the hood of the veil and looked into the shadows in the corridor beyond. A creeping sensation came over her. Someone was inside the building.

“Who’s there?” she called, in case it was one of the friars.

There was a footstep, and a figure came around the edge of the corner. She could see the green eyeshade.

Run. She turned, gathered her skirts, ready to run back towards the door.

“Blanche.”

She knew that voice, It was similar to Bonnie’s voice, but deeper, richer. Younger.

“That is your real name, isn’t it? Don’t go yet. I just want to talk to you.”

Go. She started towards the door again.

“Is there any harm in listening to me? Just stay by the door and listen. Did they really say you couldn’t even speak to me?”

Hand on the door, poised to run, she looked warily over her shoulder at the figure in black.

[…]

Suddenly the woman darted forward and pulled her away from the door, spinning her around. Now she was between the girl and the door. She made a grab for the bottle, but the girl held it away from her and screamed. They struggled as the woman yanked at the girl’s arm, but the girl wrapped the bottle tightly in both hands. Breathing hard, the woman pinched the nerves at the base of the girl’s neck. Black spots swelled up before the girl’s eyes.

The woman’s voice whispered mockingly in her ear. “Sleep, sleep, black night girl, snow white girl, and dream of your phony prince…”

So let me rate this:

Strength of plot: **** (I'm afraid that I can't give this a 5 star (or I would) because, since it's based on Snow White, you already know the final outcome)

Strength of characters: *****

Over all rating: ******************** (And this isn't even my favorite one!!)