Rating: 
Summary: Another great read from LRK
Review: I really enjoyed this book--couldn't put it down. The build-up of the story around the cult community and the main character's growing relationship with the children was very compelling. The secret of the cult was interesting too (I won't spoil it). The ending was a little abrupt--but I still turned the final page happy for the experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring beyond belief.
Review: I picked up this book because of all the awards the writer had won and the blurbs sounded intriguing. Nope. I had to struggle to finish. No where does the author tell us why people are joining this commune! What are they striving for? I was also very annoyed at Anne Waverly, the perfect person. She can do anything from pistol shooing, to fixing the engine in the old VW bus to shooting baskets and she knows everything! Please! I agree with the other reviewers who said the ending was terrible. There was not ending - the author just stopped writing. I turned the pages back and forth three times looking for the end! I would never buy another book by this author.
Rating: 
Summary: Far below par; unsatisfying and lacking suspense
Review: I have enjoyed King's Mary Russell novels enormously, but A Darker Place was really lacking. I agree with a previous reviewer that we don't learn enough about Anne or other major characters. The entire novel is extremely oblique. There was occasional suspense, but it waxed and waned, didn't build up to a satisfying climax. If you'd like to read an excellent suspense novel focused around a religious cult, I highly recommend Mary Willis Walker's Under the Beetle's Cellar.
Rating: 
Summary: Engrossing thriller with an extreemly unsatisfying ending
Review: I've enjoyed all of Ms King's previous works and A Darker Place looked to be another 5 star treat until the last chapter. The book ends as if the writer just got tired of writing. There are enough loose ends to weave a carpet. I understand that a sequel is in the works. This book absolutely requires it. My recomendation: wait for the sequel and read them as a two book set.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much physical description, not enough motivation
Review: Having read all of Laurie King's other books, I continue to appreciate the way she weaves details and character development into her stories. Buuuut...she does have a bit of a tendency to overly describe physical settings, while leaving some important details too sketchy. In this book, her complicated feelings about Glen and her guilt and present life were well-examined, but, for example, I waited for even an inkling as to why she and her husband and daughter had ever been in a cult in the first place. We're not given enough information to begin to understand Joseph. And the story line with Steven in Arizona was a red herring. Was he supposed to be a good guy? All that time spent in that commune, come to naught. And I guess I just didn't "get" the whole alchemy thing --metaphor or the physical process. Was Steven supposed to believe it? Joseph? Or was it just a ruse? Unlike many of the other reviewers, I didn't come away with a feeling of insight to cults at all. We don't come to *really* know anyone in either place other than the leaders (sort of) and Jason/Dulcie, who are not even there by choice. And then the ending....excuse me, but...huh? The reason I even give this 3 stars is because Laurie King's sheer effort is very apparent here. I think she had some wonderful story ideas, all of which were lovingly and deeply researched and thought out (par for the course for her), but when brought together just didn't quite _fit_ each other. Like a quilt of gorgeous patches that gape at the seams. But all said, I sure hope she writes a sequel and resolves the fates of Anne and the children. I did love those characters.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting story; slightly disappointing ending
Review: I am a fan of both of Laurie King's series (Mary Russell and Kate Martinelli), so I was looking forward to her new, non-series, book. Anne Waverly is a wonderful character, and I especially loved the parts about alchemy and the scenes with Anne and the children. The story was exciting and suspenseful. Unfortunately, (and this is the only reason I'm giving it less than five stars) I felt it ended too abruptly. I would have liked to know more about what happened to some of the characters, and I hope Laurie King writes a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific for first 90%; a little anti-climatic
Review: An exciting story, although I felt it was a little anti-climatic. A terrific build-up, with the climax lacking. Laurie King uses foreshadowing very effectively, giving the reader many hints about dire events to come. She paints very colorful characters and is very thorough in describing settings - almost too thorough, at times. Gives an inside look at cults and the mentality of cult leaders. Definitely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: A CULTIVATING Thriller!
Review: This is the first Laurie King novel that I have read. I must admit that the first 3 or 4 chapters sort of dragged on for me, but after that I couldn't put the book down. I liked the fact that Ms. King added some moments of amusement as well.
Rating:
Summary: The quest for change
Review: Whether Ms. King is a old favorite or a new discovery, I found her latest endeavor, A DARKER PLACE, an excellent read. After having enjoyed her other literary creations, Mary Russell and Kate Martinelli, I was not certain that I would like Professor Anne Waverly. However, I was happily surprised. A DARKER PLACE and Anne Waverly quickly carry the reader into an environment perhaps few have experienced--life in the heart of a cult. In Anne Waverly's case, the cult is known as "The Change." The group has revived the medieval practice of alchemy in an effort to improve or "transform" themselves from mere mortals to creatures of great enlightment. Children, especially those from troubled backgrounds, are an intergal part of "The Change." Their treatment within the confines of the "Change" communities are the impetus behind Professor Waverly's infiltration into the cult. I enjoyed the pace of the novel and gained some insight into the pressures exerted upon groups perceived as "cults." I particularly enjoyed the division of the novel into sections which paralleled the alchemial process, along with the appearance of Professor Waverly's sketches, scholarly works and lectures at the beginning of each chapter. Ms. King's use of symbols (names and objects) was also interesting. A DARKER PLACE is definitely a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Draws you in great, but really leaves you hanging!
Review: Laurie King drew me into the plot right from the beginning. Other reviews mentioned the story to be dark and depressing, which I did not find. The author brilliantly emerges the reader into this subculture and develops the characters so you truly want to know them. I had a hard time putting it down and was really enjoying it, but was totally disappointed with the ending. There was so much potential to build up to a heart-pounding climax, but instead I found it anti-climatic and confusing. I would recommend this book, but have to warn the reader about the ending fizzling out.
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