Touching Evil

Written by Kay Hooper

Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

Seattle police sketch artist Maggie Barnes has an extraordinary gift. She listens as traumatized crime victims describe their ordeals - and then uses those horrifying recollections to draw dead-on sketches of the assailants. Some cops think Maggie is telepathic, that she can actually enter the victims' minds. Only Maggie knows the truth behind her rare talent ... and she isn't telling. But her secret may be exposed when a madman seizes Seattle in his terrifying grip. He abducts women and blinds them, leaving them barely alive. The police have one hope: the lone victim who might recover her sight. But they don't know that Maggie has her own dark connection to the monster - an eerie link that may stretch back to a string of unsolved murders. To stop the escalating terror, Maggie will have to push her abilities to the breaking point - even if it means confronting a predator whose powers seem to have no bounds....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781436125888

Kay Hooper

Kay Hooper, who has more than thirteen million copies of her books in print worldwide, has won numerous awards and high praise for her novels. She lives in North Carolina, where she is currently working on her next novel.

Reviews for Touching Evil

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Touching Evil
4 Stars

Quickie Review

Good thriller with interesting characters and a clever plot.

Nevertheless, the romance is somewhat contrived and there could have been more clues to the killer's identity. The climax is compelling and the resolution very satisfying (one of the more unique I have encountered in this genre).

It should be note that the book contains grisly details and gory descriptions so it is not for the weak of heart.

[carol420 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maggie Barnes is a police sketch artist working with the police in Seattle. She has a unique gift of being able to draw crucial information out of victims and therefore sketching whoever has harmed them. No matter how terrifying or gruesome the crime is, Maggie finds a way to relate to the victims. That is until the Blindfold Rapist hits Seattle. Be warned that this is more of a suspense thriller with a paranormal slant and less of a romance as it was billed. There is romance between John and Maggie but it is a backseat story line. I'm not a big fan of romances by themselves but I am a HUGE fan of this series.

[lewilliams-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not one of the better Kay Hooper books I've read. I don't mind reading about violence, but this book could have toned it down and not missed anything in the telling. I also found it hard to keep up with the characters.

[dele2451 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A murder mystery made for fans of the paranormal. It's a good read, but I felt a few too many of the numerous characters are exceptionally "gifted" in one way or the other for it to ring true the way the best fiction does. Just like comedians needs straight men to be really funny, a book about a bunch of psychics could use a few more average folks without extrasensory powers just for some contrast.

[bplteen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the craziest book ever! It kept me on my toes the whole time, it even gave me nightmares! I recommend this book to every person who loves to be scared!Review by: razael I read this book. It was great. A thriller and more. I really liked this book. It gave me inspiration to wanna write my own book. Kay Hooper is a great author and she knew what she was doing when she wrote this thriller. I recommend this book to thriller & horror fans. Kay Hooper is the way to go. I read Sense of Evil as well.

[jeannemarkert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good story emcompassing true evil, horror, the unknown & Maggie Barnes(telepath) & the fBI .

[bookmarque · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The connection is definitely a strange one. It turns out that the reason Maggie is so good at her job is that she is an empath (think counselor Troi). She literally feels what these women feel, emotionally and physically. There are others involved in solving the crime that are also psychic in some way and the big advances in the solving of the crime come from their strange abilities. There is also the victim who can talk about her assault. Hollis is hearing a voice that helps her get through. It literally talked her out of the wretched hole the killer left her in, and it continued to bolster her so she could work with Maggie. The voice told her about Maggie as a matter of fact.Described in a loose and take it for granted way, the author explains that Maggie is responsible for the killings because she didn’t destroy the evil in a past life. She convinces some others that the person doing the killing is a reincarnated soul that is pure evil. Through a burst of ‘automatic writing’ a cop writes a note that gives instructions to look at crimes from 1894 and 1934. when they do, the drawings and photos of the victims look exactly like the women who are being attacked today. Of course we conclude that Maggie was a victim and when they find the photo of her past body, all hell will break loose. She does and it does. She goes to confront the killer after narrowing down to one suspect and looking at properties he owned but sold before faking his own death. When she shows up she is joined by Hollis and the ghost of a past victim (who is the voice that Hollis hears). Together they frighten him into inaction and when he is about to shoot Maggie, the cops come and save the day.The writing was ok, but there was a tendency to make everyone talk the same. Virtually every character referred to the killer as a bastard over and over and over. It was awful. That and they called him an animal that must be caged. She needs to learn how to make her characters talk in different voices. Also, the narrator didn’t help by having somewhat odd pronunciations, which she used with all the characters. Not everyone in the book would have the same odd pronunciation.

[the_hag · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The basic premise of the book includes Maggie (main character), an artist that works independently with the police as a (surprise...he, he) a sketch artist. Her main "claim to fame" in this particular book is a seemingly uncanny knack for being able to wade into the misery and pain of the events and talk to a victim, she then walks each crime scene and invariably produces a drawing that is a perfect likeness of the criminal. Enter the present story line...Seattle women, hunted by a serial rapist -- abducting women, blinding them, raping them and finally leaving them for dead in abandoned buildings. The rub...Maggie is unable to get a "feel" for this particular animal and is unable to assist the police since all of the victims have been unable to give any details except that he smells like Ivory soap, has long hair and that has mint scented breath. Enter John (main character also)...he is the brother of the second (?) victim of the "blindfold rapist." Christine presumed dead by her own hand according to the police...but John thinks otherwise and comes to Seattle to follow the investigation and eventually brings in a some old FBI friends (also with an "uncanny knack" for solving crimes) to help tract down the rapist before he starts killing as well. With no clues as to who the rapist is, where he will strick next or who he will choose, the police find that their investigation takes them in all kinds of directions including the fact that these crimes bear a striking resemblance to several that are in old files and remain unsolved from 1934. Even more amazing is that the present day victims are dead ringers (;-) pun intended) of the victims of the 1934 rapist...the book takes on a a whirlwind adventure as Maggie, John, Andy (lead investigative cop), Quinton (FBI) and their respective team members...as they try to solve this mystery before more victims are maimed and brutally murdered!I must say right off the bat that this book is FUN and ENGAGING! Despite some very serious reservations about the ultimate outcome of the story line...I did thoroughly enjoy reading 'Touching Evil' - though it might have been more aptly titled Feeling Evil or Sensing Evil (maybe that's another book though...lol). I read it in one sitting!The plot if FULL of twists and IS suspenseful...as I said previously...I found it very, very hard to put down! Yet...at the end of the book, I felt a little let down. A book so full of fast paced, engaging plot twists manages to be simultaneously stimulating while lacking any true depth...both where the plot is concerned and with the characters as well!! I think this is in large part due to inferior scene descriptions and lack of very in-depth tantalizing plot descriptions...and the characters, while good, lack any real depth (they simply are not fleshed out enough). I found most of them only mildly interesting and would have liked to have "known them better" to enjoy this novel to its fullest possible potential!!!At the very end...ugh...this is the part I was the least happy with when I was done reading it...it built up to an exciting climax...and fizzled...the ending was MUCH too abrupt. Mrs.. Hooper could have put a lot more into making this a hauntingly engaging conclusion rather than the abrupt end it came to!! I almost felt like she reached the end of the book and rather than taking her time with really engaging, descriptive plot revelations...just took a hurry get it done...tie up the loose ends...approach to the ending that we got stuck with!Don't get me wrong...I got the ending...I understand what she was doing and how all the events tied together...but it's the WAY it was done that left me cold...I wanted MORE...I wanted an in depth explanation of the WHY of it, and that was just not there!!The only other "annoying" things about 'Touching Evil,' are internally within the story line, there were a few instances where the events lacked "closure" and seemed pointless or totally unconnected to the story line (possibly from other books or lead in's for future characters in other books????)....that leaves these chapters feeling muddled and unfinished....i.e. most of the mid-read events regarding Maggie's brother...and who in the HECK is Galen??!!???!! Honestly...I could have done without that! And finally...TOO MANY psychics, potential psychics, and pseudo-psychics in the mix here...honestly....two or three TOPS was enough -- but the team member who might be, the assistant who's mildly...give it a rest...and I think there was FAR too much emphasis on "hiding" the fact that Maggie is an empath and the FBI team is comprised of psychics...especially AFTER most of the characters have accepted it and even embraced it!! John...and his all to practical, down-to-earth un-acceptance of it for most of the book is a bit too much...there were several places early in the story line to allow him to "get on board" with it, but the author choose to drag it out until WAY too late in the book!BUT...even having said all that...I think this book is definitely worth a read!! This isn't quite a "B" movie book...but it's better than that...but it's not a blockbuster hit either!! This is a great book for a Saturday in bed read!! You might be a little annoyed at the end...but you'll truly enjoy reading it!! I give it a B+ for readability and content!! It has substance...but there could be more meat on this bone!! I'm going to read the next in this series when I get the chance...and based on other reviews...I think the "shadows" series might be worthwhile reading as well!! Stay tuned for more reviews!! ;-)

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very interesting thriller with psychics and a small amount of romance thrown in for variety with plenty of red herrings.