It’s been almost a year since I last visited Hilltop, Alaska, and Brenda Novak’s intriguing and multifaceted characters. I’ve longed to return to the story not only to see what Dr. Evelyn Talbot and her delicious boyfriend Sergeant Benjamin Murphy, aka Amarok, have been up to but also to check in on another riveting character. I’m reluctant to admit it, but that character is Jasper Moore. Jasper is the ex-boyfriend-turned-serial-killer who tortured Evelyn and her friends for days when they were just teenagers. Jasper was never caught, and Evelyn is the only one of her friends who survived the horrific nightmare. That terrible tragedy is what ultimately led Evelyn to her line of work – studying and unraveling the mysterious minds of psychopaths at the newly established Hanover House. Jasper is not a Dexter Morgan-esque vigilante serial killer – you don’t root for him by any means. He is a terrifying individual, which may be why I feel the need to keep tabs on him.

In Hello Again, Evelyn is just beginning to work with newly convicted inmate Dr. Lyman Bishop, a man reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter. He is a highly educated biomedical researcher who stands accused of performing ice-pick lobotomies on his victims to make them more compliant before killing them; but with new evidence coming to light, it’s possible Dr. Bishop has been wrongly convicted and, if so, could very well have his conviction overturned just as Evelyn has begun to get under his skin. And in the midst of these gripping events, Amarok’s tireless work may have finally paid off in getting him closer to locating Jasper Moore. Or is Jasper the one who is getting closer?

This second installment in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles is an outstanding follow-up to Her Darkest Nightmare, filled with suspense and thrills but still allowing for a more personal storyline with the romantic relationship between Evelyn and Amarok (though I could do without the return of Amarok’s ex-girlfriend…. Can we ship her off to a warmer climate asap?). But it is the ending of this sequel that will leave readers aghast and on the edge of their seat – not a cliffhanger but a glimpse into what’s about to happen next. Those last lines are so brilliant and shocking that I can hardly wait for the next book. Ms. Novak has set it up to be a mind-blowing rollercoaster of a story, and the anticipation is both sweet and agonizing. I recommend this series for thriller lovers, though I advise you to start with book one, Her Darkest Nightmare, to fully appreciate the growth of the characters and the evolvement of the story. You can also grab the short novella Hanover House for a closer look into Evelyn and Jasper’s history for free here or at Amazon for only $.99.

Dr. Evelyn Talbot has her dream job and a man she loves. It just so happens that her job is as a psychiatrist for Hanover House in Hilltop, Alaska. She's studying all manner of psychopaths trying to figure out what make them the way they are. She has first hand knowledge of what a serial killer can do. Amarok is the state trooper assigned to the town of 500 and her live-in boyfriend, who helps her to deal with her trauma from the past, Amarok is also trying to put her demons to rest by working on her case from 20 years ago and finding the serial killer that is after her. When Dr. Lyman Bishop comes to Hanover House it's Evelyn's job to figure him out. He really scares her because he seems so much smarter than the average psychopath and reminds her of Jasper. While dealing with Hanover House and Bishop, Evelyn also has to deal with her boyfriend's ex returning to town, her personal demons, a serial killer who has been after her for decades. If that wasn't enough you add in the former employee who has an obsession with her and a mentally disabled victim. Evelyn also has to deal with murders connected to her in her home town of Boston, MA. Amarok and Evelyn decide to add the possible addition of a child in the future. Will the good guys outwit the bad guys and who will be the next victim? Will the demons be conquered and who will be the next victim? Hello Again is the 2nd book in the Evelyn Talbot series and worth the read.

This book is textbook serial killer, psychological profiling at it's best.
Dr. Evelyn Talbot has moved to Alaska where she helped to complete Hanover House, a maximum security prison to house and study serial killers. Her newest patient, Dr. Lyman Bishop, is a brilliant cancer researcher and extremely manipulative. He is also known as "the Zombie Maker" and insists he was wrongly convicted. His purported specialty is ice-pick lobotomies and to look or speak with him, would never suspect he could be that vicious.
Our protagonist, however, has a vested interest in the capture and study of serial killers having been a victim herself of her high school boyfriend's heinous and torturous attack in which he'd killed three of her friends and left her for dead as well. After more than 20 years, she is still haunted by that experience and was attacked again eighteen months previous. It would seem she'd never be free of the legacy that Jasper Moore has bestowed upon her, as he's never been caught.
When she arrived in the tiny hamlet of Hilltop where Hanover House is located, she was introduced to the state trooper known locally as Amarok. Amarok is younger by a number of years, but there is a cautious attraction and this episode finds them living together. He is aware of her history and she cannot deny he is a nurturing and kind male force in her life. She is just beginning to explore a loving relationship with Amarok.
At the same time, she struggles with the issue of whether or not Bishop is or is not culpable in the ice-pick atrocities and having spoken to his dependent sister decides she must, at all cost, keep him where he truly belongs. Jasper appears to be active again when she learns that another classmate has been murdered and the race is on for finding and containing him as well as Bishop.
I enjoyed the intelligent dialogue and the witness of some artful dodging in Dr. Talbot's handling of the various peripheral support characters. She definitely uses psychology on some of the relationships and does some serious manipulating of her own. Amarok is well fleshed out and very appealing. The antagonists, both Lyman Bishop and Jasper, are scary psychotic and make for a fine Halloween read, as long as lights are on and there are no howling winds, freezing temps, or pitch black skies outside. The POV tends to shift to Jasper as he proceeds with the implementation of his plan, which doesn't help the nerves any.
This is the third in the series, counting the novella that kicked it off, and the characters have obviously grown. While this could be considered a stand-alone book, it's obvious that the reader is missing out on some of the finer introductory points, although there was sufficient back story with Jasper that the reader would have no problem following the plot line that moves to a brutal and unexpected climax. Okay, maybe you suspected it, but wondered how the author would pull it off. (I'll just say it's an OMG.)
I had a difficult time relating to Evelyn Talbot: on the one hand deftly handling persons and situations and on the other, obsessive to the point of annoying. Alaskan weather sounds as unattractive as I'd expect in winter, and small town entertainment and interaction in a remote location seemed dead on.
This digital book was offered by St. Martin's Press through NetGalley and I sincerely enjoyed the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for all who enjoy a psychological thriller, mystery and suspense novel with a touch of romance.

FINAL DECISION: This is the best of the series so far. Mixing the romance, Evelyn's personal demons, creepy serial killer mysteries, danger and some serious suspense, this book is satisfying in so many ways, but definitely left me desperately wanting the next book.

THE STORY:  Dr. Evelyn Talbot is continuing her work with serial killers at Hanover House in Alaska determined to uncover a way to identify the people who become serial killer. Her newest inmate is known as the Zombie Maker who defies many of the standard expectations of serial killers -- but he also reminds her of her ex-boyfriend Jasper who killed her friends and almost herself and has been on the loose for two decades. When another friend of Evelyn is killed with the Zombie Maker's signature the question arises: was the wrong man convicted of the Zombie Maker's crimes or is Jasper hunting Evelyn again.

OPINION: I've been a fan of this series since I read the prequel a couple of years ago. The story was just creepy enough and had enough romance to keep me interested, but this book explodes the story. Everything feels bigger and more urgent here. The series has really hit its stride now that the setup portion has been completed. This book is the best so far.

This book takes place about a year after the events in the previous book. Evelyn is still running Hanover House and more serial killers are coming all the time. Not to give anything away, but this book deals with the question of the Zombie Maker serial killer and whether he is guilty or not and the similar murders which might indicate either that the man incarcerated at Hanover House might be innocent or that Evelyn's personal demon is making a move on her again.

This story seamlessly blends and uses to good suspense purposes the questions of the newest killings and three possible suspects. Some is revealed here but other parts of left to the ongoing and overarching storylines. Frankly, I was frightened and creeped out by much of the last third of the book -- which was exactly what I was expecting.

This book is really a suspense book with some romance -- and I really liked the balance here. This is Evelyn's personal story and the book never forgets it in service to some suspense storyline. Everything is personal and is all seen from the lens of Evelyn's life. I like the suspense in this book but I probably wouldn't have continued to read without the romance between Evelyn and her Alaskan trooper boyfriend Amarok. The two have been seeing one another for a year, but Evelyn still has trust issues and doubts and there are new challenges and hurdles for the two. Despite their serious difficulties, these two are so wonderful together that it manages to balance out all the darkness of the plotline. If I didn't have the hope of their relationship really working out to a HEA in the end, I think the darkness of the story would have overwhelmed me.

This series has definitely found its footing here and I look forward to the next installment because things are getting really interesting and scary.

WORTH MENTIONING: Oh when will the next book be out!

CONNECTED BOOKS:  HELLO AGAIN is the second novel in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles. This book has an independent story, but there are overarching storylines in the series. I think this book is better read after the prequel and first book in the series because the relationships between the characters is more clearly defined.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

This review will post on October 3rd.

I really liked this book! There was a problem where Evelyn is still whiney and going through the same things over and over again but with different psychopaths that she deals with that keep reminding her of her own past I kinda understand that. I can't wait to read the 4th installment but I want it be over so I don't have to wait so long for the next book.

Brenda Novak is such a prolific writer. This book is so intense at times. I was on the edge of my seat turning pages as fast as I could. This is an excellent psychological thriller. Can't wait to read the next in the series!
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Hello Again is another excellent romance suspense book from Brenda Novak.. This one begins with Hanover house a prison for serial killers. She and her staff study these men to find the answer to why they want to kill. Set in Alaska one of the places with the least day light and wicked winters where the most serial killers come from . Through out this book Evelyn is stalked by Jasper her old high school sweet heart that failed to kill her after raping and torturing her. She is the one that got away. Amorak her policeman lover tries to help her find Jasper and keep her safe. Can be read as a stand alone but much better if you read Hanover house and Her Darkest Nightmare first.

As a review we are suppose to keep the review from being personally. This book is AMAZING! I am not sure where to start because it pulls you in and doesn't let go. I can promise readers will keep thinking about this book long after they have but it down.
Yes this book graphic in the since that you are reading about a Dr who deals with serial killers and the worst humanity has in the world. The crimes are sexual in nature and might turn readers away who have had this experience. I can no longer joke about a Banana as a mans body part like I used to after reading this book.
Brenda Novak brings to like a woman who is trying to help the victims of serial killers find justice and answers to why they kill. The protagonist Evelyn Talbot will stop at nothing to find the serial killer who took her life. She has spent her life researching trying to understand their reasoning to help prevent more killings. Bringing justice to those who have been killed or effected by the killers.
The research that went into this series is amazing. The authors ability to bring what should be a dark and depressing story is able to bring light when it is needed though love.
Brenda Novak stay true to her characters from the first book to the next. Evelyn Talbotis struggling to find normal and love after being almost killed by a serial killer. Evelyn Talbot isn't broken she is strong and still a the teenager trapped in time.
This book is a psychology thriller that will stay with readers long after they put down the book and eagerly await the next in the series.
Hello Again is well paced giving readers a chance to catch their breathe before the next body arrives. Reading as Evelyn Talbot struggles with what is right by the law and right by the victim will have readers questioning their own values. I started this book as something interesting to read and found myself asking the same questions Dr. Evelyn Talbot was asking herself. What is right?
Thank you to Netgalley, Brenda Novak and the publishing company Headline for the advance copy of Hello Again for my personal review.

I love most of Brenda Novak's books but the Eve Talbot series just does not resonate with me. I keep trying to get into the story but instead I put it down and only pick it up because I said I would give it a fair review. It is well written, the characters are developed and the plot is consistent. I guess that the thriller books are just not my cup of tea so I will stick with Novak's other series.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I honestly believe that this is one of the best thriller series out there today! Evelyn Talbot is the founder of Hanover House, a medical center where she and other Doctors are studying the brains/behavior of some of the worst psychopaths in the country. She also has to deal with the fact that her high school boyfriend who tortured her and left her for dead is still on the loose and her boyfriend's ex is back in town hoping to get him back. There's alot going on and it flows together seamlessly. I loved the surprises that were tossed into this story and I am so looking forward to the next book! Highly Recommend this fast paced, intense thriller!

I loved this intense storyline, so many twists and turns! The characters are strong. the author has you feeling as if you are actually in the book. I could not put the book down. From the first page to the last you will be hooked. Very descriptive writing and intense situations. I cannot wait for the next book.

Evelyn Talbot is still working in Alaska trying to decipher the secrets of some of the world's worst serial killers. In this story, she is concentrating on Lyman Bishop, a man who liked to lobotomize his victims. But was he wrongly convicted?
At the same time, she's trying to figure out whether the murder of a woman from her high school class was perpetrated by Evelyn's high school sweetheart, the one who murdered three of her friends and tried to murder Evelyn.
I liked the short story that started this book, the first book a little less, and this one even a little less. The overall arc for Evelyn is just so slow moving. She's more or less the same woman we met in the short story. You'd think that events would change her more. I think people who enjoyed the first book will like this one but this may be the end of the road on the series for me.

Three stars
This book comes out October 3

I feel like I've waited forever on this book! I was totally sucked in with the first book. Just the idea of this type of institute is fascinating to me. This series keeps me on the edge of my seat, constantly jumping at every little noise around me. It's is one of the best psychological thrillers, full of suspenseful wists and turns. Yet it has some caring characters - the ones that aren't psychotic, that is. The ending will make your heart beat right out of your chest. And with the way the book ended, you know this will continue well into the next book or two or more. I was not able to put it down except to sleep and work... and even then, I might have snuck reading a bit!

Hilltop, Alaska is home to the maximum-security prison known as Hanover House, which is the destination for some of the United States’ most deplorable criminals. Dr. Evelyn Talbot is the head psychiatrist working there and one of the founders of the institution. She works exclusively with the psychopaths housed in the facility. HELLO AGAIN brings Evelyn her most elusive patient yet, Dr. Lyman Bishop, better known as the Zombie Maker. Bishop is a recent arrival to the facility. He has gained his nickname of the Zombie Maker for his fondness of performing ice pick lobotomies on his victims. Immediately Bishop does not strike Evelyn as a psychopath. He is a man known for his cancer research and taking care of his mentally disabled sister. Has Bishop been wrongly convicted?

At the same time Evelyn works to better understand Bishop and the charges brought against him, she is forced to remember her past and what drew her to her profession. When Evelyn was sixteen her high school boyfriend, Jasper, kidnapped her, tortured her, murdered her friends, and left her for dead. Jasper was never caught thanks to the aid of his parents who tirelessly fought that he was innocent. Eighteen months ago Evelyn believes Jasper tried and failed to abduct her once again. Now another of her high school friends has turned up dead. Is Jasper back or is this some copycat killer?

With such a complicated plot of multiple stories being unravel simultaneously one could easily worry that Novak’s novel would be hard to follow, however, this is not the case. HELLO AGAIN allows the reader a look into multiple character’s minds, all while effortlessly tying the stories surrounding Evelyn together. I loved Novak’s glimpses into Jasper and Bishop’s minds. They both gave me chills reading through the way they were thinking.

The novel mainly focuses on Evelyn who is portrayed as a strong female lead who has been working to overcome an unthinkable past experience that continues to haunt her today. At times I questioned some of Evelyn’s actions or thoughts, but in the end I was happy with the way Novak evolved her novel’s star. HELLO AGAIN does have gory moments that may turn off some readers, but I don’t think it was anything over the top that you wouldn’t see on a TV show like Criminal Minds. Overall, I absolutely loved HELLO AGAIN and have already picked up book one in the series, as well the prequel. I look forward to learning more about Dr. Evelyn Talbot and the creation of Hanover House. Definitely add this book to your TBR when it comes out next month!

Thank you to Brenda Novak, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Hello Again by Brenda Novak is the second full length book but third overall with the prequel novella in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles series. Hanover House at novella length introduced readers to Evelyn Talbot who is the main character in this series. Evelyn had spent her life trying to find out what makes a psychopath and how to better understand them. She was tortured and almost killed by her high school boyfriend, Jasper, and has been dealing with that as best she can. Jasper had never been captured and Evelyn lived in fear of him each day of her life and of course when this story picked up 20 years after the high school incident Jasper had truly come back.

Evelyn had managed to obtain funding for a facility in Alaska to house some of the top criminals to begin a study on the nature of these killers which is known as the Hanover House. When the facility in Alaska had been vandalized during construction she traveled there to oversee the damage and hire security. Evelyn began a friendship with Amarok, the local state trooper and for the first time in a long time she let herself begin trusting a man and feeling some sort of attraction.

Now in Hello Again Evelyn’s story resumes after the ending of the last book, Her Darkest Nightmare, where Evelyn and Amarok had grown closer together while working to solve the brutal homicide. Evelyn has begun studying Dr. Lyman Bishop who is better known as the Zombie Maker for his use of an ice pick to try to perform a lobotomy on his victims. But as Evelyn is working with Bishop it comes to be known that his case very well may be overturned which pushes Evelyn to find out more about the man she believes is guilty and does not want to see walk free. But then a new ice pick murder occurs which seems that maybe the man may be innocent but when Evelyn finds she has a connection to the newest victim she begins to wonder if this killer may be Jasper coming back from her own past.

First, I will say that I urge readers that are interested in this series to go back and start from the beginning. While the books could possibly be understood without doing so a reader would miss so much depth in the story and background information if skipping ahead and this series is one that is just too good not to enjoy thoroughly. Each book has built upon the characters and really continued the overall story from Evelyn’s past which made her into the flawed character that she is that I have come to love more with each read. Evelyn is vulnerable after the events in her past that would scar anyone but she’s tough and strong and surviving while trying to make the world better by getting to understand her own worst nightmare in these horrible killers.

The series toes the line between being a thriller or a romantic suspense story as there is a relationship that has formed slowly between Evelyn and Amorak. However, the relationship is not overly pushed in the story but has formed rather slowly while the books concentrate on the action and investigations. This style has revolved in part due to Evelyn’s history and her nature to not trust men from that history but the slower development fit her character to a tee and I think that leaves the series open for those that enjoy either genre to get invested in the series.

Again after reading this edition to the series my only complaint walking away from Hello Again would be that I don’t have the next book in my hands to immediately begin reading. I was as usual caught up in Evelyn’s story and engaged all the way through then left with a what are you trying to do to me Ms. Novak feeling at the end. I will be impatiently awaiting the next book and would encourage readers to give this series a try as I think fans of thrillers and romantic suspense reads will really enjoy this story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Ok, so first off, this book deserves at least SIX STARS! HELLO AGAIN is a GREAT story. It's the 2nd in the "Evelyn Talbot series". In my opinion it could be read as a stand alone, but you'd miss out on 2 more great books. (Hanover House and Her Darkest Nightmare)
HELLO AGAIN kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. You will most definitely regret not reading this if you like suspense.
Evelyn has multiple enemy's in HELLO AGAIN. Which one will succeed in getting back at her? Or will any get her? She (Evelyn) makes a few enemies running Hanover House, a maximin security prison that houses psychopaths.
Brenda Novak will suck you into this book, you WILL be addicted. I can NOT wait for the next in this series. The ending had me wanting MORE!!! This is not one you'll soon forget.
I received a ARC copy of HELLO AGAIN from netgalley for MY HONEST review. (less)

Hello Again was so eery, I felt the suspense during the whole story, and it just seems impossible to me that Evelyn will make it through the end. There is more than one enemy now, and my goodness, the ending left me speechless and breathless.

This is the 3rd book in a series if you count the novella. This book could probabaly stand alone. Evelyn Talbot is a psychiatrist running Hanover House. At Hanover house they study the minds of psychopaths to see what makes them tick. When Evelyn was a teenager Jasper, her high school boyfriend tortured and murdered her 3 best friends and left her for dead. He has been on the loose ever since and Evelyn has been looking over her shoulder waiting, she is sure he will come back someday. jasper is closer than Evelyn realizes. Amorak, a state trooper in the small town where Hanover House is located has a romantic relationship with Evelyn. Evelyn's latest subject at Hanover is a puzzle. Evelyn knows there is something off about him, but he doesn't exhibit some of the usual psychopathic signs.

There was plenty of suspense in this book, but I felt like I was reading a rerun of the first book. I think they could easily have been one book. I also wasn't happy with the ending. I won't say more because it would be a spoiler. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This second full length Evelyn Talbot Chronicles book was fantastic! I loved Evelyn and her boyfriend, Amorak, They were both wonderful in this one! The suspense aspect of the story was very well done. I was kept riveted, and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

This one had some nail biting moments and left readers with a cliffhanger ending. I can't wait to see what comes next!

If you love a great psychological suspense, you'll love Brenda Novak's Hello Again. From the start, you won't be able to put this book down. Dr. Evelyn Talbot is still being targeted by Jasper Moore, her attacker. She started Hanover House to study inmate psychopaths and their "consciencelessness". She is getting to know Dr. Lyman Bishop, an inmate convicted of killing. He states he's innocent. When Evelyn discovers his mentally handicapped sister that he's been taking care of, she begins to wonder if he is innocent. Will this put her safety in jeopardy?

Jasper killed three of her best friends from high school, and kidnapped and tortured her before, but she got away. He is after her with a vengeance again. Can Eveylyn's boyfriend Amarok, a police officer, discover where he is and protect her when he comes calling? Will Jasper succeed this time?

The suspense of Evelyn discovering Jasper's been killing again, Jasper getting close to harm Evelyn again, discovering if Dr. Lyman Bishop is innocent or not, and Evelyn staying alive one step in front of Jasper, makes for a page turning suspense. Hello Again will keep you up till the wee hours of the morning to finish this story.

Hello Again refers to the torture the women kidnapped endure, but doesn't go into too much detail. There is some language. The story is told in past tense, with developed characters, and an engaging story line. The twists and turns and unexpected ending makes for a great read.

Hello Again is part of the Dr. Evelyn Talbot novel series. You don't have to read these in order to know what is going on, but the heroine, Evelyn Talbot has a history with an attacker and this story is a continuation. You can read Her Darkest Nightmare and Hanover House to get the backstory, but it is not needed to enjoy this story.

I received a free copy from Net Galley in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.