Book Review: Dark Lullaby by Mayra Calvani

Most parents usually warn their adolescent girls not to ever go home with stranger, especially not someone who one has just met in a bar.  But not many parents warn their sons to be careful who they go home with. This was the intriguing part of this spell-binding, page turning psychological thriller.  In addition to the chilling aspects of the book, there are also the strong underlying themes for all of us.

     Gabriel Diaz is not the most admired character in the story. When we first meet him in the story, he seems to be doing ordinary things—I mean what is so extraordinary about sitting in a bar with an ex-girlfriend having a drink?  But as another mysterious woman, Kamilah, walks into the bar, Gabriel’s focus changes completely and he falls completely in love with her.  She invites him to journey with her to Turkey and he can’t resist her invitation. But does he ever dream of being in the type of danger he gets himself into?

     Does Gabriel make it back home alright?  Does he learn any important lessons?  I don’t want to give too much of the story away.  So, I will leave the reader with these questions.

     I found the book very intriguing and surprising.  There are many unexpected twists and turns in this story—they will keep readers glued to the book until they have read it from beginning to end. Gabriel is a very unlikable character—and the way he treats Liz is deplorable. Liz is a very interesting character on her own…I just wish she wouldn’t take as much abuse from him. I didn’t really like Kamilah as a character—but that is probably what she was supposed to be portrayed as. 

     Mayra Calvani has done a GREAT job creating this deep story. It will teach the reader quite a bit about Turkish folklore and show that perhaps we should be careful who we befriend and who we go home with.

First Published on Blogcritics

Reviewed by:  Irene S. Roth