Sarah's Review of Lasting Impressions by John Schlarbaum

I recently had the privilege of meeting author John Schlarbaum at an event and picked up a couple of his books. Now I wish I had purchased more! I just finished reading the very intriguing, spellbinding novel, Lasting Impressions and it did not disappoint!

Lasting Impressions takes place in a small town, called Lasting. We find the townspeople enjoying the early days of summer with friends and family, until a newcomer arrives. This good looking, charismatic, young man, Dale Hawks, quickly gains the trust of everyone he comes across.
Jeremy Atkins is the mayor's overachieving son who picks up Dale Hawks hitchhiking. He has no idea about this young man's terrible past. He seems to have this otherworldly ability to adapt and blend in wherever he goes. Jeremy's girlfriend, Susan, is one of the first to find this out, as well as Jeremy's best friend and his secret admirer.
As each day passes and the warm weather gets hotter, it becomes abundantly clear that Dale Hawks is no ordinary human. His ability to mystically manipulate the townspeople is just part of his bigger plan, to bring about the destruction of the town.
There is just one catch, can Dale Hawks escape his own personal demons in order to bring about such a devastating end to the town?

Schlarbaum has the uncanny ability to draw you in from the very first page. A thrilling, suspenseful tale of what could happen when people are too trustworthy. It gets into your psyche and makes you question all of the strangers you come across. It makes the threats of stranger danger all too real and makes you wonder who you can trust.
From page one this story has your undivided attention and takes you on a spellbinding journey through so many twists and turns. Nothing predictable about this storyline. Schlarbaum keeps you turning page after page and guessing as to what is going to happen next.
All of the characters are strong and true to themselves. You feel like you know them, like they are your friends, or neighours or colleagues. Growing up in a small town, it's easy to understand how people can be so trusting and friendly, never expecting something, or someone, like Dale Hawks to show up and create so much devastation.
Personally, I enjoyed the mystical, paranormal spin on Hawks character.
I can't wait to read more of this phenomenal author's published works!