When a book starts out with a forward like this, watch out!!
Courtney Cole, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for not watering it down or sugar coating it!! You couldn't have written it any better than you did.
I've read Nocte twice in a week, and I still don't have the words to express how amazing this book is. It actually took me four days to finish it the first time, only because I didn't want it to end. You know that quote, "My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter."? Well, that was my problem. Courtney Cole is the queen of dark suspense, the master of unseen twists and turns, and I'm pretty sure she takes pleasure in ripping your heart out and then playing around with it. She knocked this one out of the ballpark!
I don't know how to review this without leaving a spoiler or two, so I'm going to play it safe and say, "GO READ THIS NOW!!". When I read The Minaldi Legacy, I was hooked on Courtney's writing. I love her other books, but to me, where she seriously shines is dark suspense. Her brain must be a fun place to be in for her to come up with plots like this. Nocte is DEFINITELY the best book I have read this year, and one of my top 5 all time favorites. Do yourself a favor and grab it now!! I can't wait for part two, Verum, to be released in February. (A note on that, Nocte has what's technically called a cliffhanger, but coming from someone who will usually just wait until the whole series is out to skip them, it is not a real cliffhanger. The important part is resolved, then it segways into the next book. So YAY for that!!)
A word to the wise: Toward the end, keep some tissues handy.