Dead By Nightfall / Beverly Barton / 575 pages / R. T. Reviewer's Choice Award

Dead by Nightfall reads somewhat like an adult version of Hunger Games.  A wealthy, warped eccentric kidnaps strong, young men and beautiful young women and forces them to fight to the death, be prey in a hunt, or perform sexually.  Three of his captives have staged a revolt, killed the demon, and begun new lives for themselves, establishing the Powell Foundation to make the world a better place.  Griffon's wife, Nicole, an ex FBI agent, has been kidnapped by a man claiming to be Malcolm York, the demon responsible for the atrocities on Amara.  Griffon jumps through hoops to secure Nic's release and end the brief reign of the Malcolm York impostor.  This is a real page-turner with "valuable lessons about understanding, forgiveness, acceptance, and the power of love."