5 stars out of 5
Well, golleee! This one sucked me in at the start
and didn't let go till the end. What's not to like about a story that begins with a wife who found her husband murdered saying she's glad someone did him in? So what if the wife is somewhat of a sorry example of a human being, and so what if I guessed the whodunit about two-thirds of the way in - none of that mattered a whit. This is a totally engrossing story I really, really didn't want to put down.
Once married to steady-as-a-rock Frank, the restless and unfulfilled Olivia leaves him for adventure-loving Dane, who used to be Frank's employee. She and Frank share custody of their young son, Jake, at least until Dane is murdered and Olivia - who's overly fond of illegal drugs and alcohol, the former provided mostly by her new husband - is believed by most to be his killer. Even when someone else is convicted of Dane's murder, she's cut no slack; her friends abandoned her, her photography business is in shambles and a local cop won't stop harassing her because he's convinced of her guilt. Even Frank, with whom she shares custody of their child, has replaced her with a new, beautiful wife.
Even in her mostly drugged-out state, though, she knows she didn't do it; but she's not convinced the guy who confessed did it, either. As the story evolves, readers get behind-the-scenes looks at Olivia's life before Dane's murder as well as what's happening to her in the present. Toward the end, her current and former life start to merge amid a flurry of exciting twists and surprises. Definitely a winner - many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.
Some Days are Dark by Miranda Smith (Bookouture, March 2020); 354 p.
4.5 stars out of 5
My interest in a book like this was honed over many years from every side of the desk. As a university administrator trying to promote public and private training programs, I needed to utilize public relations to connect with my customers - business leaders and the general public - on a very limited budget. As a public relations director at an advertising agency, it was my job to convince editors that my clients had wonderful stories to tell. And as a newspaper editor, I was the one being "pitched" by anyone who had stories they wanted me to tell - wonderful or not (usually not). So when the publisher approved my request for a review copy, I was delighted. Still, armed with all that practical experience, I said to myself, "Self, if there's much of anything truly valuable in here, I'll eat my favorite pair of flip-flops."
Now I've finished reading. And let's just say those flip-flops didn't taste very good (and worse, with spring fast approaching, I'm gonna miss 'em like crazy).
Subtitled "A no-nonsense PR toolkit for small businesses," this book really is all that and more; the author has hit a home run when it comes to practical and thorough advice (put another way, I couldn't have written it better myself). Well, actually I could have in one sense; I'd like to have found more resources geared to U.S. businesses (the author and her company are based across the Pond). The points are well taken and it's easy for me to transfer the concepts to this country, but the average small business owner here likely wouldn't without some professional help.
Chapters are heavy on the how-to, from developing a public relations plan to nuts-and-bolts templates, a glossary and plenty of other resources - all geared toward teaching small business people how to "transform your business for free" (other than, of course, the cost of your time). Even for those who have no time - or don't want to spend it this way - the book is an excellent primer that provides a heads-up on what you should expect if you hire a PR professional.
The tips are spot-on when it comes to the real world; one of my bugaboos, for instance, is that while putting a positive spin on clients' news is part of any PR professional's job description, telling lies certainly is not. I've seen my share of company owners who expected the latter - and to be sure, they didn't get it from me (nor would I accept them when submitted to "my" newspaper).
The writing is interesting and interspersed with humor - I've lost count of the times I've exorcised the words, "We're excited to announce..." from news releases, for instance. The last chapter, titled "Brain Farts," refers to creative ideas that pop into your head (tying into the overall concept that defines public relations as "anything you do in the public eye"). It read like a laundry list of suggestions I've made to clients in the past - plus a few I never thought of, like podcasting (well, okay, that possibility wasn't even around back then, so I'll cut myself a little slack here).
My bottom line? Reading this book and learning how to get positive exposure for your business could help your bottom line. At under 200 pages, it won't take long to finish, but the return-on-investment possibilities if you follow even some of the advice are well worth your time.
Hype Yourself by Lucy Werner (Practical Inspiration Publishing, January 2020); 170 pp.
3 stars out of 5
Editor's note: Reading this was quite an experience for me - and not necessarily all positive. Stay tuned at the end for some insights on how to - and how not to - ask someone to review your work.
At just 10 pages, I read this very short story --
offered to me in exchange for an honest review - in about 10 minutes. And the first thing I said to myself when I finished is that the concept has the makings for a more-than-decent book (and if that ever happens, I'd certainly be willing to read it). As it is, especially given a handful of grammatical errors, I have to say it left a lot on the table. Besides that, it took several pages before I figured out who the "I" who was speaking really was - with so few pages, that was a major distraction early on.
Of course, I can't say much about such a short story without giving away too much, but basically, a police officer has been murdered, and his wife is accused of doing the deed. Detective Rick Fellows suspects there's more to the story - and when he determines what it is, he becomes determined to do something about it. The unsaid suggestion seems to be that he's championing a specific "cause" and thus is willing to circumvent the law to see that his version of justice is done. In fact, it's an issue to which I'm strongly sympathetic as well, but sorry - I don't buy into the concept that the end justifies the means.
One By One by Sandy Braccey (Amazon Services LLC, November 2018); 10 pp.
NOW FOR THE BACKSTORY: The author contacted me by email to ask if I'd review her "book." That's fine; I'm always leery of such requests, but I give the authors credit for trying to get their horns blown. The first "uh-oh" came when she praised one of my previous book reviews. That, too, happens often - but if you're going to try to butter up a potential reviewer, I suggest you pick something that has at least some connection to what you've written. In this case, it was totally unrelated (and thus an obvious attempt to curry favor).
The next oops came when she said her "book" was just 11 pages. Seriously? I don't even begin to think "book" at less than 200 pages. Heck, it doesn't even qualify for short story status (and a check at Amazon found it listed as only 10 pages (making me wonder where the author found the extra page). But knowing it would take only a few minutes to read, I figured it wouldn't kill me to give it a go.
The next warning signal came when I learned it had been self-published a year ago - and had only one review at Amazon (big surprise - 5 stars. Gosh, wonder which relative wrote that one)? Questionable at best, but I put all that aside and opened the first page with fresh eyes (as I must do with all for-review works no matter what I've previously seen or heard).
The story, such as it is, actually turned out to be relatively well thought out, although it fell way short of its official description. But running into at least two grammatical errors in the course of my 10-minute-or-so read gave me serious pause. Something that short has no excuse not to be error-free; and if you extrapolate to a "normal" 300-page book, you get the probability of 60 such mistakes. Sorry, but that's way beyond my tolerance limit for anyone who wants to be called a writer (granted, I'm a professional editor so I have zero patience for these things, but...)
Finally comes the real kicker: My review at Amazon (as shown above) mysteriously never got posted. I've never had a single one rejected in the hundreds I've submitted over the years, so I can only believe that somehow the author - who self-published the book - managed to quash it (I suppose because it didn't have enough stars or effusive praise). News flash: If you're going to ask for an honest review, you need to be honest as well. Even big-name authors leave not-so-perfect reviews of their work, especially when they've been solicited (the only exceptions to that rule might be if the review contains offensive language or it bears no relation to the book). Suffice it to say I took great pleasure in posting it at Barnes and Noble, Goodreads (where it garnered a number of likes within hours) and here on my book blog.
Bottom line? It's experiences like this that make book reviewers think twice about reading anything that didn't come straight from the publisher. To be sure, from now on I will.
Update: This morning - 24 hours after it was uploaded - I received the standard thank you from Amazon for reviewing this book. I still think something was amiss just because I posted a second review within an hour of this one yesterday morning and received the notice almost immediately. But at least, according to Amazon, it's there. I'm not going to go look.
4 stars out of 5
This is the first in a series featuring London Detective Inspector Dan Lockhart and psychologist Dr. Lexi Green, and while I enjoyed it (the serial killer's modus operandi is unique and wonderfully gruesome), I have to say I never felt a real "connection" between the lead characters. Of course, they're just getting started - and both have baggage from their past lives that weigh down the chances for successful relationships with anyone else. And near the end they both showed a little more emotion, so I do think there's hope for a solid friendship if not romance in future editions.
The two actually met when Dan, whose wife disappeared but so far hasn't been found, began counseling sessions with Lexi. Not knowing whether she's alive or dead has turned Dan into an alcoholic druggie of sorts, although he's able to slog through work when needed. But then, he's called to investigate the murder of a wealthy woman, and the similarities to an earlier murder are almost identical: choked by a metal ball, both women's ring fingers were oddly scratched. Not everyone on Dan's team, including his boss, are convinced that a serial killer is at work, so Dan decides to ask Lexi for professional input as to an overall profile and motive.
Lexi goes to work, coming up with a theory that's linked to an online community of women-hating men. At first, she's paid; but when no one, including Dan, take her work seriously, she decides to show them the error of their thoughts by continuing her work on her own because she's convinced the killer is lurking in the shadows of the Internet "mansphere." Even if neither she nor Dan foresee any danger in that going off the deep end approach (as professionals, it's a mystery to me why neither of them did), readers can see right away where the story is headed.
Meantime, interspersed with the investigation are glimpses into the killer's mind - and the awareness of from whence his inspiration comes. The action leans toward frenetic near the end, which brings a near end to at least one character (nope, not gonna tell). All told, it's a solid start to a new series. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-publication copy for review.
Knock Knock by Chris Merritt (Bookouture, March 2020); 416 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Let me get what I didn't like so much about this book - which I read as part of Amazon's First Reads program - out of the way up front. Although prosecuting attorney Jessica Yardley is a woman made stronger in large part by her less-then-perfect life choices, those choices don't quite line up with her strengths (put another way, it's hard to believe she's really that clueless when it comes to love). Also straining credulity is another prosecutor in her office - one who becomes charged with a case central to the plot - who inexplicably turns in a blithering idiot performance when it counts most. Finally, although I fervently hoped I would be wrong in my early assessment of another main character, my hunch was spot-on. And rather than make me happy that I was right, what I felt more than anything was disappointment (and, Lord help me, some sympathy for that prosecuting attorney for whom I had little sympathy to begin with).
All that out of the way, I quite happily stuck with this book from beginning to end - actually wishing I weren't so busy with other things that I was unable to read it in a marathon session. And as I do love any story that includes courtroom action and psychological drama, it was a treat to find plenty of both here to keep me turning the pages. As the story begins, Jessica is worried about her precious teenage daughter, Tara, who seems to be so bored with school that she's in danger of losing her way. Tara's father and Jessica's ex-husband, Eddie, is on death row, convicted of being a serial killer (unknown to Jessica when they were married, of course). While she's told Tara about her dad, she's never let the girl visit him in prison (nor has Jessica done so).
Since Eddie's conviction, Jessica met Wesley, a law professor at the University of Nevada who recently moved in with her and Tara. When murders similar to those committed by Eddie suddenly turn up, a copycat killer is suspected; Cason Baldwin, a detective and Jessica's one-time love interest, asks her to go visit Eddie to get his insights as to who the killer might be (and who might be the next victims).
Of course, she balks at going to see her manipulating ex; also of course, she relents. Not surprisingly, Eddie wants to get off death row; but he plays it coy and demands to see Tara before he'll cooperate. Of course, Jessica balks at allowing that to happen; also of course...
Somewhere around the middle of the book, readers learn (for the most part) who did what; after that, it's mostly a matter of revealing the when, how and why - some of which happens at the trial of one of the characters - a trial from which Jessica at first is prohibited from prosecuting because of an obvious conflict of interest. Revealing anything more would spoil the book for others, so all I'll say is it ends with that (to me) unhoped-for twist. All told, this is an intriguing start to a new series (Desert Plains No. 1), and for sure I'll be watching for the next installment.
A Killer's Wife by Victor Methos (Thomas & Mercer, March 2020); 351 pp.
4 stars out of 5
When a publisher offers me a free book, I rarely look a gift horse in the mouth (the only exception is if it's a romance novel, which I will read only if a shotgun is pointed at my head and maybe not even then). Admittedly, I hesitated a minute or two because this is the seventh in a series of which I've read none, but since I'm always on the lookout for cool characters and plots and the description sounded promising, I decided to take a chance.
And I enjoyed it. For readers new to the series like me, I'll say this one stands alone well, although I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it more had I started at the beginning (which IMHO is true of any series). The "hero," former Los Angeles County Deputy Bruno Johnson, is just enough of a maverick to tickle my fancy, and the plot is for the most part believable and filled with action - edge-of-seat in places.
As the story begins, Johnson has traded in his law enforcement status for work as a court bailiff, mostly so he can keep more of an eye on his teenage daughter Olivia. In the middle of the trial, he gets a call from Olivia begging for help; with her ne'er-do-well boyfriend - the one Johnson despises - she's in the middle of a confrontation that involves a gun. So Johnson is off to save her day (and perhaps her life). He's successful, but the incident certainly doesn't change his opinion of Olivia's drug-dealing boyfriend.
Meanwhile, back at the local prison, there's a brouhaha that results in the escape of several dangerous criminals including murderer Louis Barkow. As the story progresses, readers (and Johnson) learn that the incident with his daughter was rigged to set the stage for the escape. Now, Johnson is even madder; no way, he insists, is his daughter going to be used as a pawn - and it looks as if that might happen yet again. Enter Johnson's old partner Robby Wick, still on the force and happy to lend his more-than-capable assistance with Johnson's search for the illusive Barkow, who's gone to ground.
Along the way, there's what I suppose is a requisite love interest, but for me, at least, it was nothing more than an unnecessary diversion (as were a handful of typos that should have been caught). As for the love part, I know Johnson has been living alone for several years, but really, he can't - or shouldn't - be quite that stupid. Otherwise, the plot thickens as the search for Barkow intensifies and Olivia's life really does go on the line. But as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going - and it's clear Johnson and his partner plan on hanging tough all the way to what is an exciting end. All told, this is a good old-fashioned knock 'em down, drag 'em out story which, for the record, I can see as a TV series or movie, perhaps with a younger version of Denzel Washington in the lead (hint, hint).
The Heartless by David Putnam (Oceanview Publishing, February 2020); 368 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Plots that border the implausible and characters who do the impossible make this series especially appealing to me. The star of the show, FBI special agent Aloysius Pendergast, and his young, mysterious ward, Constance Greene, are so intriguing that I simply can't get enough. In this one, it's clear from the outset that something grisly is afoot - literally; but while Pendergast performs his usual feats of mental brilliance, it is Constance who steals the action scenes this time around.
Enjoying some rare downtime, Pendergast is annoyed to get a call ordering him to a crime scene on Florida's Sanibel Island. There, he learns that dozens of identical green sneakers are floating ashore with the tide - all containing human feet. But from whence did they come? Are the rest of the bodies still intact and alive, and if so, where?
Other police and Coast Guard officers and FBI agents (the latter including Assistant Director Walter Pickett, with whom I developed an immediate affinity given that Pickett is my maiden name) are there to help. Theories run all over the map, for a time centering on a Cuban prison. But only when Pendergast commandeer's the research boat of a Dr. Gladstone and her capable tech-savvy assistant do they discover the true origin - and it's too close to home for comfort. Meanwhile, a local hot-shot reporter finds a clue and sets off on his own to get the scoop - putting his own life in peril - and Pendergast calls on another of his cohorts, Agent Coldmoon (a Native American who will be familiar to readers of previous books), to kick in his special brand of assistance.
But the more the investigation gets a leg-up on the truth, the more the powers-that-be insist that Pendergast and his team to toe the official line. Needless to say, stay the course has never been part of Pendergast's crime-solving strategy, and it certainly rankles him this time around. But this case just might the one to do him in; and it will be up to Constance, with some help from Coldmoon - to keep this, the 19th book, from becoming the end of the series. But no, I never really believed that was a possibility, and a cliffhanger at the end assured me there will be a 20th. Bring it on!
Crooked River by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Grand Central Publishing, February 2020); 416 pp.
4 stars out of 5
The 50th book in this wonderful series? Wow. It seems almost more impossible to me that I've read almost every one of them (and, for the record, plan to keep doing so as long as the author keeps adding them).
That said, I was a bit disappointed with the 49th book, to the point that I actually used the word "bland" to describe the action (or lack thereof). This one does a decent about face in that regard as NYPD Lt. Eve Dallas and her capable team take on a presumed serial killer who sends golden eggs filled with deadly poison to his victims. As usual, in the middle of the action is Eve's dashing and filthy rich Irish husband Roarke, who offers his capable assistance to the investigation and keeps his wife running on all cylinders (and in gorgeous clothes). And as always, the futuristic setting - somewhere in the mid- to late 2050s - makes for fun reading (who wouldn't love to "program" up a spaghetti dinner or have a lifelike "bot" for a personal assistant)?
Noticeably missing, however, was some of the more edge-of-seat aspects of previous books and interactions with many of the characters we've come to know and expect to read about. Eve's fun-loving partner Peabody gets quite a bit of page time, which helps, but others - like Dr. Charlotte Mira and the irascible major domo Summerset - barely get mentions.
The story begins as the pediatrician husband of a private school headmaster gets a package containing a small golden egg. When he opens it, poison gas is released, killing him almost instantly. Apparently, the gas dissipates quickly, so no one else - including the investigating team that includes Eve - is in any danger. The victim was much loved by everyone, so a motive proves elusive until another person - this time a woman - is murdered in exactly the same way. Now, the race is on to find a connection between the two victims and find the murderer before he or she lays another egg.
While the last couple of books haven't been what I'd call exciting, I must say it's a relief to not worry so much that Roarke, in particular, might be seriously wounded or even killed off. He's one of my favorite book heroes, and I was on pins and needles in other books all the way to the end when I was certain he was safe for another go-round. Truth is, I'm kind of hoping things stay that way - my aging heart can't take much strain. As for this one, I enjoyed it and, as I said at the beginning, I'm looking forward to the next one.
Golden in Death by J.D. Robb (St. Martin's Press, February 2020); 400 pp.
5 stars out of 5
When it comes to timely reading of pre-publication books I get by way of NetGalley, I try to play it straight - really, I do - by reading them in order of next to be released. But sometimes I get one I'm so excited about that it jumps to the head of the line. This is one of those times. And to the half-dozen books that got pushed aside, I promise to get to them soon, but love means never having to say you're sorry. This one was way too good for apologies.
It's most notable to me for the interesting characters, starting with Wilde, a now-grown man who, as a young boy, was found living in a state forest. He had no memory of a family, or how he got there, curiously attributing his language ability to sneaking into people's homes when they were gone to watch TV shows like Sesame Street and videos (how he learned to turn them on remains a mystery to me, but hey). Also important to this story is attorney Hester Crimstein, a somewhat quirky but very likable character who has appeared in previous books.
At this stage of his life, Wilde has become quite accomplished, having graduated from West Point and served in the military, but he remains somewhat reclusive and continues to live in the forest in an eco-friendly but technologically advanced pod-like structure that can be moved around at will. He has no real emotional attachment to anyone and prefers living alone - how he survived communal living at West Point and the military is beyond me, but I'm guessing it wasn't the most fun he ever had in his life. But back in the woods, he manages to collect a menagerie of former and current ladies. More to the point here, he was good friends with Hester's late son, David (and, of course, with Hester).
A young girl named Naomi Pines, a victim of bullying at school, goes missing, and her off-and-on classmate, Matthew (Hester's grandson) is so worried that he begs her to look into her disappearance. When Hester asks viewers of her popular TV show to be on the lookout for Naomi, all heck seems to break loose. Much of that emanates from the wealthy and powerful parents of one of the boys who bullied Naomi unmercifully (exactly why school teachers and officials always looked the other way when that happened isn't clear, but I suppose it has something to do with not wanting to get on the wrong side of those snooty parents).
Of course, there's a subplot that involves goings-on and the potential for blackmail among the aforementioned filthy rich parents and their friends, one of whom is making a run for a major political office. And that leads to some political commentary which, I presume, reflects the author's opinions (and certainly mine), to-wit: "The middle class has become complacent. They are smart, but they are lazy. They see the grays, they get the other side. Extremists, on the other hand, see only black and white. They are not only certain that their vision is absolutely correct, but they are incapable of even understanding the other side. Those who don't believe as they do are lesser in every way...They don't see right or wrong - they see us and them."
Aided by some old friends, Wilde ratchets up his investigative skills to find Naomi; and when another youth goes missing and the plot thickens, they tackle that as well - sometimes at their own peril. All in all, it's a sometimes harrowing experience for the characters and a whirlwind for readers - at least for me. Loved it - many thanks for the opportunity to read and review it.
The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben (Grand Central Publishing, March 2020); 385 pp.
4 stars out of 5
It appears this is the first book in a new series, and after reading this one, there's no question I'm up for more. The plot - and even the star character, former hot-shot veteran turned Bahamas dive boat captain Michael Gannon - are reminiscent of those from other authors, but this one is different, intriguing and action-packed enough to suit me just fine.
Gannon is out on his boat when he sees a Gulfstream jet crash; rushing as fast as his boat will take him, he dives to the wreckage to find six dead bodies plus a boatload of money and diamonds. Ethics be damned, Gannon sees an opportunity to swipe the loot, stashing it where no one else could possibly find it and looks forward to a rest-of-life not worrying about where his next meal will come from.
Meanwhile, U.S. Navy Lt. Ruby Everett of Naval Safety is with her sister, who's due to give birth any second. Looking forward to aunthood, Ruby is less than thrilled when she gets a call sending her to the Bahamas to check out the airplane incident. But when she gets there, she's told by high-up muckity-mucks to back off, even though the disaster falls clearly within her department's purview. As she mulls over the abrupt dismissal, an islander shows her a video he'd taken under water that clearly shows something isn't quite right. It gets worse when the official announcement of the crash is made public - with details that totally contradict what really happened as shown in that video. Whoa, Everett thinks, but there's not much she can do about it.
Gannon, meanwhile, also learns of the contradictions and starts to wonder how things really went down (so to speak). But on the other side, the bad guys - the ones who want to quash the real story because they're in the middle of preventing a huge international incident that would discredit them - realize the loot has been taken from the plane and will stop at nothing to find out who's got it and get it back.
From there, the chases get really complicated, but suffice it to say Gannon, Everett and several of their cohorts find themselves on a run for their lives as they try to find out what's really going on. The efforts also force Gannon out of retirement and put his not-so-rusty shoot 'em up skills to good use (which no doubt will be needed in future books). All in all, well worth reading; I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read a pre-publication copy.
Stop at Nothing by Michael Ledwidge (Hanover Square Press, March 2020); 416 pp.
4 stars out of 5
When I look at the sum of the parts, it was Gestalt. The individual parts, however, sometimes left a bit to be desired.
At an art gallery in a small community along the Connecticut shore, Beth Lathrop and her slightly older sister Kate lost their mother - and nearly their own lives - during a robbery at the gallery 23 years ago. Young detective Conor Reid managed to save the girls, but the gruesome circumstances left an imprint on his mind that he could never forget - nor could the sisters; their own father was convicted of masterminding the crime, which included the theft of a special painting, and he has been in prison ever since.
In the present day, Beth is running the museum, married and has a teenage daughter Sam. Her husband, Pete, helps with the gallery and has an ongoing not-so-secret affair with a young woman who subsequently gave birth to his child. Not a pleasant time for Beth and Sam, needless to say. But then, the unthinkable happens: Beth is found murdered - strangled in horrific fashion - and that special painting that was stolen and found years ago has gone missing once again. Bringing the story full circle is that Reid, now a seasoned detective, is once again assigned to the case.
It's helpful that Reid needs little when it comes to background; goodness knows he's followed the lives of Beth and Kate ever since the case 23 years ago (if it had been in any other book, I'd have called him a low-key stalker). But it comes in handy during his investigation, as does the help he gets from his Coast Guard brother, Tom. But early on, Reid has only one real suspect: Beth's lying, cheating, mean, mistreating husband, Pete, who, alas, has an unshakable alibi. So what's a detective to do?
Well, for starters, I'd suggest that someone decide what to call him. All the other characters are referred to by their first names; not so the detective, who goes by "Conor" and "Reid" when the mood strikes, I guess. Besides being a frustrating inconsistency, it actually made me wonder whether his name is Conor Reid or Reid Conor.
As the investigation moves along, readers get a glimpse of the relationship among Beth, Kate and their long-time female friends Scotty and Lulu - who call their collective selves the Compass Rose. Best buds since childhood, they shared secret after secret; but as it turns out, all four may not have been privvy to all of them, much to the disappointment of Kate, who carved a life for herself outside of the art world by becoming an in-demand private pilot and now feels left out.
All of that brings me to another frustrating aspect: an overabundance of detail, whether it be on works of art, history, or even the characters' backgrounds, quite a bit of which wasn't all that relevant to the plot. I won't call it uninteresting - I found much of it was educational, in fact - but it just seemed to overwhelm what could (should?) have been a shorter book.
Somewhere around the middle, I began to suspect the identity of Beth's killer - and that was more than enough incentive to keep me glued to the pages from then on (for the record, I was right). I admit to losing a bit of enthusiasm at the ghostly appearance of one of the characters - what the heck is that all about, I asked myself - but as I said early on, overall this is a solid effort that I'm sure will please many readers, including me. Good choice for the Amazon First Reads program!
Last Day by Luanne Rice (Thomas & Mercer, February 2020); 402 pp.
