LOOK CLOSER

5 stars out of 5

It's been a while since I had a book on my Kindle that I really didn't want to put down. When it comes to this one, make that really, really, REALLY didn't want to. Not that I was expecting a dud, mind you - I've read and enjoyed other books by this author, including those with which he shares authorship (is that a word??) with James Patterson. But IMHO, this one's his best yet. 

After just a few chapters, the line from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" started to slither through my brain: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." It begins on Halloween when Simon Dobias eyeballs a woman's body hanging from the balcony of her foyer; how she died is no mystery, but who did the deed isn't quite so cut and dried. One other thing is clear - Simon is acquainted with Lauren, the victim who's married to a filthy rich old codger.

Years ago, readers learn, Simon knew Lauren; but today, he's a law school full professor in waiting who is happily married to his wife Vicky, and both of them have so many secrets that it's hard to keep track of them all. In fact, just about every character in the book has secrets; as the chapters shift in and out of time frames and from the perspective of one character after another, nothing, and no one, is what and who they seem to be. Did I mention how much fun that is?

Those chapter shifts, which normally drive me bonkers, are very easy to follow here, I hasten to add. Still another perspective is that of the local police, led by Sergeant Jane Burke, who gets Lauren's case dumped in her lap. Her Spidey instincts kick in big-time once she learns about a $21 million trust that's set for payout less than a week after Thanksgiving. A high-rolling financial planner who's hot to trot to invest said trust fund, a pending job promotion that's threatened by the wealthy father of one of the candidates and a years-old family vendetta add even more fuel to the fire. Oh, wait, did I mention how much fun that is?

The surprises keep coming right up to the end when, for the most part, things get sorted out (nope, can't reveal more than that). What I will say - again - is that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Outstanding!

Look Closer by David Ellis (G.P. Putnam's Sons, July 2022); 459 pp.