“Fractured” is a psychological thriller written from the first-person perspectives of both Julie and John, two different characters who plays a part in finding out what really happened and why. The story is structured, alternating in a year-long countdown toward a present-day courtroom drama. There is much to delve into and a challenge to keep up with what is going on as it keeps on switching back and forth and dilly-dallies into frivolities at each chapters. One year in the lives of a family and neighborhood friendly or not inhabitants keeps us guessing or rather in my case left me out, I totally lost interest after the first few chapters.
The story centers on solving a puzzle: a car accident of some kind, what exactly occurred and who was responsible. A promising premise and some parts were amusing but the plot is too fragmented, the style lacks consistency and too many pointless players populate the story. Call this book “Desperate Housewives” or “Snoopy Housewives” and you would have a better idea that all through the books people are spying on each other and the neighborhood busy body blabbers out whatever the imagination permits. Welcome to Cincinnati…..
Please don’t shoot the messenger, I know I am not being fair here, lots of people gave this book high mark and probably their views are warranted. No doubts, if you like to decipher every clue and determine the outcome before the denouement this is a book for you. “Fractured” definitely is not my preferred book.
I received this book from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalleys for an honest and unbiased review
Book #2, in A Singer Brown Mystery
“Beach Kill” is set on a Gulf Island of British Columbia and follows “Long Gone Man” although it is nice to read series in sequence it not necessary to do so here, the second book works pretty well on its own.
Ms. Smallman has once more penned down a nail biter. It all starts when the body of a teenage girl is found on a beach. As we follow Singer, not so much homeless in this drama, we gradually discover why she has the knack for being in the right place at the wrong time and why she goes digging for secrets. Singer is slowly becoming a crafty sleuth poking her nose where it does not belong, sometime opening a can of worms and leaving no stone unturned, placing herself in danger in order to get to the bottom and get justice. Exciting: yes quite a page turner also. Of course to spice up the story, we have a budding romance between our protagonist and the handsome RCMP officer…. We simply need to stay tuned till the next saga to find out the outcome. (Can’t wait).
I am partial to the author’s style: a simple and light narrative, a fast paced storyline that includes many humorous twists and has plenty of suspenseful moments, one that is populated with colorful and eccentric characters and to top it all provides a captivating saga that grabs you from the start and never let’s go.
This new series has the same beat as the “Sherri Travis Series”, but with a new local, a new protagonist and a fresh storyline… Well-done.
Thank you Ms. Smallman for ARC
Julie Apple is the pen name of Catherine McKenzie
The story is of protagonist Meredith Delay, a successful Crown Prosecutor in Montreal who handles many homicide cases in Canada’s second largest city. In “The Murder Game” Meredith is assigned a particularly troublesome case: the accused is none other than her law school friend Julian McCarthy who admits to have committed the murder. Julian will be represented by Jonathan Sayers, another law school friend.
The storyline as two distinct timeline and works seamlessly as it goes forward and switches back and forth from the trial in 2007 to the law school days 1995-99 where the McGill students became a tight-knit group. This is a largely humorless story narrated in the grim voice of Meredith. As the story progresses we discover why she is so much in a funk. Definitely there is a mystery right from the start and discovering what it may be is the fun part. But the trouble with this mystery is to get there……“How to Get Away with Murder” is really the basis of this story….once we get there…
Ms. Apple (McKenzie) has made the city of Montreal and some interesting key points in the country history a vibrant background for her legal drama. Her expertise working in the legal system in Quebec and her intensive research have abled her to make the courtroom aspects flow smoothly although I thought the scenes were rather on the drab sides, by adding some American style dramatics into the mix Ms. McKenzie could have pinned down a more captivating saga. The author is well- versed with the city and understands the nuances in the two cultures (English and French) some aspects may slip those not familiar with Quebec past and present but still makes for a light and entertaining read.
Although this is a good story, it is misses the punches others have managed to do in legal thrillers. “The Murder Game” is very predictable and is for my taste too much the run of the mill chick-lit drama.
I received this book from Lawsome Books via Netgalleys for an honest review.
