Scan barcode
meganmreads's review against another edition
3.0
Review Originally Published at Love Literature Art and Reason book review blog.
I decided to read The Alibi to complete the Book Set in Your Hometown category of the 2015 Reading Challenge, as it’s set in Charleston, SC. I’ve lived in a lot of places, but Charleston is one of the places I consider a hometown.
The Alibi was sort of a crime drama mixed with romance, which is common for many of Sandra Brown’s novels. I used to read her books all of the time and I still consider some of them favorites, but I was not impressed by The Alibi.
I enjoyed the beginning, as I could see the setup unfold. Hammond met a mysterious woman by chance at a fair, felt a strong connection, and decided to do the unthinkable and take her to his cabin. Then she disappeared and he came back to the city only to find that an important person had been murdered and he would be the lead prosecutor on the case. The only suspect happened to be the woman he slept with. That’s quite the conflict.
Mostly, I felt like the plot was over the top, unrealistic, and unbelievable. From the moment Hammond realized he recognized the person sitting in front of him, he would have come clean and it wouldn’t have had the power to destroy his reputation. I can’t imagine anyone who has integrity would have lied for no apparent reason and create a web of lies so tangled, he would struggle to not get caught up in it.
I felt that the romance was forced and that Hammond and Alex were only thrown together to cause conflict. I didn’t feel that the person she was after the fair coincided with her personality at the fair at all, which kind of made the entire romance fall flat for me.
The redeeming quality was that I had no idea who actually killed Lute Pettijohn and when that was revealed, I was quite shocked. I honestly didn’t see that coming, despite having several theories. The whodunit twist was certainly an enjoyable aspect of the book.
If you’re a fan of Sandra Brown, The Alibi is good, but it’s not her best. If you’re not a fan or haven’t read her books yet, I wouldn’t recommend beginning with this one, as it’s not one of her best.
I decided to read The Alibi to complete the Book Set in Your Hometown category of the 2015 Reading Challenge, as it’s set in Charleston, SC. I’ve lived in a lot of places, but Charleston is one of the places I consider a hometown.
The Alibi was sort of a crime drama mixed with romance, which is common for many of Sandra Brown’s novels. I used to read her books all of the time and I still consider some of them favorites, but I was not impressed by The Alibi.
I enjoyed the beginning, as I could see the setup unfold. Hammond met a mysterious woman by chance at a fair, felt a strong connection, and decided to do the unthinkable and take her to his cabin. Then she disappeared and he came back to the city only to find that an important person had been murdered and he would be the lead prosecutor on the case. The only suspect happened to be the woman he slept with. That’s quite the conflict.
Mostly, I felt like the plot was over the top, unrealistic, and unbelievable. From the moment Hammond realized he recognized the person sitting in front of him, he would have come clean and it wouldn’t have had the power to destroy his reputation. I can’t imagine anyone who has integrity would have lied for no apparent reason and create a web of lies so tangled, he would struggle to not get caught up in it.
I felt that the romance was forced and that Hammond and Alex were only thrown together to cause conflict. I didn’t feel that the person she was after the fair coincided with her personality at the fair at all, which kind of made the entire romance fall flat for me.
The redeeming quality was that I had no idea who actually killed Lute Pettijohn and when that was revealed, I was quite shocked. I honestly didn’t see that coming, despite having several theories. The whodunit twist was certainly an enjoyable aspect of the book.
If you’re a fan of Sandra Brown, The Alibi is good, but it’s not her best. If you’re not a fan or haven’t read her books yet, I wouldn’t recommend beginning with this one, as it’s not one of her best.
isabella28's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
gramidi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
nourbey's review against another edition
5.0
I’m seriously upset that this book ended. When I flipped to the next page and it said authors note I actually almost cried. This was a piece of art I love it.
swathi_narasimhan's review against another edition
4.0
Sandra Brown! Truly a master piece which intricately weaves Romance, Suspense, Murder and Deceit .
A high profile murder has occurred in Charleston Town, and almost everyone seems to have a motive for murdering. A man, Hammond Cross, a respectable lawyer falls in love with a stranger, Alex Ladd the same night and she disappears the next morning. Eventually, she turns out to be the prime suspect in the murder. Was he used to be her Alibi?
The murdered man is Lute Pettijohn who death makes almost everyone happy. The widow of his, Mrs Davee Pettijohn is quite happy with the murder. She has a loyal servant Sarah who seems to second every point of Davee.
There is Detective Smilow who is investigating the case. Hammond Cross is the prosecuting attorney and Steffi Mundell is to assist him. There is Preston Cross, Hammond's father who keeps pestering him to win the case! Why?
Then comes the Mystery man, Bobby Trimble who blackmails Dr Ladd almost in every instance. What's their link and why does he nudge her?
By the end of the book, I was left baffled with how every piece nicely fits together ! And the motive for murder is perfect ! The murderer has been with us all along and never did I doubt !As always Brown didn't disappoint ! The Alibi didn't !
A high profile murder has occurred in Charleston Town, and almost everyone seems to have a motive for murdering. A man, Hammond Cross, a respectable lawyer falls in love with a stranger, Alex Ladd the same night and she disappears the next morning. Eventually, she turns out to be the prime suspect in the murder. Was he used to be her Alibi?
The murdered man is Lute Pettijohn who death makes almost everyone happy. The widow of his, Mrs Davee Pettijohn is quite happy with the murder. She has a loyal servant Sarah who seems to second every point of Davee.
There is Detective Smilow who is investigating the case. Hammond Cross is the prosecuting attorney and Steffi Mundell is to assist him. There is Preston Cross, Hammond's father who keeps pestering him to win the case! Why?
Then comes the Mystery man, Bobby Trimble who blackmails Dr Ladd almost in every instance. What's their link and why does he nudge her?
By the end of the book, I was left baffled with how every piece nicely fits together ! And the motive for murder is perfect ! The murderer has been with us all along and never did I doubt !As always Brown didn't disappoint ! The Alibi didn't !
felinity's review against another edition
3.0
Starting at a slower pace than many crime/mystery books, I felt quite distant from the story, as if it were missing some vital connection that normally creates the compulsion to continue reading. Although Sandra Brown expertly weaves her plot of intrigue and suspense, the characters felt flat and unreal until quite late on. The last 15% of the book finally picked up and fulfilled the expectations I had, but it wasn't enough to really save it. I might still read more by this author, but I won't seek them out till my reading list gets shorter!
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.