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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
I was hoping for a guilty pleasure read, but was disappointed. I didn't feel like there was any connection with the characters. Everyone was a stereotype, and the ending was no big surprise. More of a let down. I wanted more of Tessa. I wanted to like this book the entire time I read it, but I just couldn't.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(How disappointing to have this review disappear after I wrote it this morning! Re-try)
#3 of the mystery grab bag of five purchased from Half-Price Books during the 2020 pandemic, from an author I knew about but have not read previously. Tessa Leoni is a likable heroine; this is the middle of a trilogy featuring her, with her past referred to and a possible future romance set up that place this book well. Tessa and law enforcement from city, state/s, and the FBI come across as nuanced "good guys" and even several of the "bad guys" have some goodness in them. The primary villain, however, is deeply despicable and the reason I could not "like" this book. The puzzle is strong and does not fully resolve until the very end. Chapters alternate between Tessa/law enforcement and the victims, beautiful/rich/seemingly blessed Libby and her family.
Because psychological thrillers, as the cover of this book proclaims it is, are not my favorite type of mystery and I don't like to see people mistreated, I occasionally skimmed and mostly skipped the victim chapters in the middle of this book. I read mysteries primarily for the puzzles and for justice in the resolution. There is indeed justice in this resolution and the puzzle is well-peppered with red herrings. I did deduce some of the resolutions but not all, perhaps in part because of the skipped chapters.
Two quotations to mark as spot-on about New Hampshire in my experience: “In the state of New Hampshire, the shortest distance between two points is rarely paved. But if you know where to look, you can almost [always?] find a dirt road” (348). [Reminds me of Sunday afternoons on childhood vacations in the White Mountains as my father tried to find roads “off-map.”] “Burying the van in a small avalanche of boulders, the kind that occurred naturally all the time in the Granite State, just ask the Old Man of the Mountain” (366). [The Old Man, which collapsed May 3, 2003, is still mourned.] So, in sum, good puzzle, but not my type of book. Still 2+ for three in the mystery grab bag and two to go.
#3 of the mystery grab bag of five purchased from Half-Price Books during the 2020 pandemic, from an author I knew about but have not read previously. Tessa Leoni is a likable heroine; this is the middle of a trilogy featuring her, with her past referred to and a possible future romance set up that place this book well. Tessa and law enforcement from city, state/s, and the FBI come across as nuanced "good guys" and even several of the "bad guys" have some goodness in them. The primary villain, however, is deeply despicable and the reason I could not "like" this book. The puzzle is strong and does not fully resolve until the very end. Chapters alternate between Tessa/law enforcement and the victims, beautiful/rich/seemingly blessed Libby and her family.
Because psychological thrillers, as the cover of this book proclaims it is, are not my favorite type of mystery and I don't like to see people mistreated, I occasionally skimmed and mostly skipped the victim chapters in the middle of this book. I read mysteries primarily for the puzzles and for justice in the resolution. There is indeed justice in this resolution and the puzzle is well-peppered with red herrings. I did deduce some of the resolutions but not all, perhaps in part because of the skipped chapters.
Two quotations to mark as spot-on about New Hampshire in my experience: “In the state of New Hampshire, the shortest distance between two points is rarely paved. But if you know where to look, you can almost [always?] find a dirt road” (348). [Reminds me of Sunday afternoons on childhood vacations in the White Mountains as my father tried to find roads “off-map.”] “Burying the van in a small avalanche of boulders, the kind that occurred naturally all the time in the Granite State, just ask the Old Man of the Mountain” (366). [The Old Man, which collapsed May 3, 2003, is still mourned.] So, in sum, good puzzle, but not my type of book. Still 2+ for three in the mystery grab bag and two to go.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes
Segundo libro de esta trilogía que me ha encantado, donde conocemos más a la investigadora Tessa leoni pero con una trama trepidante. Eso si, ya me imaginaba lo que pasaba con un personaje desde prácticamente la mitad del libro aunque no supiera toda la información
Another great thriller by Lisa Gardner. I always enjoy her books and was really looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint. It wasn't as good as some of her other books but it was good. I really enjoyed the return of Tessa Leoni from "Love You More" and I liked the strength of her character in this book. There were layers of crime that really caused you to pay attention. A simple kidnapping turned out to be not so simple. Add in the embezzlement and the adultery and it became so much more. I will continue to read novels written by Ms. Gardner because she is a fantastic author. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes