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A review by cj_mo_2222
The Mother Shadow by Melodie Johnson Howe
3.0
Maggie Hill is called to the home of her temporary employer, Ellis Kenilworth regarding an important document. This at first seems to be an ordinary, if a bit mysterious request. However, it becomes central to a murder investigation after Ellis’s sudden death. Maggie feels she can provide an important clue to the cause of his death, if only she could prove it. She teams up with the enigmatic Claire Conrad, who has a past with Ellis, to learn the truth about his death.
This book is a mixed bag for me. It started out slowly and was hard for me to get into reading it. The plot sometimes meanders and gets confusing. The book includes some amusing, perceptive lines from the very beginning, such as when Ellis’s self-centered widow declares, “I’m so preoccupied with my own life, how can I remember what other people do?”. However, it still took some time for me to relate to Maggie. She is smart and independent, but she can be annoying and hard to relate to.
The book picks up for me once Maggie meets Claire Conrad. The unusual pairing of the two intelligent, outspoken, but vulnerable, women is the highlight of this book. They make a great team as they work together to get to the bottom of Ellis’s murder. If the two could have begun working on the case from the very beginning of the story, the book would have been much more enjoyable.
I like the way the story is told, which reminds me of the style of author Susan Kandel. However, this mystery by Melodie Johnson Howe, contains much stronger language that instead of adding realism, almost seems to be included for shock value. The story would have been just as good or better without it. This is a unique mystery with a classic feel although it is definitely modern in the characters and telling of the story. Although the story doesn’t always flow smoothly, I was interested to see what Maggie and Claire would do next and how the case would be resolved.
3.5 stars
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Open Road Media, in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a mixed bag for me. It started out slowly and was hard for me to get into reading it. The plot sometimes meanders and gets confusing. The book includes some amusing, perceptive lines from the very beginning, such as when Ellis’s self-centered widow declares, “I’m so preoccupied with my own life, how can I remember what other people do?”. However, it still took some time for me to relate to Maggie. She is smart and independent, but she can be annoying and hard to relate to.
The book picks up for me once Maggie meets Claire Conrad. The unusual pairing of the two intelligent, outspoken, but vulnerable, women is the highlight of this book. They make a great team as they work together to get to the bottom of Ellis’s murder. If the two could have begun working on the case from the very beginning of the story, the book would have been much more enjoyable.
I like the way the story is told, which reminds me of the style of author Susan Kandel. However, this mystery by Melodie Johnson Howe, contains much stronger language that instead of adding realism, almost seems to be included for shock value. The story would have been just as good or better without it. This is a unique mystery with a classic feel although it is definitely modern in the characters and telling of the story. Although the story doesn’t always flow smoothly, I was interested to see what Maggie and Claire would do next and how the case would be resolved.
3.5 stars
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Open Road Media, in exchange for an honest review.