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A review by me_alley
The Good Samaritan by Toni Halleen
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have one beef with this book, and it's only the cover and blurb. This book is a multi-POV suspense novel, and it is a good one. But the marketing, cover, blurb, make it seem like a thriller, and those seeking a murder or kidnapping or twisty plot are going to be disappointed in the plot development and ending.
This book is a lot more subtle. You are going to get hints at how the book develops, and it goes in a different direction that I thought it would.
Multi-POV
Matthew, a divorced professor who lost his son in a drowning accident 7 years ago when his son was 4. He teaches sociology, and the events of the book end up being a sociology experiment. Matthew is father to
Claire, a teenager who works part time at a bagel store and has a crush on a troubled boy.
Kira, a social worker who is chasing after Seaver. Like most social workers, she is over worked and underpaid but with a good heart. A former foster kid herself, she isn't the most interesting character but her presence is necessary to move the plot forward.
Seaver, a 12 year old foster kid trying to find his addict mom. We don't know what he is running from.
The story begins with a hailstorm and Matthew finding a body, which ends up being Seaver. He is suffering from hypothermia and Matthew decides to drive him to the hospital. Then Seaver wakes up and refuses to go to the hospital and sprints away. What Matthew decides to do in most situations are very driven by the tragedies he has had in his life, and this is interspersed with his tenure track. His daughter, Claire, is smart yet a bit insecure. I enjoyed all of the POV and read this pretty compulsively. It is intensely readable and a good beach read for someone who wants a suspenseful read without all the violence.
This would be a good pick for a book club as it is a sociology experiment and lots of "what would you do" in the situation type conversation starters.
This book is a lot more subtle. You are going to get hints at how the book develops, and it goes in a different direction that I thought it would.
Multi-POV
Matthew, a divorced professor who lost his son in a drowning accident 7 years ago when his son was 4. He teaches sociology, and the events of the book end up being a sociology experiment. Matthew is father to
Claire, a teenager who works part time at a bagel store and has a crush on a troubled boy.
Kira, a social worker who is chasing after Seaver. Like most social workers, she is over worked and underpaid but with a good heart. A former foster kid herself, she isn't the most interesting character but her presence is necessary to move the plot forward.
Seaver, a 12 year old foster kid trying to find his addict mom. We don't know what he is running from.
The story begins with a hailstorm and Matthew finding a body, which ends up being Seaver. He is suffering from hypothermia and Matthew decides to drive him to the hospital. Then Seaver wakes up and refuses to go to the hospital and sprints away. What Matthew decides to do in most situations are very driven by the tragedies he has had in his life, and this is interspersed with his tenure track. His daughter, Claire, is smart yet a bit insecure. I enjoyed all of the POV and read this pretty compulsively. It is intensely readable and a good beach read for someone who wants a suspenseful read without all the violence.
This would be a good pick for a book club as it is a sociology experiment and lots of "what would you do" in the situation type conversation starters.