Scan barcode
A review by sdscattergood
Valley of Ashes by Cornelia Read
2.0
From the book description: "...there's a serial arsonist at large in the city. As Madeline closes in on the culprit, the fires turn deadly-and the stakes tragically personal. She'll need every ounce of strength and courage she has to keep the flames from reaching her own doorstep, threatening all she holds most dear."
The first third of the book is Madeline "getting her mojo back" while balancing her husband's constant travel and taking care of her two infant daughters. The majority of the book is Madeline whining about the injustice of her life. I was pulled in by the discussion of the science behind the arsons, and hoped this trend towards two smart women using their brains to solve the crime would continue. Instead the book rapidly descends into Madeline's home life frustrations and her husband's issues (I won't include spoilers, but it's obvious from about page 5 what's going on).
Deeply disappointing, with a throwaway reference to autism that does no justice to families with real autism problems--I was surprised to see the author so well rated for her other works.
The first third of the book is Madeline "getting her mojo back" while balancing her husband's constant travel and taking care of her two infant daughters. The majority of the book is Madeline whining about the injustice of her life. I was pulled in by the discussion of the science behind the arsons, and hoped this trend towards two smart women using their brains to solve the crime would continue. Instead the book rapidly descends into Madeline's home life frustrations and her husband's issues (I won't include spoilers, but it's obvious from about page 5 what's going on).
Deeply disappointing, with a throwaway reference to autism that does no justice to families with real autism problems--I was surprised to see the author so well rated for her other works.