THE SKETCH ARTIST by Amanda McKinney

3* Good stortline but efforts at a romance were a waste - absolutely no chemistry between the leads, on top of very, very little time together. 

This is a doesn't-feel-dangerous tale that has all the elements to make it a feels-dangerous tale, but they're not there in the right proportions: the graffiti doesn't feel sinister; not enough is made of the ex; the 'protector' lead doesn't get to protect hardly at all; the camping, right on the anniversary of the sad event the town is famous for, feels TSTL, not dangerous or suspenseful. One catty character is there for about 1/4 page, never to be seen again. The townspeople who maligned and threatened Harper were silent when the truth was outed. 

Sigh. A good editor could've amped up everything by asking the author for - more. Not a waste of time, but ultimately, unsatisfying.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HER BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Brianna Labuskes

4* What a read. Started off with something mundane, turned into something totally shocking. I wasn't sure I'd like this tale of a former roomie/bestie going to interview a trad wife, some 10/11 years after their lives diverged, following a fallout, for a celebrity piece. I was a bit surprised at the lack of awkwardness and tension between the former friends, and didn't expect the tension from the actual eventual source. I absolutely didn't expect the plot, which was really, really well done, if you can cope with the plotting, the (occasionally) flawed rationale, the not-really-likable journalist/writer, Holland, and the iceberg-type trad wife, Cat/Catriona. Add in various very, very good red herrings (staff, scared kids, a creepy teen, a domineering husband, a mysterious death - still not clarified at the end, cops that don't have big-city cop instincts or mistrust, mental health, a possible psychopath), and you have a very, very well-done, well- dovetailed tale tha...
Read more

THE FIX by Mia Sheridan

4* Wasn't prepared for that opener, but a good tale, especially as an intro to this author. The opener to this tale is brutal but leads to an ultimately happier event 11 years down the line. I wasn't expecting what I read, so it was a bit of a shocker, although it was great to see both Cami's mental strength and her physicality saving her. I think the author did well to skip the years in between, not dwelling on the pain, trauma and loss.  The tale does need a bit of a dose of suspension of disbelief that in only 2 days, Cami and Rex saved the day, but then again his past, expertise and contacts made things believable.  The ending is a big of a POW! The kind of thing that can only happen in America with their ridiculous gun laws. But, the victim deserved it. And, if only there were more hot mics IRL in 2025 USA, and if only people were prepared to find their big girl and big boy pants and speak up. Sorry, I digress, but there's just so much that's wrong with that co...
Read more

IRONWOOD by Michael Connelly

3.5* It plods, but it's detailed and the lead guy, Stil, has a cop's instinctive intuition. But, the ending is REALLY annoying. There's nothing too overt about this tale, although if I mentioned a single noun, I'd be giving the whole thing away. But it's a good police procedural if only for Stil, exiled to a backwater that cops go to if they've been deemed to have messed up. I don't recall his back-story, but there's back-story to the guy who gets...'killed' at the start, leading to a cold-case team and the FBI getting involved. There's posturing and veiled threats from higher-ups, but Stil is pretty adept at climbing out of windows, literally, to get out and do what needs to be done to get the bad guys. Ish. The 'ish' is where the book loses 1.5* for me, because all that footwork, all that putting himself in danger, all that following the trail of breadcrumbs and finding the bakery, and the book ends as it does?? Unsatisfying. Not un...
Read more