Hilary Norman

Hilary Norman is a well established British mystery writer who does not seem to have penetrated the US market as yet. That is a shame because she really is very good. This one takes place in Florida though and is the first part of the Sam Becket series which takes place in the US. The only frustrating part is that they seem to be dummied down from her usual British fare and I doubt I will bother buying another one in this series. If you want to sample one of her hardcore British psychological thrillers, try Ralph's Children.… (más)

OK, first the negatives. This story was a bit too chatty for me, with dialogue and details concerning the story's protagonist, Lizzie Piper and her family that really had nothing to do with the plot. Because of this, It had me yawning in places and I was tempted to skip pages even though I didn't. These unnecessary fillers inclined to detract from the story, instead of adding to it, in my opinion. Additionally, the ending was a bit melodramatic for my taste, even if it was surprising. Nevertheless, characterization, plot and the writing style was all well executed. I like mysteries when I can't figure them out on my own without some difficulty, and I never did with this one. Overall it was fairly good, but not great.… (más)