Review: A Diamond in the Rough
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 25, 2013
I really would like to give this book 4 stars because it's a great story, but it's rather rough around the edges. In the beginning, Syd and Marcy come across as hard-core psychopaths. This put me off a bit and I considered not finishing the book. But I'm so glad I did finish it!!As one gets a little further into the story, several things become more apparent. One, these two are not hardened criminals. They're messed-up kids from horrible backgrounds, which does not make their actions okay, but it does make them more believable characters. And eventually I found myself feeling kind of sorry for them. Two, the book is just as much about the maverick detective, Blaine, who is determined to catch Syd and Marcy and bring them to justice any way he can.One of the problems I had with the book is that Mr. Glover falls into a very common pitfall for beginning authors. He tells the reader what is going on psychologically with the characters, instead of just showing us the character through his/her behavior, feelings and inner dialogue. I hope the author can come to trust his own ability to develop characters, because he's quite good at it when he stops telling and sticks to showing.I loved the character of the black Mississippi sheriff who initially calls Blaine in on the case, and then wishes he hadn't. Blaine is like a dog with a bone.And there is a great twist at the end that totally blew my mind. I found myself still thinking about the sheriff and the ending the next day. When a story stays with me like that, it's a good sign that it was well worth reading.I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr. Glover's work and watching him mature as an author.