Review: A Fine Mystery and a Fine Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 15, 2012
New to Shanna Hatfield's work, I admit I was a bit suspicious of a free book - but on the other hand, hey, free book! I would up being glad that I picked it up.Romance is also a genre that is generally outside of my purview, so I wasn't entirely certain as to what to expect. However, what I found was an enjoyable and distinct cast, and an intriguing mystery that I had only barely solved before it was officially unveiled. I believe this was the author's intent, however, to create a moment of "wait, could it be- nooo, but- it is!", which is much more satisfying than a "pulled from a hat" sort of reveal.My one quibble was with the main love interest's characterization - whereas Maddie was well-rounded, with her good points and bad, strengths and faults, Erik seemed to be more or less the perfect man. While I am told that this is something of a staple of the genre, I would have preferred to see a less romantic and more human side to him, as even his struggle in moving past his loss is more of a "pro" to his romantic character.Aside from that minor issue, I found the characters quite believable and interesting. The plot was well-paced, making the payoff of the ending that much more worthwhile. If the romance genre is your cup of tea, I would definitely recommend Ms. Hatfield's work and "QR Code Killer" in particular.