Review: intriguing short story--I wanted 1 more chapter
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 30, 2012
I was thrown off by the title, subtitle and teaser line which made me envision a couple stopping into a diner for a quick "pit stop" and then finding themselves embroiled in a mystery.  The first chapter even gave me that feel, and then...abruptly, I realized that wasn't really the direction of the story at all.  No unsuspecting couples walking into a slasher/ghost flick.So... If you can let go of that expectation...The mystery itself is a good one, and I think the author draws a strong lead character.  We get inside his head enough to be freaked out with him when strange things happen.  The story brings together two mysterious murders, 20 years apart, that share some very common threads that tie them together.  Their connection intrigued me, and that's why I liked the story.  The writing style is also fluid, natural, and free of mechanical errors.The only flaw I'd point out was that the "who done it" revelation scene unloaded quite a bit of new information.  Usually, in a mystery, I like to have about 95% of the pieces, with just the vital ones missing.  This one seemed to conclude closer to 75% (if that makes sense).  I think one more chapter to give us a glimpse into the life of the murderer (without telling us "hey folks, this is the person to watch!!!") would have made the final reveal a little easier to follow.  There were almost too many things explained that I didn't even know were questions.All that said, I understand that this book was written in a collaborative way with input from readers on a blog site.  That is a very difficult thing for any author to coordinate, and I knew that as I began reading.  DeSousa has done her suggestion splicing smoothly so that the story does not feel disjointed or random, and that deserves major kudos.A noble effort and a good story.  I think it could make a good short film--or, with flashbacks--a good full-length movie.