Review: Aptly titled! It IS indeed a tangled web!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2012
This is a rather complex story and I like books that make you think. Each chapter introduces us to a variety of characters, all with a vested interest in the island, some honorable and others- not so much. There are a LOT of characters in the book- all relevant- and when you come to the end of the book, you understand how they all fit together. As a reader, my time constraints do not allow for long periods of uninterrupted reading enjoyment (sadly). This is my personal limitation, not a fault of the writer, but with being able to read only a few pages at a time, I had to keep going back to rediscover the various characters' roles. I only mention this to alert other readers that for the most enjoyment, this one would be best saved for a time when one could devote more uninterrupted time in order to keep the characters' identities straight. The writer skillfully brings them all together at the end and it makes for a great "tangled web" indeed!I enjoy a storyline that is plausible and the basic premise of this book is quite believable: political corruption, drug running, greed, murder, and choices made for the greater good that might otherwise be viwed as immoral. It is understood throughout the entire setup of the book that there are no black and white, easy answers; tough decisions need to be made and none of them will be neat and tidy. I liked the fact that the Prime Minister was seen as a problem for both the "good guys" and the "bad guys" and each side had the same solution.I loved the vivid descriptions of the island; it's obvious the writer has lived in the Caribbean. However, I must admit that I haven't spent any time there, so I struggled a bit with the occasional dialogue that was written in the native dialect. Fortunately for me, most of the dialogue was in Standard English.I also love when a book depicts a main character who is a strong, assertive, competent woman with feelings. We get the sense that Lauren, as an investigative reporter, can handle herself; she doesn't NEED a man to tell her what to do and how to do it, yet is human enough to welcome love when it's presented. For a love storyline to completely work for me, I like to see a relationship develop with meaningful interactions between the two people that create a bond over time. This part of the book was a bit disappointing to me since we see Lauren as such a strong, competent woman who has developed a healthy skepticism for who Logan is and what he's up to, yet with very few meaningful interactions between the two of them, she goes off to NY and stays with him in his apartment. I found myself asking, "would this investigative reporter do THAT?" I would have liked to see a richer, more meaningful relationship develop so I could believe that it was more than lust.Once the Prime Minister has been taken care of, the storyline switches to the Lauren/Logan relationship. I momentarily thought I'd skipped a chapter. I wanted to know more about the aftermath of the Prime Minister's elimination. I also wanted to know if a relationship would develop between Virginia and Mike. There were enough questions raised that would lend themselves nicely to a sequel and I assume that was the author's intent. I hope so, as I will definitely be reading it when it comes out!  I also agree with another reviewer who stated that this book would make a great movie.