Review: Interesting But Flawed
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 5, 2014
While the book was interesting it suffered from a few significant flaws.One there was a real continuity problems.  Time frames were hazy and the story tended to jump around.Two the book was constantly shifting voice.  Some times it was the main character sometimes the supporting characters and even sometimes even the antagonist.  When writing as the main character for the first part of book she had little imaginary news tickers.  She gave that up toward the end of the book (not complaining I preferred the character with out the news ticker).  She either forgot she was doing it or forgot to go back and edit out in first of book when she ran out of ideas for the ticker.  Third every chapter ended with a decorating tip that may or may not have related to the chapter.  I get the main character is a decorator but the tip thing was after a while annoying.  Shift it to the back like other authors.  Finally there was the detective who at the middle of the book was suddenly promoted to the position he had since the beginning of the book.  Huh! So up to that point he was just playing detective?  Along that line several characters suddenly develop traits that are necessary to solve the mystery.Finally is the fact that every man she meets hits on her.  Since she professes to be a wallflower that doesn't really ring very true.The mystery itself is fine and if you are ok with the problems listed above it isn't a horrible read.  I picked it up looking for something like Jennie Bentley or Sarah Grave's books.This is this authors first book and I will probably spring for the second in the series (there are only two so far) to see if she improves.  While some can write well in "pantser" mode others should work with a carefully outlined plot to avoid the continuity issue.  She is not a "pantser"  Some good ideas she just needs that plot outline.  If you tend to read in small bits the continuity might not be as noticeable as to someone who reads a book in one or two sittings.  An avid reader who is known to go thru as many as three books in a day and cursed with a better than average memory the continuity thing was a bit irritating to me.  Not enough however to make me not finish the book.