Review: Good bones, needed some fleshing out
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 7, 2013
Beth finds herself at a crossroads. Recently out of a mental hospital, she needs to support herself but she also doesn't want to abandon her aunt. She applies for the job of personal secretary and begins a new life, one hopefully free of the terrifying visions that landed her in the hospital to begin with.The characters in this novel were difficult to like. Her brother Andrew was a pompous, masochistic bully. He treated Beth like she was a child, not a grown adult. Her boss, Josh was tricky to get a read on. He seemed legitimate but his behaviour brought out my suspicions regarding his motivation. And Josh's housekeeper Flora was a bitter woman who didn't trust any other women around Josh.Shortly after starting work with Josh, a murder occurs on the property. Beth realizes she saw the victim in a vision before she was discovered and instantly becomes a suspect. This begins a series of events where Beth is pulled into the mystery of the numerous murders in the area involving water.I thought the romance aspect of this story could have been expanded. One moment Beth and Josh are employer/employee and the next they are declaring their love. There was no build up of the feelings, it felt unrealistic. This story jumped quite a bit from scene to scene, feeling a bit choppy. Something traumatic would happen and the next moment everything was fine, with minimal resolution. And the ending with the revelation of who Andrew's wife was felt off. I thought it seemed too contrived.I was impressed with how the identity of the murderer was clouded in mystery. I found myself suspecting numerous other characters before realizing who it actually was in the end.Determining the time period this novel was set was a bit tricky. I assumed present day but the attitudes of some of the characters, such as Andrew, felt extremely archaic.Overall, a great story idea that could have had some items cut and others expanded to create a better flow.3 out of 5 stars.I received a copy of this novel for an honest review