Review: Keeps you guessing
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 3, 2013
Readers itching for a good mystery with some paranormal elements thrown in will be pleased with author Lynn Bohart's Grave Doubts, a novel that follows protagonist Lee Vanderhaven as she seeks to prove that her assistant Diane's apparent suicide was actually murder.Once on the trail, Lee doggedly pursues leads and builds a list of suspects, including Diane's shady boyfriend, her abusive brother-in-law, and a strange shut-in who Lee might have glimpsed at Diane's funeral. The mystery takes a strange turn when a hawk totem in Lee's possession that originally belonged to Diane begins to assist her in the case. Lee will need all the help she can get - the closer she comes to the truth, the more perilous her own safety becomes.Grave Doubts is a solid book, and aside from one slow chapter that involves a drawn out tour of a lumber mill, is tightly paced. Bohart slowly unravels the clues like a pro and throws in a few red herrings just for good measure.The true test of a good mystery is whether or not the author can keep you guessing. I was guessing the entire way through, so Grave Doubts definitely passed my test.With that said, I have to admit that I never felt myself fully engage with the main protagonist, Lee Vanderhaven, though I hope that won't prevent others from giving it a try.(This book was provided to Compulsion Reads for review by the author.)