Review: 4 1/2 Stars
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 11, 2011
Plot/Storyline: 4 1/2 StarsThis novel consisted of a very smart mystery with some fun twists. It kept me guessing until the end, even with all of the suspects contained on an island. The mystery was presented in full Agatha Christie style but with a little more seediness than she would have used in her time.The storyline had some rough transitioning when Donovan had blackouts. Even though they were supposed to be confusing for the character, the method made these scenes even more disorienting for the reader.Like a lot of mysteries, I found the methods taken by the killer to avoid detection to be a little convoluted, even though effective. It's hard for me to imagine someone going to that much trouble, even to get away with murder, when, in real life, it seems as though most murderers get caught pretty quickly. But, then again, I can't fault the author for this, as there are plenty of unsolved murders in real life to beg the question of whether it is guys who put as much into their murders as this perpetrator did who are getting away with it. Perhaps we need more Donovans in the world.Another unfortunate similarity to other mysteries was the "leave the conversation hanging" syndrome. Often, when Donovan figured out some portion of the mystery, he would give cryptic answers to whoever he was talking to at the time. He would have "Eureka!" moments without informing the reader or those around him. Sure, as readers, we have to put up with it, but I can't imagine someone in real life letting that sort of thing slide without slapping him upside his head.Overall, this was a fun, quick read with a solid ending.Characters: 4 1/2 StarsAlthough the opening scene did not give a good indicator of Donovan Grant's personality, the rest of the novel really made him stand out as a fun guy that you would want to have as a friend.  He would make a great continuing character in a series had the ending been different. He evoked plenty of empathy, especially in the second half. I found his growth in the novel very appealing.There were a lot of characters to keep straight in this mystery. The author did a terrific job of introducing them in memorable ways to ease any memory lapses for the reader. Also, each of the characters had a rich personality distinctive enough to keep even me, with my bad memory for names, up to date on who was doing what and when.Writing Style: 4 3/4 StarsThe opening scene of the novel had some ridiculous, repetitive descriptions that almost caused me to make my own decision to not read further. Fortunately, this was not prevalent in the rest of the novel. Although there was some awkward sentence structuring here and there, the overall style was a good one, with intelligent vocabulary and good descriptions. The dialogue was snappy and humorous in all the right places.The action scenes were very well done. I found them to be believable and easily pictured.