Review: Dear Diary: I'll hit the bookstore, then the video store, and then kill people who get on my last nerve...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 17, 2013
Dear Diary...The New Martinsville Murders is a murderous thriller by Dennis Lively. When I received the book, I opened it to get a brief feel for it by reading the first few paragraphs, and then take it up later.The next thing I knew, I was thirty pages into it.At that point, I was scared of Kevin, afraid for Gisele in spite of her bitchiness, mad at her husband for cheating on her, and sad for David, who lost his beloved wife in a plane crash.That's a heck of an accomplishment for only thirty pages! The rest of the book lived up to the first impression!This book is exciting, with great buildups through the changes in points of view. The plot lines are expertly written and executed, and descriptions make the reader feel as if they're right in the middle of all of the action.New Martinsville is a sleepy little small town, like small towns across the nation. With one difference...a murderer is stalking the town. Through excerpts of the diary, the killer has a powerful voice throughout the book. He expresses his frustrations and hatred for others, and his lack of empathy for anyone outside himself and his own issues.  His arch enemy is Chris Grett, who broke the killer's leg in high school and made it appear to be an accident. Chris is such a jerk, the reader can't help but hope his body parts wash up on the beach.C.J. is the police officer investigating the murders. He takes some wrong turns in his investigation. At the same time, he learns some secrets about his best friend from boyhood.I definitely recommend the book, especially for those of us living in small towns and thinking nothing ever happens!