 | Viking Jam Jan 23 | by Steven F. Havill P-Date: 2024 Genre: Mystery Cover art needs some help. Review: The first 15-20 percent of this novel is pure smugness. Everyone that Gastner (Havill) knows is so accomplished and beautiful. Why is it that older writers have this inclination to develop characters that mirror themselves and others they know in narcissistic fashion? If you can wade through the mutual back patting, the novel picks up the pace with an interesting story line. Estelle is the MC with most of the narrative centered around her. Gastner is used more as a plot device to introduce new events and circumstances. Kind of a fumbling Deus ex Machina. There are some red herrings thrown out as well to chum the waters of mystery in the initial chapters but I am giving nothing away by telling you. This novel had it's moments of intrigue and mystery but they were short lived. The mystery is easy to solve within the first third. You have to wade through pages of police procedure that were more of a movement deterrent and really not necessary. This novel may have been better served by highlighting procedure while leaning more towards character development, and in this case, inventing a more convoluted and hard-to-solve mystery. Keep the chainsaw cuts as a separate mystery to solve with the presumption that it is all wrapped up. Then Gastner steps in and solves the finale'. Hint: The waitress had motive and opportunity. I liked this novel yet there was a lot of room for expansion (says the non-writer). Rating: 2.5/5 | | | |  | You can also reply to this email to leave a comment. | | | | |
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