Search This Blog
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (11)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (4)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (10)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (4)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (2)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (4)
- China (2)
- England (27)
- France (2)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (2)
- Russia (2)
- Scotland (3)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Tuesday, November 05, 2019
Ho-Hum Murder Mystery Just An Okay Read
6:40 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Summit Lake, North Carolina, is the kind of quaint little town that homicide never touches. So, when a 22-year-old law student is brutally murdered there, it leaves everyone reeling with shock. How could this have happened in their peaceful community? Who would want to kill a promising young woman like Becca Echersley? It simply makes no sense.
Kelsey Castle, a crime reporter in need of a vacation (even a working one), is sent to Summit Lake to dig around for answers. Since the police don't appear to be doing much to solve the case, Kelsey becomes even more impassioned. Feeling a strong connection to the murdered woman, the reporter vows to find Becca's killer. Even if it puts her own life in danger.
Summit Lake, a debut novel by Charlie Donlea, is your basic murder mystery. There's nothing really fresh or original about it, but it was compelling enough to keep me reading. It's not as suspenseful as I hoped it would be, especially because Becca narrates half the chapters. The characters are pretty flat, the prose is capable but melodramatic, and a lot of the plot is far-fetched and contrived. Still, I didn't see all the twists coming. In the end, though, I found this to be just an okay read. Although this is a first novel, I don't think I'll bother with another Donlea book.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of lots of other murder mysteries set in sleepy little towns, although no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
-
-
Time Travel Thursday9 hours ago
-
102. Christmas Eve Love Story9 hours ago
-
-
-
Waiting for Gilbert17 hours ago
-
#ThrowbackThursday. December 2011 Part 517 hours ago
-
Bart’s Favorite Products This Year18 hours ago
-
-
Christmas Song Book Tag 202420 hours ago
-
-
Love You A Latke By Amanda Elliot21 hours ago
-
-
-
Alter Ego by Alex Segura1 day ago
-
-
-
-
I have been reading...2 days ago
-
Assume Nothing by Joshua Corin2 days ago
-
-
Beneath the Estate by Nick Allen Brown2 days ago
-
-
-
-
The Bletchley Riddle5 days ago
-
-
-
Sunday Post 5581 week ago
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October3 weeks ago
-
Open for Murder by Mary Angela5 weeks ago
-
Reading Recap September 20242 months ago
-
-
Review: The Duke and I3 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus4 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ▼ 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)