I won this book on the Blog Jog Day last May and I’m sorry it took me so long to read it, but I guess it was worth the wait. I devoured it in two days, and here’s my Amazon review:
I’m not a thriller reader, so this was my first look at anything written in both police procedural and legal drama. I admit I had problems remembering who was who with so many characters, but soon a few bounce out and the tale was so engrossing that I read it in two days (only because I started it as a bedtime reading and had to stop to get some sleep). I liked the protagonist (she smoked a lot, but maybe she has quit?) and look forward to read more of her adventure as an attorney in a family of cops.
Here’s my addition for the more selected readers of my blog – some writerly notes, mostly.
This is not for the faint of heart as there is violence and sex and other nasty things (it is a crime scene, after all), but at the right time and in the right way – not too graphic but enough to give the idea of life in pre-Katrina New Orleans. I think Holli Castillo managed very well the balance in this “awkward” writing matter (more on this in a future post).
I was also amazed by the number of smells the author could squeeze by the number of smells the author could squeeze in, guess I’m not that good with the “writing all senses” thing yet! I also love the short chapters (let’s say each is a new POV) and how the story rushes forward with both humor and drama, with it’s neat little “coda” that closes perfectly an excellent mystery…
Next week the author will answer a few questions (yes, she’s the Author of the Month, you guessed it!), so come back and check her. She’s definitely someone I’ll keep my eye on.
jannatwrites
/ 14/08/2010Sounds like an interesting read. I have a book that’s not my normal fare that I bought nearly two years ago. Maybe I should dust it off and read it (I could be pleasantly surprised, as you were with your departure from the norm)…
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Barb
/ 14/08/2010as writers we should read as much as we can and not only in our comfort zone… of course some genres might still not be our cup of tea, but if we don’t try them at least once, how can we know? 😉
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hollicastillo
/ 15/08/2010Barb, I just wanted to thank you for the great review. Often I will download free books on Kindle that are not the type I ordinarily read and I’ll find myself enjoying a new genre. I am currently reading a historical romance, something I never would have thought I would have liked, and I can hardly put it down. You’re right, that you never know what you might like until you try it.
Holli Castillo
http://www.hollicastillo.com
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Barb
/ 15/08/2010well, thank YOU for allowing me to read outside of my comfort zone… and enjoy the ride! 😉
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