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lachimolala981's review against another edition
2.0
I will preface this review by stating that I've been bored with books lately. I'm an avid reader and nothing has wowed me recently; it has become quite frustrating. By branching out into books I would normally pass up by choosing them based on Goodreads synopses, I came across this book. With 4.04 stars, I felt somewhat confident. So, it was with the hopes of discovering the reading experience that makes one hear baby angels singing that I began this journey with J.A. Jance.
The angels didn't sing. They cried. They sobbed.
This writing style is the worst I've ever encountered. First, the author feels the need to reiterate information that has just been delivered to the reader. Example: protagonist has a convo with a nun. Protagonist's husband later asks what was said. Protagonist uses at least a paragraph to re-explain the convo to her husband, literally the same information with little paraphrasing, all within one to two pages (Samsung Galaxy pages.) This happened so often I was skipping and skimming quite a bit to get to parts that I didn't already know about.
Second, details are often included which don't add anything at all to the plot or character development. For example, the mannerisms and habits of Ali's dog Bella are detailed, to the point that they seem important to keep in mind. Nope. Do we need to know that when a pizza is delivered to a maternity ward, two other people try to collect it because they ordered pizza too?
It feels like the author does both of these things to add size to the story. If these instances were taken out, this story would be 1/3 the size.
Also, I prefer dialogue (as most people would, I think) that is realistic. You aren't going to get that here. It almost seemed like a parody of social interactions versus people's actual encounters with each other. Additionally, towards the climax of the story, some acronyms are used that aren't (in my opinion) general knowledge.
Finally (and the most frustrating thing about this damn book), once I got past all the filler, the plot was enticing and I was racing to find out what happened. And I couldn't be more disappointed (pissed is the actual word.) There is a ton of buildup to a raid that doesn't really happen and the mystery of a body's identity is never revealed. It's amazing how the author puts so much detail into things that are completely irrelevant, yet skimps heavily when shit gets interesting.
After finishing this book, I stayed up way too late writing this review because of the level of irritation it left. How did this get 4 stars?!?! I read in other reviews that this is the best of the Ali Reynolds series. And it's #10. I have no idea how this author is this popular writing this way. The plot did move quickly eventually and got rather exciting which is the only reason I'm giving it 2 stars. If this story was written by Taylor Stevens, it could have been amazing. Sadly, in J.A. Jance's hands, it flopped miserably.
The angels didn't sing. They cried. They sobbed.
This writing style is the worst I've ever encountered. First, the author feels the need to reiterate information that has just been delivered to the reader. Example: protagonist has a convo with a nun. Protagonist's husband later asks what was said. Protagonist uses at least a paragraph to re-explain the convo to her husband, literally the same information with little paraphrasing, all within one to two pages (Samsung Galaxy pages.) This happened so often I was skipping and skimming quite a bit to get to parts that I didn't already know about.
Second, details are often included which don't add anything at all to the plot or character development. For example, the mannerisms and habits of Ali's dog Bella are detailed, to the point that they seem important to keep in mind. Nope. Do we need to know that when a pizza is delivered to a maternity ward, two other people try to collect it because they ordered pizza too?
It feels like the author does both of these things to add size to the story. If these instances were taken out, this story would be 1/3 the size.
Also, I prefer dialogue (as most people would, I think) that is realistic. You aren't going to get that here. It almost seemed like a parody of social interactions versus people's actual encounters with each other. Additionally, towards the climax of the story, some acronyms are used that aren't (in my opinion) general knowledge.
Finally (and the most frustrating thing about this damn book), once I got past all the filler, the plot was enticing and I was racing to find out what happened. And I couldn't be more disappointed (pissed is the actual word.) There is a ton of buildup to a raid that doesn't really happen and the mystery of a body's identity is never revealed. It's amazing how the author puts so much detail into things that are completely irrelevant, yet skimps heavily when shit gets interesting.
After finishing this book, I stayed up way too late writing this review because of the level of irritation it left. How did this get 4 stars?!?! I read in other reviews that this is the best of the Ali Reynolds series. And it's #10. I have no idea how this author is this popular writing this way. The plot did move quickly eventually and got rather exciting which is the only reason I'm giving it 2 stars. If this story was written by Taylor Stevens, it could have been amazing. Sadly, in J.A. Jance's hands, it flopped miserably.
libwinnie's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book I've read by her and honestly, I wasn't expecting much from such a commercial author. I was pleasantly surprised, however, with the thought-provoking twists and multi-layered plot. I'm not so much a fan of the privileged Ali and her side-kick Sister Anselm as they just have too many connections and resources to be believable, but I can forgive this in light of the overall entertainment value.
javamamanc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
books4biana's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a long time Jance fan, but I haven't read in quite a while. This felt pretty comfortable.
Well, it's a story of a young woman trying to escape a polygamist clan...at great detriment to her and her baby. But it was well written.
Well, it's a story of a young woman trying to escape a polygamist clan...at great detriment to her and her baby. But it was well written.
jeannemurray3gmailcom's review against another edition
4.0
Really good. Two stories told in the same book. One, a case of elder abuse that needs to be apprehended. Another, human trafficking that needs to be stopped.
amkozy23's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Two stories are running simultaneously. Ali gets a call from her daughter-in-law Athena about Athena's grandmother and how the cops do not believe someone tried to kill her. Ali gets High Noon to take on her case and set up surveillance in her house. Meanwhile, one of Ali's friends is called to a local hospital to help out when there was a car crash late at night involving a young girl and her baby. Ali soon learns that there is more to the story and gets involved here, too. The characters were interesting and the two story lines kept me engaged throughout. It was hard to read about what was happening with the young woman and where she had grown up but overall I enjoyed the story. I wish there was more Stewart in this one.
bibliocatts's review against another edition
3.0
2015 Ultimate Reading Challenge: a book published this year.
kmosie's review against another edition
4.0
My Dad gave me this book to read and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more books by J.A. Jance!
dontmissythesereads's review
4.0
Book #104 read in 2016
Loved the case in this one. It was easy to find people to root for.
Loved the case in this one. It was easy to find people to root for.