Description
Miranda DeCosta has been murdered. Death, as Charlie Caldwell has so cruelly learned, cheats one out of any opportunity to set life on the correct path.
Charlie has come to Divina, the tiny central California town where he grew up, bent on confronting Miranda over the event that defined and destroyed every romantic relationship he has ever entertained.
Questions about Miranda’s unraveling life and violent murder gradually invade Charlie’s consciousness. Bits and pieces of seemingly insignificant information begin to nag at him causing him to question whether the man locked behind bars and charged with her murder is, in fact, the real killer.
Become enthralled while Charlie takes his first baby-steps toward reinventing himself, solves the question of who really murdered Miranda DeCosta and discovers another unforgettable woman who will reshape his life.
Review
This is a slow starting but brilliant crime thriller. On returning from Vietnam where he was deployed as a Special Forces Officer, Charlie finds out his high school girlfriend was raped and murdered, a local man is detained for the crime. When he comes across additional information which puts the case against a local into question he shakes up the powers that be in a small town community. Originally Charlie just intends to pass through his small home town of Divinia, however his meeting with the alluring Audrey changes that.
Set in the 70s I loved the world the author created as well as the characters in this whodunit with many twists. The number of intriguing characters rather than people just in the story for window dressing made this an outstanding read. I wish the first 20% of the book was faster and more absorbing and the book is quite explicit in places, however I have to conclude the explicit content is in keeping with the story.
What I loved about reading this book was the way the author developed our relationship with Charlie, our protagonist. By revealing his flaws and weaknesses he makes Charlie very likeable and because I came to care about him I found the book intriguing. I hope very much to read the sequel due out next year. Definitely one of my top 5 crime thrillers for 2013!
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