JADEN SKYE
What you will notice straight away
What you will notice straight away (assuming you get the same version as me) is there is no Table of Contents. Funny old thing but that list is at the end of the story???? However here is more pressing news to deliver.
Review
To enjoy this story, you must look beyond the errors. That said the spoilers in the text kept me from really getting into it. I suspect I am partly to blame because I like to write a certain way therefore someone who challenges that style with an alternative will always be difficult to read.
Characters
The victim: Clint Blaine
The detectives: Officer Judd Lawson; Agent James E. Farnell.
The suspects: Cindy Blaine (New wife of Clint); Alex (hotel owner); Pedro/Tomale (favourite waiter);
Uther main characters: Ann (Cindy's sister); Frank (Cindy's brother-in-law); Clint's mother); Marge (Clint's sister); Clint's father; Al (Clint's best man); Henry Greerson (Clint's colleague); Ralph (Clint's brother-in-law); Tina (friend of Clint's); Tom Mallard (pastor); Heather Krane (Clint's ex-); Barbara (friend of Clint's); Greg (Clint's colleague); ... and a host of others.
Story
Cindy is on the honeymoon of her dreams with her new husband Clint Blaine. Two days before the holidays ends he has a surfing accident and is killed. His family has never wanted this wedding and hate Cindy for it.
Cindy Blaine returns home where her sister Ann comes to look after her. Ann tries to convince her sister Clint's death was an accident. Cindy thinks otherwise, as do Clint's family who want to blame Cindy for the death. There are pressures from Cindy's family for her to return home to Wisconsin.
Three weeks later and Cindy opens the house to receive visitors. Tom Mallard and Henry Greerson are amongst te visitors. Ann must return home but before she can she ends up in hospital. Maybe the accident was meant for Cindy? In the wedding gifts she finds a photograph of a Heather Krane and a boy that looks a lot like Clint. Confused by a lot Cindy returns home to find Clint's family looking for her. By the time their next confrontation is over Cindy has realised that the family probably didn't do much but get in the way. Which meant the killers were still out there!
Cindy is chasing a missing report from Clint's computer and finds that Clint's colleague Greg has suddenly left the company. Their report on the Teardrop Project is exposing some unrequited truths, then Henry Greerson is sent to buy her off. In the study Cindy finds the safe empty except for a thumb drive. Cindy's second attempt to talk to Greg reveals he has died suddenly of a heart attack since they last talked.
Cindy goes to the FBI. Their agent says her evidence is circumstantial and if there is she would have to find her own evidence of a cover up. Returning home, she finds it trashed. Farnell tells her to report it to the local police and go to Barbados to find evidence of the cover up. Her backstop is the US Embassy on the island.
Cindy returns to the Barado Hotel, where it all began. Back to the waves and beaches remembering the honeymoon she makes her plans. Visiting the coroner didn't go to plan. The original report was missing and the one she was given was wrong. In the carpark the coroner confirms he was paid off and Clint did not die iaw the report. Her next stop is the Chief of Police. He is not helpful.
Back at the hotel Cindy tell Alex the real reason she has returned. Alex tries to tell her to stop her questions, why not believe the police report? She asks to meet Pedro/Tomale who served her the dessert on the day of the surfing accident. Alex provides an address and Cindy goes to meet him.
Tomale confirms how Clint was killed and how he made Cindy sick. Men from the US gave him money to do it. Cindy's visit is cut short when the police arrive and fight to arrest her. Tomale helps her escape. Outside she steals a scooter and with police cars chasing her she runs for the safety of the US Embassy. She also receives the coroner's report in an email with all the attachments. From the safety of the embassy she forwards them to Agent Farnell. The FBI act quickly to bring down Clint's company DGB oil and the lobbyists and Congress persons it depends on.
Back home Ann and Frank are waiting to leave. They tell her Clint's family have dropped their opposition to Cindy and an old friend invites her back out to the Caribbean to help her resolve a problem.
Observations
There's a lot going on here, not that I have a problem with that. The end of the story comes at a rush for me and I wonder if the author ran out of steam? I would like to have seen a lot for adjectives and the story fleshed out, It's okay as a novella, it would be a better novel.
There are a lot of observations here (1st Review) and some typo errors too. They disrupt the story for me but disregarding them helps a lot.
Conclusion.
It's a natty little mystery that will keep you entertained but there are flaws. The case is solved hurrah!
So is it a good read?
All said it is a good read but bear in mind my observations. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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