readclever's reviews
337 reviews

Feldman's story reads like Zora Neale Hurston's prose: a journey of life, of finding a place to call home, while struggling against society's dictates. There's certain parts that clearly play a homage to Their Eyes Were Watching God as the two young women look for the future. With a heartbreaking 15 pages at the end, the truth of the 1950s remains stark and clear.

Sisters can't always stay with you, can't always join your journey, but it's important to make the attempt. At least in Judith's poor, white perspective, where worrying about safety is never a problem. Cassie's cautious observations show the view through the eyes of a poor black young woman. The road to misery, of putting the past behind them.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the book as much as I did. Once I really started reading, got into the story, it was hard to put down. The adventures meshed with the 'show don't tell' motto every writer learns in school. Truths become solid when least expecting it, even with the clear build up. Ghosts chase, but not necessarily the ones you expect.

Recommended for readers who like the not-so-perfect reality of a non-Dallas life.

As with most of the Turner books, I really enjoyed Milan's archetype for Margaret. Here was a woman that fought against the tides of man, looking for her own way. Granted, Ash helped guide the way but the final solution was of her own making. Lady Anna Margaret refused to be routed out of society. Instead making it clear that loyalty is earned, not freely given.

Ash was a fairly interesting male protagonist as he rode the line a few times, especially in talking about reputation over reality. The Turners aren't my favorite books by Milan, as I find them somewhat preachy in regards to their relationship. However, it's clear that Ash loves his brothers with an unstoppable force.

I wanted to give the book 5 stars but I couldn't really forgive some of the actions against Margaret. The actions of her father, the clear malice felt a little too close to some of Ash's statements. At times, it was clear that she was little more than a pawn piece or meant for ridicule. Also, the romance felt more real when they were building up to the sexual connection versus after. Maybe some scenes between the two months of not seeing each other would have helped see why they desperately needed each other, as friends as well as lovers.

A very good book. I just expected a little bit more.

The meat of the story is great. This is a lot more like a murder mystery, the kind McKevett has been layering with the characterizations. So why the 3 outta 5 stars? The story felt rushed in some ways and incomplete. For example, the use of CSI director Eileen is the same flat note that she always gets. There's no growth in the books, no matter the order of reading. The same goes for coroner Dr. Jennifer Liu. These are strong women, the foundation of the series, and yet totally underutitlized in this story.

Following the missing report of a teen who hangs out with a Paris Hilton kind of crowd, Savannah and Dirk start to look for clues. In the end, though, it feels more like a romance than their usual connection. Even the murder part of the mystery gets a little muddled. If the original story on the kidnapping had been the only mystery, the book would have been much stronger.

As it turned out, the story suffered with too many clues and repeated thoughts. Pity. I would have loved to see them really looking for Daisy without all the distraction and solidifying their friendship and partnership. Discussing their past, really discussing it. It'd be nice to see them beyond her P.I., when she was new on the force and scrappy. How that worked against Dirk's general gruffness. This was the perfect case.

I wanted to like this book, but once again the 'tell, don't show' problem kept coming up. It felt less interesting to follow when the plotline itself was a good set up. Hollywood scandal, murder, illegal drugs and a pretty good climatic action scene should be an easy sell. I think part of the problem is McKevett's become used to the characters and assumes everyone else has to. But we haven't. We don't know the information written on sheets of papers, the bios. All the readers hear about are the same characteristics.

The scandal surrounding Jason's fidelity was very manufactured. To easy to guess as the series went on. As was the killer, which I'd suspected off and on again for about 150 pages. Execution felt too flat for the idea of the book. Steroids are a serious problem, Tammy's right about that, but it was almost a throwaway red herring. Not nearly enough to really validate the constant leads. Once again, Dr. Liu and Eileen merely serve as plot devices when both women could have easily demonstrated a little more in their fields.

Added to that, Dirk meeting his birth parents seemed rather shoehorned. These aren't the Reids with a billion books to back them up. The most important information was thrown in during the last 5 or 6 pages when the reader already finds Dora annoying if confident. Van and Dora could have learned more about each other, talking while shopping, showing why the older woman is the way she is. Instead it was left up to Richard, Dirk's father, to explain Dora's problems. For a book with strong women, sometimes it feels like the writer only wants to use them sparingly.

Too bad since I was actually looking forward to this book's plot.

I wanted to like this book. I'm a southern woman in the media field. The idea of a woman making it big in the city, making her own way, is very appealing. Except that's nothing what this book is about. It's all about Belle Lee's relationship with her grandfather, who pays for her rent, and keeps referencing some South that hasn't existed since 1843. Looking at Parkhurst's life, this book feels like a thinly-veiled attempt at a humblebrag. Read to page 39 and then quickly put the book the down. Couldn't finish.

I'm a cozy mystery reader who loves when character and plot work together really well. Thankfully, this book does. Nora's working hard at trying to maintain the family lifestyle and properties while her parents are on the run from the US government. Meanwhile her best friend's in a pickle (pesky suspicion of murder charges) and there's a new mystery afoot. In the meantime, she's babysitting her sister Libby's 5 children and trying to watch for younger sister Emma's life. Oh, and to establish or reestablish a dating life with the son of a mobster. No biggie right?

I really appreciated the interactions of show AND tell. The characters didn't necessarily get along but they all worked together to find truths. Ultimately, the WASPy life of a Philadelphia deb worked in her favor and it showed that those will little work experience can make something work. Nora had grit throughout the story, she wasn't easily cowed but she wasn't stupid either. The action worked out and was fast enough to move along the story while offering little insights into the Blackbird world.

I wasn't sure if I liked some of the mystery reveals, however. I think it was an interesting turn, one of the biggest secrets, but I'm not sure it was handled well enough to base a huge part of the resolution on it. That's the only thing causing me to not give the book 5 stars. A solid 4.5, though. I look forward to reading more of the series. Sometimes a random pass by at the library can be useful.