Saturday, March 10, 2018

Beneath the Surface by Lynn H Blackburn


This is definitely a character driven novel. There is much thinking by the characters and I have to admit, I skimmed through much of it. Much of the thinking is about a possible romance between the two main characters. It really took attention away from the plot, I felt.

The plot was complex and on shaky ground. The sheriff dive team finds a torso while on a training session in a lake. The head, hands and feet are missing. Ryan is the lead detective on the case. The sheriff department uses Leigh's dock for their water investigation. Soon there are attacks on Leigh's life. Is it connected to the murder or to Leigh's previous experience of stalking?

The plot just did not work for me. It is based on many “maybes” that seemed far fetched. I had difficulty identifying with the main characters as they did not seem very capable. I don't like it when potential romance interferes with efficient police procedure and that frequently happened here. I also felt the ending was unsatisfactory. The villain was as implausible as the plot. Also, while the decapitation of the underwater body provided a red herring along the way, I felt it was not sufficiently explained.

This is a novel for readers who like lots of thinking about romance and who don't mind it when lead characters are not strong and make unwise decisions. On the plus side, there is a good message of faith included.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Lynn H Blackburn is the author of Hidden Legacy and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her husband and their three children. You can find out more at http://lynnhblackburn.com/.

Revell, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

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