A Very Bad Thing

How well do we really know our parents?

In this verbose thriller, Darian finds out when her mother, Columbia, dies during a book tour. The impetus seems to be a man who abruptly leaves the theatre. As the story unfolds, we the reader, are provided through multiple points of view including Columbia through her writings. Hot on the trail is Denver Police Detective who is methodical in his approach and keeps things close to his chest until he has a solid lead or proof. '

The story premise was great, the characters were ok but in my opinion the book was too long at 446 pages/11 hours 35 mins for audio, I expected to come away with fewer loose ends and not having a lack of depth for some of the characters. I won't say to whom I am referring as it may give away too much. 

As it seems to be my way of late, I guessed pretty early on who did it. I almost got led astray by some of the clues but in the end, I was proven correct. I was also not a fan of the ending at first but in hindsight, I get how the way the story ended is a good thing. I think I was just grumpy when I first finished it after such a long journey.

This is my first time reading this author. Overall, I liked the writing style and story but the length did get to me. Will that deter me from picking up another J.T. Ellison novel? We'll have to wait and see.

Happy Reading!