Xpresso Reads

As an avid reader of mysteries and thrillers, and after really enjoying Carol's other novel, Dancergirl --Circle of Silence's companion--, this one has been high on my anticipated reads of the year. Regardless of me giving it a 3-star rating, I did truly enjoy it, where it lost its flair on me is on a more individual standpoint which may not be of concern for most readers. For one, I felt very distant from out protagonist, Valerie. The journalism aspect is interesting, but I felt like some of the decisions she makes are too high stake for a small school news report, as if she thought she was working for CBS and it was expected of her to put her own life on the line. I also found she missed a few clues that, to me at least, were incredibly evident. Consequently, I put this mystery together not far from the half way mark, which inadvertently made the rest of the clues even more obvious. So naturally, I wasn't kept as captivated by the suspense of the mystery as I was hoping, which, in the end, turned out to be anticlimactic for me. Nonetheless, it didn't make it uneventful. I was still intrigued by MP -- the secret society -- and what they were planning next. I was especially delighted to see them share their point-of-view; while keeping their identities hidden, we're given an inside look at their intentions and schemings inside chapters in their perspective. I also enjoyed the dark, dreary tone throughout that progressively got creepier, not to mention a heck of a lot more serious. Although never the focal point, there's a fairly big romantic undertone in the story. We've got Valerie's ex who cheated and now trying to mend his broken relationship, and Valerie's not sure he can be trusted again. I liked how Jagger was portrayed; even though he's a cheater and I should hate him for it, he's not trying to justify his actions, but rather show that he's remorseful and made a mistake. Plus, it was fun to see Valerie make him work for it. I won't say that I got any butterflies, but it's a cute and sweet romance that gives a good distraction from the more sombre notes. An entertaining mystery with a good amount of thrill and chill, despite my not getting blown-away, I would still definitely recommend it for fans of the genre. --For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads