Review of Undetected

[Michelle Menezes]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Undetected" by Jeffrey Marshall.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Would you marry someone you barely know? When Dean met Suzy, her beauty, sophistication, and independence attracted him. He was smitten, and it didn't take long before they were married. All he knew about her was that her previous husband had died of a heart attack and left her a lot of money. Alex, Dean's son, suspects that Suzy is hiding something. Her lack of empathy and narcissistic personality are hidden from others with carefully rehearsed expressions but not from him. When he finds a clue to her past in a newspaper cutout, he hires a private detective to investigate. What comes to light is a whole new level of deceit and lies that will devastate not one but three families.

Undetected by Jeffrey Marshall is a psychological thriller that had my undivided attention right from the start. It is a character-driven story, where each person's background was explored in depth; it helped me decide how I felt about them. While I knew where I stood with the others, Suzy was one character that put me in a dilemma. The word "sociopath" was used to describe her in the book, but there was more to her than that. The author gave an insight into her early years, and I couldn't get myself to dislike her based on it. While some of the things she did were horrible, in other cases I could see where she was coming from. I can't say more because I'm worried about giving out spoilers, but this is a thought-provoking read.

Another thing I liked about the book was the investigation that took place. In addition to hiring a private detective, Alex did his own digging, and all the revelations were systematically introduced into the story. At no point did I feel confused, and with every truth that came out, I got more and more excited for the ending. Suzy spun her web of lies for many people in different locations, but the way it all connected to reach that finale was amazing. Once I finished reading, I had to sit back and calm my racing heart, as I felt that I was a part of the book experiencing some of those events.

I only had one issue with the book. Throughout the first half of the story, the fillers felt overdone. Since fillers are mundane or unimportant things that do not have an actual impact on the story, I would have liked it if the author had limited them. For example, there was a whole section about colored pages and layout techniques in magazines that had nothing to do with the book. It happened on a few occasions, and it put me off. I would have preferred if those sections were used to focus on the supporting characters.

I'm deducting a star due to the negative point I mentioned above and rating the book 3 out of 4 stars. The errors were less than ten in number, but I'd still suggest another round of editing, as there were wrong names mentioned on two occasions and random letters present, which can be distracting for some readers. Since it didn't bother me, I'm not deducting a point for it. I recommend it to readers above 18 years of age, as it consists of some triggering parts related to child sexual abuse. People who enjoy fast-paced psychological thrillers will enjoy this book.

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Undetected
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[markodim721]

I like that the book is character-driven as well as the sensibility that the author faithfully conveyed to the pages of the book.

[J Edwards]

I also like character driven stories especially those ones with the ability to grip someone's attention from the first few pages till the end. Thanks for the review.

[Rowan The-First]

The book's plot is appealing to me. I have have never tried psychological thrillers before. I will try this one.

[Neshboy Aburi]

Pychological thrillers are one of my favorite books because they provoke me to think beyond what is provided in the foreground. I am thrilled that this is that kind of book and also that the characters fit well in their roles. Thanks for your great review.