Review of A Kind of Hush

[Alex Lynn]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Kind of Hush" by JoDee Neathery.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Summer and Matthew (Matt) Mackie had a beautiful family; this couple had three children: Willa, Griff, and Gabriel. Willa, a teenager, was a child produced from Summer’s formal marriage with Bradley Anderson. Summer and Anderson met in 1996, and after three years, Summer gave birth to Willa. When Anderson neglected Summer and they divorced in 2002, Summer married Matthew, who was the only child of his parents, and Matt adopted Willa as his legal daughter. Together, Matt and Summer had Griff in 2003, then Gabriel in 2005. Heartbreak replaced the happiness in the family when Griff died, and Summer put on agitations.

As time went by and the wounds healed, the family returned to their normal lives. The family planned their weekend outing; this was supposed to be a memorable day with a happy ending, but disaster struck the family again. Gabriel suddenly discovered that his whole family was no more just after he left them to use the toilet. The family had fallen off the cliff into shallow water. By the time the rescue team came, Summer had died, and her body was recovered facedown in shallow water. Matt was disoriented by brain trauma, and Willa sustained a mild injury. Who is responsible for this brutal ordeal? As Conner took over the investigation of the incident, could Matt ever be able to recover from his trauma and give his side of the story about how his wife died?

A Kind of Hush by JoDee Neathery is a realistic fiction of crime and suspense featuring the saga of a family grappling with the complexity of moving forward after a series of brutal events.

I enjoyed every bit of the element that made up the plot in this book. I love the various plot twists in the story and the suspenseful presentation of romance, murder, crime, detective, reunion, and family love, as well as the interesting narrating style that makes the characters come alive. From the context of the plot itself, I admire Matt’s parents for how they didn’t let their differences affect their support for their son and his family, their relationship with Starla, and how they tolerated Willa’s behavior. There was suspense all the way; the actual killer wasn’t known quickly and directly, which kept readers turning the pages to unravel this mystery. I enjoyed the family bond between the Mackies and Starla, who was their in-law; it showed how united they were. The story also depicts that God has a loving father; he cares even when we are faced with trials. There are words of encouragement in the story. I was full of emotions as I read the various positive turnarounds that were happening in Matt's family because Summer's death was a source of tension in the family for a long time.

I have some reservations about the unfolding of the plot, which I found difficult to rationalize, and it is what I don't like about the book because it gave me dissatisfaction. Connor didn’t conduct a thorough investigation; Willa was a major suspect, but he focused only on Victor Kurtz, even after telling them there were three people on the cliff. He started by saying everybody at the crime scene was a suspect. So his investigation was biased. Willa’s action showed she knew something about it, but she wasn’t thoroughly investigated. Directing the plot to where some obviously suspected characters are investigated well enough would justify the resolution made at the end.

However, I won't be able to take this relative flaw as an objective reason to deduct a star because it seems like a deliberate inclusion by the author, as Connor dated Starla and became too close with the family, which then made him not be able to check the family members, especially Willa, critically enough. All these considered, I would rate the book 5 out of 5 stars.

I found no grammar errors in the book, which testified to its exceptional editing. The book would be enjoyed by lovers of suspenseful twists of murder, crime, and romance. Generally, anyone who loves a happy-ending story would prefer this one.

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A Kind of Hush
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[Ajay Rudrapati]

I am very much awaited to read this book, Your review motivated me to read this book ASAP. The way you inculcated the details of the book in a very clear manner is impressive. Thank you