Review of Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
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Mayang Bature
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Review of Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow" by Florence Lea Dombey.]
George's boat, The Serenity, was stolen and police chief Sam Shepherd, Carl Myers and Myers's daughter, Willow, followed it to the middle of the ocean. When they board, no one is in it and George has not been seen anywhere in town for days. Reggie, Myers's best friend, is murdered and his wife goes missing on the same night. Laura, George’s wife and Willow’s mother, seems to have secret ambitions of her own. Is there a connection with all these bizarre happenings or is this just a case of uncanny coincidences?
Willow hates her father for coming back and despises her mom for lying to her. She meets Bambi, a girl with shameful secrets of her own. Now that they have access to a 60-foot boat, they decide that they both need an escape from their lives by moving to Hawaii.
“Whirlwinds, Waves and Willow” is a beautifully crafted story by Florence Lea Dombey. From the start, this author’s expert writing is evidenced by the way the story completely engrosses a reader in it. Even though all signs point out that George was on The Serenity, the absence of a body makes it difficult for one to come to conclusions; the mystery in the story has been there since the beginning. Following the lives of the characters was made easy, thanks to the proper character development in the book. Willow’s rebellion with her new friend, Bambi, is typical of their ages; Laura’s dissatisfaction with her husband and Carl’s reactions to all these happenings, coupled with the death of his best friend, made relating to the characters very natural. The way emotions flowed from one character to the next made relating to the story easy and made me eager to learn what happens next. This was crucial to the overall excitement the story contained.
The mystery element of this book was what I enjoyed the most. There was no unnecessary bombardment of characters to conceal the culprit in the aspect of "who-done-it,” and I appreciate such straightforwardness. This eliminated any sense of bloat in the story while streamlining it in a way that never felt tiring. The suspense did not feel too dragged on and the elements that led to it did not seem redundant. All these are testaments to expert and mature storytelling, and I commend the author for taking the time to do that.
When it came to describing the boats at sea, most of the references used would only be understood by people familiar with sailing, a demographic I don’t fall under. As a result, I was thrown overboard in this aspect. Besides this, there was no other aspect of this book that I did not like, leading me to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. My limited knowledge of sailing narrowed my enjoyment, which was in no way the fault of the book. Additionally, the proper editing, with just a couple of typos, adds to the book’s professional attributes. There's a lot of mystery, sailing and elements of romance in this book. Readers who enjoy such topics would appreciate it a lot.
******
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
George's boat, The Serenity, was stolen and police chief Sam Shepherd, Carl Myers and Myers's daughter, Willow, followed it to the middle of the ocean. When they board, no one is in it and George has not been seen anywhere in town for days. Reggie, Myers's best friend, is murdered and his wife goes missing on the same night. Laura, George’s wife and Willow’s mother, seems to have secret ambitions of her own. Is there a connection with all these bizarre happenings or is this just a case of uncanny coincidences?
Willow hates her father for coming back and despises her mom for lying to her. She meets Bambi, a girl with shameful secrets of her own. Now that they have access to a 60-foot boat, they decide that they both need an escape from their lives by moving to Hawaii.
“Whirlwinds, Waves and Willow” is a beautifully crafted story by Florence Lea Dombey. From the start, this author’s expert writing is evidenced by the way the story completely engrosses a reader in it. Even though all signs point out that George was on The Serenity, the absence of a body makes it difficult for one to come to conclusions; the mystery in the story has been there since the beginning. Following the lives of the characters was made easy, thanks to the proper character development in the book. Willow’s rebellion with her new friend, Bambi, is typical of their ages; Laura’s dissatisfaction with her husband and Carl’s reactions to all these happenings, coupled with the death of his best friend, made relating to the characters very natural. The way emotions flowed from one character to the next made relating to the story easy and made me eager to learn what happens next. This was crucial to the overall excitement the story contained.
The mystery element of this book was what I enjoyed the most. There was no unnecessary bombardment of characters to conceal the culprit in the aspect of "who-done-it,” and I appreciate such straightforwardness. This eliminated any sense of bloat in the story while streamlining it in a way that never felt tiring. The suspense did not feel too dragged on and the elements that led to it did not seem redundant. All these are testaments to expert and mature storytelling, and I commend the author for taking the time to do that.
When it came to describing the boats at sea, most of the references used would only be understood by people familiar with sailing, a demographic I don’t fall under. As a result, I was thrown overboard in this aspect. Besides this, there was no other aspect of this book that I did not like, leading me to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. My limited knowledge of sailing narrowed my enjoyment, which was in no way the fault of the book. Additionally, the proper editing, with just a couple of typos, adds to the book’s professional attributes. There's a lot of mystery, sailing and elements of romance in this book. Readers who enjoy such topics would appreciate it a lot.
******
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
As long as there is a concept of victors, the vanquished will always exist.
~Uchiha M.
~Uchiha M.
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Amy Luman
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Proving that a crime was committed without the presence of a body is very difficult. I hope that it can be done. Great descriptions are essential to a great book and I’m glad that you enjoyed this one. Thanks!
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Liam Patel
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This review of "Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow" by Florence Lea Dombey suggests that the book is a thrilling and well-written mystery. The story engrosses the reader from the beginning with its intriguing plot and well-developed characters. The author's expert storytelling keeps the reader eager to find out what happens next. The mystery element is straightforward and avoids unnecessary complexities, making it an enjoyable read. Although there are some sailing terms that might be unfamiliar to non-sailors, overall, the book is highly praised. Based on this review, I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Atmospheric tension, kept me hooked throughout.
Latest Review: Reconfigurement by E. Alan Fleischauer
