Review of Hope

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hope" by Julian Papadia.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Paul Peterson's commitment to his undercover detective work left him divorced from his wife and distant from his only surviving child. The death of his daughter pulled him into deep despair over the guilt of leaving her alone that day, and he has yet to find a way to redeem himself. Then he met Hope. The teen girl came into the precinct covered in blood and claiming to be a murderer, but Paul can't bring himself to condemn a young woman who reminds him of the daughter he lost. Can Paul release his guilt by saving this broken young woman and proving her innocence?

Helen Hunter, a dedicated neurosurgeon, chose to perform an unavoidable surgery while her husband and daughter headed to Paris for a two-week family vacation. Helen promised to catch up with them in a few days, but disaster struck before she could join them. What should have been a time of making memories becomes a desperate search for her missing seven-year-old Olivia. Will Helen learn the value of family before her daughter is lost in the chaotic aftermath forever?

When secrets are revealed, and underlying crimes are discovered, how can these two workaholics find the peace and healing they so desperately desire? Read Hope by Julian Papadia to find out.

Papadia created two engaging storylines in this thrilling novel. I enjoyed how well the author set up the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. The stories of Paul's investigation into Hope's claims and Helen's search for Olivia made it hard to put this book down, and I eagerly raced through the pages hoping to confirm my suspicions as the author revealed new clues. Even after I was certain I had figured out what was going on, I never lost interest in finding out how this story would end. My favorite aspect of the book was the genuine emotion expressed by Paul and Helen throughout their journeys. Their strong personalities drove the storylines and kept the novel riveting from start to finish. Plus, I found the conclusion satisfying with loose ends tied up and questions answered.

Unfortunately, this book had numerous typos and proofreading errors. Occasionally, it was distracting to come across dialogue that did not have the proper punctuation or find a sentence missing a word. The author also presented some confusing information about the children's ages, and I think it would be helpful to have this information edited. For example, Helen shares the story of taking Olivia to Paris for her seventh birthday. A few days later, after the traumatic event, Helen refers to Olivia as a ten-year-old girl.

Similarly, Paul mentions that his son and daughter are twins, the son being the older of the two. Early in the book, he indicates that his son is "almost seventeen," while he also mentions his daughter "would have been almost eighteen." While these errors didn't ruin the book for me, they certainly created some confusion, and I wasted more time than I'd like to admit trying to figure out if this was intentional or just a mistake. Because of these errors, I reduced the book's rating to three out of four stars.

Hope is still a thrilling read that should appeal to those who enjoy crime novels that involve two fast-paced storylines. The nature of the content includes some mild descriptions of mistreatment of women and sex crimes, but no erotic content. Several instances of swearing appear at various points throughout the book, primarily used by the criminal or supporting characters.

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Hope
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[Blessing Odii]

I would love to read how Paul came out from his despair.

[Rhodahams]

I hope Paul found it in his heart to let go of the guilt and help the woman prove her innocence. This is an amazing review of this book. I am looking forward to reading this book.

[Reading_Jack]

Crime and investigation are usually thrilling. Thanks for the invite.

[Amy Luman]

I appreciate the comment about there being no erotic scenes. Those detract substantially from my enjoyment of a book. Two storylines could be difficult to keep up with, but I think I can do it.

[cutemami]

Reading about what this book offers has me in awe. The author did a very good job of offering an interesting plot. I would really like to know what happens to the girl who thought she was a murderer.

[Ndagire Hassifah]

Two storylines in one book. I would really like to read this book to know if Helen and Paul will.find peace and heal. Great review.

[Patty Allread]

I like the idea of two storylines, especially if the author is thorough with each one. Too bad about the errors, but I am interested in reading this book. Thanks for your review!

[Aisha Yakub]

I like that there are two different storylines in this awesome read. Great review.

[Kehinde Hussein]

This indeed is a hard decision to make. Paul however has to be clear headed and let justice take its full course.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an engaging crime thriller with protagonists who face loss and have to cope with it, so I hope the author does proper proofreading to make it excellent. Thank you for your great review!