Review of 1989

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "1989" by James E. Smith.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Decades ago, an innocent man, Samuel Johnson, died in prison after being convicted of being the Penny Murderer in Monroe, Georgia. However, the murders did not stop, and District Attorney Harry Wallace was arrested and imprisoned for the serial murders. Detective Howard knows there is another serial killer in their community when people start disappearing and turning up dead a few days later. All of these people had received a mysterious box with their name on it, containing pictures of dead people and two notes that read, "An Eye for an Eye" and "Confess Your Sins or You Are Next." Who are the dead people in the pictures, and how are they connected to the box recipients? What sins did the box recipients commit? Is there a connection between the Penny Murder cases and these new cases? Who is this new killer? Read 1989: An Eye for an Eye by James E. Smith, Jr., to find out.

The author does an excellent job of showing that no matter how long and well you think you know someone, you may never know their secrets. It is thought-provoking to think about what people may be hiding about themselves. The underlying themes of conspiracy, intimidation, police and political corruption, the dark web, retribution, justice, and childhood trauma, among others, are well-developed and intertwined. I empathize with Detective Howard's frustration with officers who let past cases affect their judgment. I appreciate the author stressing the importance of the first few hours in finding a missing person and letting people know they are more than just a statistic. The kidnapping and murder scenes are expertly done with the gore, manipulation, and torture I expect in a good crime thriller. Overall, given the number of murders and characters in this book, the characters are well-developed. The author made it easy for me to track and distinguish between them by making each murder case unique for the characters that are involved.

However, there were a couple of characters that were confusing. One character had the last name Jones because of her marriage, but her mother's last name was also Jones. The author never gave the mother's husband's name or her daughter's maiden name, and all the male characters with the last name of Jones were accounted for. Another one was referred to as a character's wife when they were only engaged. These flaws did not affect my reading enjoyment and rating of this book.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars, deducting one star because it has not been professionally edited, as it contains many grammatical and typographical errors. I didn’t find any reason to deduct any more stars because my confusion about the characters may not be noticed by other readers.

Mature readers who enjoy gory murder mysteries and suspenseful horror thrillers are perfect for this book. However, the gory murder and torture scenes, some of the themes, and the non-borderline profanity may be unsuitable for sensitive or younger readers.

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1989
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[Onyemuwa-dave]

While I'm personally not into very gory stories, the premise of a new serial killer with "An Eye for an Eye" notes, and the themes of conspiracy and justice, sound incredibly suspenseful and dark. It's great you found it so engaging! Your 4-star rating and clear note on editing are excellent.

[Spoorthy S]

This was a very informative and well-balanced review. I liked how you explained the themes of conspiracy, trauma, and justice in the story. Your comments on the character confusion give a realistic view of what to expect. The book sounds intense and thought-provoking. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts—it really helps readers like me decide!

[Kibet Hillary]

Indeed, it is always hard to truly know anyone, as more often than not, we can only know people as they reveal themselves. The story sounds very enthralling, as there is much I would like to know about the sins committed and who the killer is. Many thanks for the amazing review, @Bertha Jackson.

[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

Oh, how I love that book cover. The illustrator managed to put together an eye-catching cover. Before reading your review, I thought this would be a sci-fi paying homage to George Orwell's classic Nineteen Eighty-four, as there are many of those floating around, and I am glad it wasn't. A mystery novel ijls just what I like. Thank you for penning a well written review. I enjoy reading your reviews. They are spot-on, all the time!

[Helen Waziri]

It's cool how the author apparently weaves in all those deep themes like conspiracy, corruption, and childhood trauma. Sounds like it really makes you think about what people might be hiding.