Official Review: Friends in Low Places by Evelena Evans
Posted: 24 Apr 2019, 02:52
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Friends in Low Places" by Evelena Evans.]

3 out of 4 stars
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Friends in Low Places by Evelena Evans is a mystery novel that involves multiple murders. The story follows Jacy Adams who is an accountant. She resigns from a public accounting firm and joins Weaver Airlines for a less stressful life. However, her new company has many sinister secrets, and her life turns into a run for survival. There is a subplot involving two murders from Jacy’s past. The story is full of plot twists until the final page. The book deals with issues like sexual harassment in the workplace, child molestation and rape. However, the story is entertaining, fun-filled and fast-paced. It mostly reads like a cosy murder mystery with a tinge of romance.
I felt that Jacy’s story was a bit unrealistic. Even though she is a victim of rape, she jumps at every attractive man in her office. I could not fathom how a rape victim can be comfortable with any stranger invading her personal space. Even though she is introduced as a workaholic, her behaviour seems unprofessional. She observes the physical attractiveness of her co-workers and jokes to her friend, Krista, about it. She asks personal questions and participates in gossip straightaway. She lets people get too close and is not at all wary despite her past. Moreover, I felt Jacy and Krista were a tad over-dramatic in every scene.
The narrative alternates between multiple perspectives, but Jacy’s perspective dominates the story. In addition, there are repeated lines and some mansplaining. For example, Chad explains about Google Alerts and operating a TV remote. The lines about Jacy’s friends, Kevin and Krista, are repeated twice in different places. The definition of the term block hours is also repeated. There are also some loose plots, which do not necessarily move the story forward.
My initial observations and misgivings were shattered somewhere around the middle of the book. This is where the story's pace started to pick up and the twists appeared. Things started to make more sense as the author brought many hidden things to light. It was easy to keep track of the different storylines. Jacy has a set of warm and loving people around her. All of them are interesting. Jacy’s brother Danny and her friend Krista are likeable characters with spunk. By the end, I had started rooting for various characters like Danny, Kevin, Krista and even Paul, Jacy's ex-boyfriend. The romantic scenes are sweet and believable. The dog, Buddy, is a welcome addition to the story. The author keeps the reader guessing until the last page. Many mysterious threads thicken the suspense. I also liked that the author had addressed contemporary issues like sexual harassment in the workplace and drug trafficking.
I give Friends in Low Places by Evelena Evans 3 out of 4 stars. This is because of the incongruence in the portrayal of Jacy’s character as a rape victim. The author could have dealt with the issue a little deeper since the material for discussion was already there. Nevertheless, the book was well-edited, and I could find just one grammatical error. The story is a page-turner. Even though I have not given 4 stars, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who likes page-turners and murder mysteries with romantic undertones. In short, this is an extremely enjoyable romance with likeable characters and the mystery of multiple murders. However, I do not recommend this book to anyone who likes serious characters and tight plots.
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Friends in Low Places
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Friends in Low Places by Evelena Evans is a mystery novel that involves multiple murders. The story follows Jacy Adams who is an accountant. She resigns from a public accounting firm and joins Weaver Airlines for a less stressful life. However, her new company has many sinister secrets, and her life turns into a run for survival. There is a subplot involving two murders from Jacy’s past. The story is full of plot twists until the final page. The book deals with issues like sexual harassment in the workplace, child molestation and rape. However, the story is entertaining, fun-filled and fast-paced. It mostly reads like a cosy murder mystery with a tinge of romance.
I felt that Jacy’s story was a bit unrealistic. Even though she is a victim of rape, she jumps at every attractive man in her office. I could not fathom how a rape victim can be comfortable with any stranger invading her personal space. Even though she is introduced as a workaholic, her behaviour seems unprofessional. She observes the physical attractiveness of her co-workers and jokes to her friend, Krista, about it. She asks personal questions and participates in gossip straightaway. She lets people get too close and is not at all wary despite her past. Moreover, I felt Jacy and Krista were a tad over-dramatic in every scene.
The narrative alternates between multiple perspectives, but Jacy’s perspective dominates the story. In addition, there are repeated lines and some mansplaining. For example, Chad explains about Google Alerts and operating a TV remote. The lines about Jacy’s friends, Kevin and Krista, are repeated twice in different places. The definition of the term block hours is also repeated. There are also some loose plots, which do not necessarily move the story forward.
My initial observations and misgivings were shattered somewhere around the middle of the book. This is where the story's pace started to pick up and the twists appeared. Things started to make more sense as the author brought many hidden things to light. It was easy to keep track of the different storylines. Jacy has a set of warm and loving people around her. All of them are interesting. Jacy’s brother Danny and her friend Krista are likeable characters with spunk. By the end, I had started rooting for various characters like Danny, Kevin, Krista and even Paul, Jacy's ex-boyfriend. The romantic scenes are sweet and believable. The dog, Buddy, is a welcome addition to the story. The author keeps the reader guessing until the last page. Many mysterious threads thicken the suspense. I also liked that the author had addressed contemporary issues like sexual harassment in the workplace and drug trafficking.
I give Friends in Low Places by Evelena Evans 3 out of 4 stars. This is because of the incongruence in the portrayal of Jacy’s character as a rape victim. The author could have dealt with the issue a little deeper since the material for discussion was already there. Nevertheless, the book was well-edited, and I could find just one grammatical error. The story is a page-turner. Even though I have not given 4 stars, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who likes page-turners and murder mysteries with romantic undertones. In short, this is an extremely enjoyable romance with likeable characters and the mystery of multiple murders. However, I do not recommend this book to anyone who likes serious characters and tight plots.
******
Friends in Low Places
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like srividyag1's review? Post a comment saying so!