Review by Fazzier -- Guilt by David Taylor Black

[Fazzier]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Guilt" by David Taylor Black.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Guilt is a murder mystery novel written by David Taylor Black. It is the first book in the Guilt Series. Dan Harris (Dan) and a librarian he had recently met, Cat, have gone out to the shores of an ocean to relax and have some good time. In the process of their adventure, Dan discovers a body of someone who has been brutally murdered trapped on the shore. Out of curiosity and despite the horrible nauseating stench, Dan searches the dead person's bloated body for any form of an identification document. That's where his problem began; he had tampered with the crime scene.

Using Cat's phone, the duo contacts Constable Anderson to make the report. The constable, upon being notified, reaches the crime scene and how he questions and glares at Dan conspicuously revealed at the outset that there were probably more issues than Dan's interference with the crime scene. It was not long before Dan ascertained that the constable also had a little crush on Cat. This made the probability of Dan proving his innocence lean but, all the same, did he have any choice?

I liked how well this book was written and executed. The author gave this book a third-person narrative approach which gave an illusion of that omnipresent observer. The coincidences and introduction of new characters were splendidly done and, all the way, I could the viability of their introduction at their particular moment. For instance, when Dan bumps into an old couple when he desperately needed to call his wife hence getting the chance to borrow their cell phone. Secrets, gossips, lies, and pleasant surprises also added appeal to this work. More often than not, I was left guessing who could be behind the murder since it was difficult to accurately point one out as most of the characters looked like a suspect. I was, as a result, glued in this poignant novel from the beginning till its end. The wrap-up was also excellent, giving the possibility of the next book I also can't wait to read.

What I liked the most in this book is the development of the characters by the author. They were developed in such a way that they were unique, interesting, and, therefore, easy to distinguish. There were those who, from the beginning of the book until its end, you grew to love and, yet, others you naturally couldn't help but dislike. This naturalness and diversity in the characters' traits made them appear real and, therefore, relatable to the people in the real world.

An example of such characters readers can like or at least empathize with is Dan. Though he's highly temperamental, readers are likely to sympathize with due to the many problems he is experiencing. He is caught up in the middle of a murder investigation, and he has to prove his innocence. How will he extricate himself from all those accusations?

Constable Anderson, on the other hand, is the direct opposite. Due to his infatuation with Cat, whom he suspects Dan might be having an affair with, Anderson's contempt is evident. The constable tries everything possible to make life difficult for Dan. Their exchanges and interactions were often humorous and were among the things I greatly enjoyed in this novel.

All in all, I didn't find anything to dislike about this book. It seems to have been professionally edited since I found just a single punctuation error. I'm, therefore, glad to award Guilt by David Taylor Black 4 out of 4 stars. The book is full of pleasant surprises. I highly recommend it to fans of action-packed murder mystery stories. Also, the fact that there were only implied sexual content and no instances of profanity makes it suitable for a wide range of audiences. However, due to graphic descriptions of some disgusting and gory death scenes, readers who are uncomfortable with those may give this one a pass.

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Guilt
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[Prisallen]

I love mysteries, and since this book is so well written, I think I would appreciate this one. It certainly seems very interesting. I really enjoyed reading your review, as always!

[Fazzier]

I love mysteries, and since this book is so well written, I think I would appreciate this one. It certainly seems very interesting. I really enjoyed reading your review, as always!

Thanks, Prisallen! I'm so glad you stopped by!