Review by mama_ash -- B-Side by Janis Jones

[mama_ash]

[Following is a volunteer review of "B-Side" by Janis Jones.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In Janis Jones' short novel, B-Side, the reader meets Casey and Mara, two young women about to celebrate their third dating anniversary. While Casey waits for Mara to get home, she is brutally attacked by a stranger who intends to kill her. Rather than enjoying a romantic evening, Mara now waits to see if Casey will survive or not. Mara must now rely on her LAPD coworkers to solve the case, as her ties are too close to be involved. Mara investigates clues from Casey's memory of the night and uses new information to piece them together and finally solve the case.

Jones quickly creates a captivating read for her audience by putting the story's most climactic point at the very beginning. By instantly introducing Casey's terrifying attack, Jones draws her audience in and ensures their interest. There isn't much background about the characters before the attack, so this leaves the reader guessing as to why this happened and wondering who could have it. I enjoyed the way Jones jumped right into the action and found myself captivated from the very beginning.

The characters in this short novel were very relatable and well developed by Janis Jones. With each new character, Jones provided a brief description of their appearance and personality. These short introductions allowed me the ability to imagine the characters and understand them before their actions. I also enjoyed the way Jones develops the characters in a way that makes them, their relationships, and their issues feel real.

The way B-Side is written sets it apart from similar "whodunnit" stories. While Jones centers the story around Casey's attack, she also provides insight into characters and their pasts so that we can learn more about them. This crime novel was less about the detective work and more about creating a connection with the characters and wanting the best for them. I enjoyed the way Jones made me feel for the characters and enjoy the process of finding the attacker.

Ultimately, I truly enjoyed Janis Jones' short novel as it was captivating, had great characters, and stood apart from other crime novels. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy the whodunnit, detective type stories. While I found a few errors throughout, they were minor and didn't consume the writing. I rate this novel 4 out of 4 for its captivating nature. Janis Jones is a brilliant writer and I look forward to reading more work by her.

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B-Side
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