Review of I Saw What I Saw

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "I Saw What I Saw" by Tony Garritano.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Sheila Sammartino made a bold move to create a new online publication after giving up her crime reporting career. Tired of being criticized for her approach to journalism, she took the initiative to start something that aligned with her goals. Now the curious yet clumsy reporter will have to step outside her comfort zone again.

As the sole witness to a brutal murder, Sheila knows what she saw, but no one at the local police department believes her, dismissing her claim as a mugging gone wrong. To bring justice to the death of Arthur Jones, Sheila decides to team up with her best friend, Tania, and her handsome new neighbor, Reggie, to solve the murder and share the truth with the rest of the small town of Harmony. Despite the antagonistic police lieutenant who stands in her way, Sheila is determined to prove what she saw and bring the case to an accurate close. Join Sheila as she follows the clues in a new mystery novel by Tony Garritano.

I Saw What I Saw was a short but captivating mystery novel that kept me guessing till the end. I loved the exciting plot and the well-developed list of suspects. Garritano did a fantastic job setting each person up with a few actions that made them seem like the likely suspect and continuing to build the suspense up to the exciting reveal of the actual criminal. Overall, I enjoyed Sheila’s character, and I appreciated the obstacles she had to overcome while solving the case. I also found it easy to immerse myself in the community surrounding Sheila and the small-town vibes that permeated this story.

Unfortunately, there were quite a few instances where Sheila’s antics were a little too rambunctious for me. While some of her actions were quite funny, sometimes the amount of “screaming” and clumsy incidents to follow became somewhat annoying. There were also many instances where Sheila’s narrative switched tenses, sometimes within the paragraph and even occasionally within the sentence. The tense changes made the story jarring at times, which pulled me out of the suspense of the chase. Sheila also tended to ramble instead of getting straight to the heart of the matter and keeping the story engaging.

The book had a strong plot but needs some additional development of the delivery. With at least ten errors, it would also benefit from another round of proofreading. Since the story was still enjoyable and the editing issues minor, I give I Saw What I Saw three out of four stars. Sheila’s can-do attitude and amateur sleuth antics made for an entertaining read despite the minor annoyances throughout the writing.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy over-the-top humor and whodunits with a solid plot. The author pulled in race and gender equality issues and explored these topics as subplots for this novel. There was a bit of romance in both straight and lesbian relationships but no erotic content. The instances of swearing were also few and far between, making this book safe for most readers, except for one scene that alludes to police brutality. This scene was short but still may be a trigger for some readers. With a proposed sequel to follow, now is a great time to jump into the Harmony Neighborhood Cozy Mystery series.

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I Saw What I Saw
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[Purplesturv]

Thank you for your thorough review. I like that the book is set in a small neighbourhood. I hope the author heeds your advice.

[José Cortez]

I rarely enjoy books that weren't properly edited. The author could work on this. Thank you for your amazing review.

[José Cortez]

Thank you for your thorough review. I like that the book is set in a small neighbourhood. I hope the author heeds your advice.

The setting is intriguing, ain't it?

[Shahid Guk]

i rarely enjoy books that weren't properly edited. The author could work on this.

[Nwadinso Okoro]

The title is a perfect statement for the book cover design. The book involves mystery, and Sheila is the sole witness of a crime. There's disbelief in the air, and the investigating department do not want to believe Sheila's claim. I would love to know if Sheila and her friend succeeded in their pursuit. Thanks for your review.

[Ghuddie]

I love discussions on gender equality, so I'm sure I'll love this book because of that theme. Great review.

[Lopee]

This novel I Saw what I Saw is really a captivating mystery novel, this novel kept me guessing all through... I give kudos to the author

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an engaging mystery that also addresses important problems, which gives it greater depth.Thank you for your great review!

[Use2alone]

Mystery novel with some humor? I must check out the book for myself. I like mystery books and due to the book being English, I need more effort to understand the plot. Nice review!

[Nichole Kurns]

Your review piqued my interest. I sometimes like over the top humor within a mystery.
I’m not sure I could look past the errors however, I may try.
Thanks for the review.

[Roca-+420]

Its nice for sheila to have given up her crime reporting career to follow something that she wanted .Great review