Review of Guilt
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Leonie Vermaak
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Review of Guilt
[Following is a volunteer review of "Guilt" by David Taylor Black.]
Dan Harris a writer, goes to the Bahamas to do research and gain inspiration for his new novel about the Cholera outbreak in the 1850's. He also hopes that this trip will help him deal with the loss of his son and that he'll find a way to save his rocky marriage.
He meets Cat the local librarian on his venture to find diaries of the locals during the outbreak. She's more than willing to help him with his research, however, he picks up quick enough that she has alternative motives with her constant flirting. She invites him to go on a sightseeing walk the next morning to the lighthouse. On their way there Dan discovers the body of a man and Cat phones the police department. Constable Ronnie Anderson is immediately suspicious of Dan and the questions he asks are not relevant to the found body. During the bizarre questioning, Dan notices that the Constable is quite fond of Cat. By the next morning rumors of his involvement in the murder and him having an affair with Cat had already spread like a wildfire.
Dan realizes that he needs to prove his innocence and quickly too. With Cat's help, they try and find answers which seem to create more problems for him with the locals. A surprising visit from his wife adds to his predicament as she doesn't like Cat and have doubts about the so-called friendship.
As time goes by two more bodies are discovered and Dan's time is running out. Is this just a coincidence or is he maybe involved in these murders? If not will Dan be able to prove his innocence? Will his marriage survive through all this?
Guilt, by David Taylor Black, is the first installment of the Guild series. It is an action-packed, nail-biting, pulse racing, and page-turning suspense novel. The author did excellent work creating the storyline, the characters as well as how he portrayed the essence of a small-town environment. His effort in research is clearly noticeable. He also touches subjects like alcohol abuse, adultry, loss of a child and the emotional impact it has on a marriage.
There are so many positives for me in this novel but if I had to choose the one that stood out the most while reading, it would be how the author manages to make the reader go through various emotions in a matter of minutes. One minute you sympathize with Dan the next Dan's frustration and anger becomes your own, while in the next you get so frustated with Dan's choices, this makes the read extremely interesting. The book was well edited as I couldn't find any noticeable errors.
To me there weren't real negative aspects, but some readers might not appreciate the overly use of alcohol or the in detail descriptions of the murdered victims.
My rating for this novel is 4 out of 4 stars, not only for the positive aspects as mentioned but because it has been awhile since I have read a fiction novel where it felt like a real life drama story and that in itself, is truly admirable to me.
I would suggest this book to mature readers, who will not be affected by gruesome detail. I won't suggest it to young readers or the faint-hearted.
******
Guilt
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Dan Harris a writer, goes to the Bahamas to do research and gain inspiration for his new novel about the Cholera outbreak in the 1850's. He also hopes that this trip will help him deal with the loss of his son and that he'll find a way to save his rocky marriage.
He meets Cat the local librarian on his venture to find diaries of the locals during the outbreak. She's more than willing to help him with his research, however, he picks up quick enough that she has alternative motives with her constant flirting. She invites him to go on a sightseeing walk the next morning to the lighthouse. On their way there Dan discovers the body of a man and Cat phones the police department. Constable Ronnie Anderson is immediately suspicious of Dan and the questions he asks are not relevant to the found body. During the bizarre questioning, Dan notices that the Constable is quite fond of Cat. By the next morning rumors of his involvement in the murder and him having an affair with Cat had already spread like a wildfire.
Dan realizes that he needs to prove his innocence and quickly too. With Cat's help, they try and find answers which seem to create more problems for him with the locals. A surprising visit from his wife adds to his predicament as she doesn't like Cat and have doubts about the so-called friendship.
As time goes by two more bodies are discovered and Dan's time is running out. Is this just a coincidence or is he maybe involved in these murders? If not will Dan be able to prove his innocence? Will his marriage survive through all this?
Guilt, by David Taylor Black, is the first installment of the Guild series. It is an action-packed, nail-biting, pulse racing, and page-turning suspense novel. The author did excellent work creating the storyline, the characters as well as how he portrayed the essence of a small-town environment. His effort in research is clearly noticeable. He also touches subjects like alcohol abuse, adultry, loss of a child and the emotional impact it has on a marriage.
There are so many positives for me in this novel but if I had to choose the one that stood out the most while reading, it would be how the author manages to make the reader go through various emotions in a matter of minutes. One minute you sympathize with Dan the next Dan's frustration and anger becomes your own, while in the next you get so frustated with Dan's choices, this makes the read extremely interesting. The book was well edited as I couldn't find any noticeable errors.
To me there weren't real negative aspects, but some readers might not appreciate the overly use of alcohol or the in detail descriptions of the murdered victims.
My rating for this novel is 4 out of 4 stars, not only for the positive aspects as mentioned but because it has been awhile since I have read a fiction novel where it felt like a real life drama story and that in itself, is truly admirable to me.
I would suggest this book to mature readers, who will not be affected by gruesome detail. I won't suggest it to young readers or the faint-hearted.
******
Guilt
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
