Empty Shell by Ashley Fontainne

[cyndiha11]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Empty Shell" by Ashley Fontainne.]

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Loyal and trustworthy man, or brutal and violent murderer? This is the question that Melody Dickinson must ask herself when she discovers her husband has been arrested for murder. Melody is a paralegal, working for a law office in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her relationship with her husband Jack is strained; in fact, it hasn’t been good for months. Melody is suddenly faced with Jack’s infidelity when she finds pink silk underwear in Jack’s office and discovers that he’s been unfaithful; worst of all, with her assistant Serena Rowland. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse when Serena is murdered in the same hotel room that Jack shared with her, just hours after he claims to have left her side.

Empty Shell is a reminder that life is full of struggles, triumphs, and destruction, and is a story about one woman’s determination to persevere through them all. It is a story about finding justice for our loved ones and how some people conspire in order to achieve the results they believe they deserve. I found the descriptions of each character introduced by the author perfectly coined and the timing right. Although there were a few grammatical errors, it wasn’t encumbering and I was able to focus on the story without distraction. I could feel all of Melody’s emotions as if I myself were going through her struggles, and at times I felt close to tears in commiseration.

Mentions of God and His presence in Melody’s life were constant throughout the book, so much so that I thought it could cross genres into Christian Reading. At first, I felt that the author was helping the reader understand the source of Melody’s strength and determination, and I found inspiration and strength in her relationship with her God. However, towards the middle of the book, I was questioning the numerous reminders of God’s presence. I was simply unimpressed with the way the author seemed to ‘push’ these religious views into the folds of the pages.

The twists in this book kept me reading until the very end; I was definitely kept guessing! At one point, I thought I knew how the book would end, and then the author threw a curveball and I was left having to scrape up my theory, throw it out, and start all over again. The author does a truly fantastic job with the plot and keeping the reader grounded in anticipation.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I believe the author does a wonderful job of pulling the reader in and providing engaging and entertaining writing throughout the majority of the book. I would have enjoyed the book even more if it were not for the heavy handed use of religious prose.

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[AshleyFontainne]

Thank you for the thoughtful review.

[jhollan2]

Thanks for this review. I seems almost like Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, but a Christian version, which intrigues me. I may have to give it a shot and see for myself.