OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "They Call Me Crazy" by Kelly Stone Gamble.]

They Call Me Crazy by Kelly Stone Gamble is a mystery novel filled with love, secrets, friendship, betrayals, and murder that makes it a really intriguing, dramatic book which won the Big Al's Books & Pal's 2015 Readers' Choice Award. This novel may deal with issues such as mental illness, adultery, illegitimacy, et cetera, but it is surprisingly easy to read. While some readers may think and may be bothered that They Call Me Crazy simply breezes through those issues, I personally don’t mind and find the book really enjoyable.

This novel begins with the murder of Roland Adams by his wife, Cassandra “Cass” Adams in Deacon, Kansas. More than a decade ago, despite Cass being well-known as nothing more than a mentally ill person, Cass and Roland were happily married. The people in Deacon all liked Roland, and things between Cass and Roland were okay, until Cass lost her job as a waitress after lashing out at a customer because she had forgotten to take her medicine. Since then, their relationship has soured, and Roland began to turn to alcohol to cope. Despite that, the people of Deacon still think that Roland is rather admirable for trying to help his crazy wife.

However, one day, just when people are beginning to realise that they haven’t seen Roland in a while, someone catches Cass trying to dispose of Roland’s body. Most of them think that it’s just Cass’ craziness that made her murder her husband. What they didn’t know that there’s more to Roland than what they knew of him. Roland might have seemed like a great guy to others, but he’s cruel to ones closest to him.

Most murder mysteries are about finding the killer. What makes They Call Me Crazy unique is that the murderer is known from the beginning. The book also shows the reader how lies and secrets can get so tangled around one person that they only unravel with his death, and in the process causing upheaval to the lives of the people around him.

I actually consider this book to be light reading material despite some of the serious issues it deals with. The combination of an unexpected plot twist, eccentric and likable characters, and almost-happy ending has made this book a really enjoyable read for me. The first person narration and various points of view also allow readers to see things from different perspectives, which add depth to the overall story.

The only downside to this book is that there is a distinct lack of mystery in the book despite being labelled as such. Instead of revolving around the mystery of the murder, the story is actually much more focused on how Roland’s sudden death affected everyone else. Had this book not been labelled C/T/M/H, I would have given this book 4 stars straight away. Unfortunately, due to the lack of mystery in a book categorized in the C/T/M/H genre, I will only give this book 3 out of 4 stars.

I wouldn’t recommend this book to hardcore mystery or crime readers, but I think most readers would enjoy the book if they are looking for a quick read. However, due to some of the topics that are being dealt with in this book, I also wouldn’t recommend it to the younger audience.

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They Call Me Crazy
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Like erasmus's review? Post a comment saying so!

Nice review! I'm glad you mentioned that this book might not appeal to crime and mystery fans. It can be frustrating to read a book with certain expectations and then be unpleasantly surprised.

Nice review! I almost selected this book for review, so it's particularly interesting to read what you thought of it.

This is an interesting review to a seemingly interesting book. It sounds like a Law and Order book where the narration works backwards; but since you wrote that it splits perspectives, I believe that would make it stronger. I might pick this up, regardless of its genre

Lisalovecraft wrote:Nice review! I'm glad you mentioned that this book might not appeal to crime and mystery fans. It can be frustrating to read a book with certain expectations and then be unpleasantly surprised.

Thank you, Lisalovecraft!

bookowlie wrote:Nice review! I almost selected this book for review, so it's particularly interesting to read what you thought of it.

Thanks, bookowlie! Do you think you would you have liked the book? I'm also interested in your answer.

Max Tyrone wrote:This is an interesting review to a seemingly interesting book. It sounds like a Law and Order book where the narration works backwards; but since you wrote that it splits perspectives, I believe that would make it stronger. I might pick this up, regardless of its genre

Thanks, Max Tyrone! I hope you will like this book as much as I did when you do pick this up!

I think the book looks like it's a funny, unique twist on a crime story. It reminds me of these TV crime dramas where the viewer already knows who committed the crime. I didn't choose it at the time because I got sidetracked. When I looked again, it was gone. It turns out you grabbed it! ha ha ha

I'm not sure about TV crime dramas since I don't watch much of those, but this book is certainly unique!

Great review! You captured what I look for in a book: being an easy read. That's important to me.

Thanks! I also like an easy read, especially if I just finished something that's emotionally draining.

Yeah, I have focus issues, and I need plots that push forward. This book sounds like it offers that!!

Loved the review. I think I may pick this one up!

Thanks, Jesska!

Thank you for reviewing my book, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I have to agree, classifying it as 'mystery/crime' is a reach---I guess the mystery is: was there a crime or what crime was actually committed?
It was a fun book to write, and I'm thrilled when someone says they had fun reading it. So thank you, again. ----KSG

Congrats Sadidy, your book sounds like a fun read!!

sadidy wrote:Thank you for reviewing my book, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I have to agree, classifying it as 'mystery/crime' is a reach---I guess the mystery is: was there a crime or what crime was actually committed?
It was a fun book to write, and I'm thrilled when someone says they had fun reading it. So thank you, again. ----KSG

You're welcome, I definitely enjoyed your book! I'll read it next time when it's raining heavily just so it'll be more fun (in a twisted sort of way).