Review of The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart
Posted: 30 May 2023, 01:15
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Devil Won't Keep Us Apart" by Shane T. Clark.]
When a murder occurs at Sherman Rehabilitation Center, the authorities don’t know why or how. This death affects one old man personally. Elmer questions why he has been spared for eighty-seven years with a mostly great life when two of the best people he has ever known were taken so early in theirs. He is barely holding on, and hearing the news that one person’s death has come, for which he has been praying for so long, feels dull. He thought this news, if he ever received it, would revitalize him, even if just for a second. As he sat contemplating his life and the losses of those close to him, he received an unexpected delivery that shook him to his core. He has the answers the authorities are searching for, but first, they need to know the stories of Adrian Franklin and Conner Wallace. How did these two people's lives cross paths, and how do their stories explain the murder of Albert Clouser?
Mr. Ray and Adrian had a very special friendship, and you could easily pick up on their bond. "Mr. Ray, you tell me to watch my language, but then you cuss me." This sentence had me laughing, as I could imagine my grandfather and any of his grandchildren having this same discussion. I enjoyed learning about the backgrounds of Adrian and Conner. It made them real to me, and my feelings rode a lot of rollercoasters during this book, that’s for sure. My heart aches for Adrian and everything he had to survive. This book showed me that you never truly know what goes on in others’ lives or what has happened before. Doing one good deed might affect another person more than you can ever know, as that one good deed may make the difference between life and death.
I couldn’t stop reading this book, and nothing was predictable. There was something new with each chapter, and I honestly can’t say who was my favorite character between Elmer and Conner. I also can’t begin to imagine how I would have handled life if I were in Adrian’s shoes, but I know that without Elmer as his friend, it would have been very different.
I did find a few errors in the book that can be easily corrected with another round of editing. I also felt that the writing was a bit choppy at times and that it didn’t flow as smoothly as it could have. Even with these, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held a lot of suspense and intrigue, and most of it was only revealed at the end of the book. Each character was very well developed, and I enjoyed being told their stories. There were some difficult stories to work through, especially rape and animal abuse. Stay away if you are triggered by them.
Even with the difficult subjects in this book and the dislikes mentioned above, I couldn’t stay away. The author kept me hooked on the story and the lives of the characters. This book is a huge mystery, and you will not be disappointed by reading it. I would rate The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart by Shane T. Clark 4 out of 5 stars. The dislikes weren’t enough to deduct another star. If you enjoy mysteries, you would love this book, as it holds something of everything: love, trauma, anger, violence, abuse, friendship, murder, and so much more.
******
The Devil Won't Keep Us Apart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
When a murder occurs at Sherman Rehabilitation Center, the authorities don’t know why or how. This death affects one old man personally. Elmer questions why he has been spared for eighty-seven years with a mostly great life when two of the best people he has ever known were taken so early in theirs. He is barely holding on, and hearing the news that one person’s death has come, for which he has been praying for so long, feels dull. He thought this news, if he ever received it, would revitalize him, even if just for a second. As he sat contemplating his life and the losses of those close to him, he received an unexpected delivery that shook him to his core. He has the answers the authorities are searching for, but first, they need to know the stories of Adrian Franklin and Conner Wallace. How did these two people's lives cross paths, and how do their stories explain the murder of Albert Clouser?
Mr. Ray and Adrian had a very special friendship, and you could easily pick up on their bond. "Mr. Ray, you tell me to watch my language, but then you cuss me." This sentence had me laughing, as I could imagine my grandfather and any of his grandchildren having this same discussion. I enjoyed learning about the backgrounds of Adrian and Conner. It made them real to me, and my feelings rode a lot of rollercoasters during this book, that’s for sure. My heart aches for Adrian and everything he had to survive. This book showed me that you never truly know what goes on in others’ lives or what has happened before. Doing one good deed might affect another person more than you can ever know, as that one good deed may make the difference between life and death.
I couldn’t stop reading this book, and nothing was predictable. There was something new with each chapter, and I honestly can’t say who was my favorite character between Elmer and Conner. I also can’t begin to imagine how I would have handled life if I were in Adrian’s shoes, but I know that without Elmer as his friend, it would have been very different.
I did find a few errors in the book that can be easily corrected with another round of editing. I also felt that the writing was a bit choppy at times and that it didn’t flow as smoothly as it could have. Even with these, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. It held a lot of suspense and intrigue, and most of it was only revealed at the end of the book. Each character was very well developed, and I enjoyed being told their stories. There were some difficult stories to work through, especially rape and animal abuse. Stay away if you are triggered by them.
Even with the difficult subjects in this book and the dislikes mentioned above, I couldn’t stay away. The author kept me hooked on the story and the lives of the characters. This book is a huge mystery, and you will not be disappointed by reading it. I would rate The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart by Shane T. Clark 4 out of 5 stars. The dislikes weren’t enough to deduct another star. If you enjoy mysteries, you would love this book, as it holds something of everything: love, trauma, anger, violence, abuse, friendship, murder, and so much more.
******
The Devil Won't Keep Us Apart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon