Review of Taking Care of the Family
Posted: 19 Feb 2024, 13:08
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Taking Care of the Family" by Mike Beetlestone.]
Taking Care of the Family by Mike Beetlestone is a fascinating novel filled with family secrets and mysteries. Bill Peterson owned a real estate business in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He had a wife, Samantha, and three children. He appeared to have a perfect life. However, when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, everything changed. On his deathbed, he confessed to his friend, Ben Molina, that he killed a man in Provincetown twenty-six years earlier. He made Ben promise to find the dead man’s family and take care of them. Ben is a journalist from Ireland. Without much information to go on, he began investigating mysterious deaths that happened in Provincetown during the year Bill described. Without the name of the victim or any specific detail about the incident, Ben wondered if he would be able to keep his promise to Bill.
The story toggles back and forth between Ben’s investigation and a woman named Clarina Cutolo. Clarina is twenty-nine years old and has just received devastating news from her doctor. She is suffering from Huntington’s Disease. Huntington’s Disease is a disease that impacts the nerve cells in the brain. It is typically diagnosed in patients in their late twenties or early thirties. It progressively gets worse until the patient is unable to perform any physical task. What is even more shocking for Clarina is that it is a genetic disease. The gene is inherited directly from the patient’s mother or father. Since both of Clarina’s parents are alive and healthy, how could that be possible? When Clarina confronts her mother with the news, she learns some dark family secrets.
In addition to the fascinating storyline, there is also a considerable amount of information provided by the author about Huntington’s Disease. The author provided details about the symptoms and diagnosis of the disease. The book details the impact of the disease on the patient and the family of the patient. Since Huntington’s Disease removes the independence of the patient, the family must provide the support needed. I learned a lot about the disease by reading this book. That is one of the things I appreciated most about the book.
I found this book captivating and difficult to put down. The characters in the book were multi-dimensional and moved the story along. They were complex and conveyed real emotions that readers would be able to relate to. The author was able to convey redeeming qualities or mitigating circumstances for even the most despicable characters. The author examined the history and motivation of these characters to provide readers with an understanding of their actions.
Readers with an interest in mysteries and thrillers will enjoy this book. The book keeps readers guessing until the end. The only negative aspect of the book was the number of errors. There were over ten errors in the book. With additional editing, I would give this book a perfect rating. The story is captivating, especially with two separate investigations taking place that unveil dark secrets from the past. However, due to the errors, I am unable to give the book a perfect rating. For that reason, I give the book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
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Taking Care of the Family
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Taking Care of the Family by Mike Beetlestone is a fascinating novel filled with family secrets and mysteries. Bill Peterson owned a real estate business in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He had a wife, Samantha, and three children. He appeared to have a perfect life. However, when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, everything changed. On his deathbed, he confessed to his friend, Ben Molina, that he killed a man in Provincetown twenty-six years earlier. He made Ben promise to find the dead man’s family and take care of them. Ben is a journalist from Ireland. Without much information to go on, he began investigating mysterious deaths that happened in Provincetown during the year Bill described. Without the name of the victim or any specific detail about the incident, Ben wondered if he would be able to keep his promise to Bill.
The story toggles back and forth between Ben’s investigation and a woman named Clarina Cutolo. Clarina is twenty-nine years old and has just received devastating news from her doctor. She is suffering from Huntington’s Disease. Huntington’s Disease is a disease that impacts the nerve cells in the brain. It is typically diagnosed in patients in their late twenties or early thirties. It progressively gets worse until the patient is unable to perform any physical task. What is even more shocking for Clarina is that it is a genetic disease. The gene is inherited directly from the patient’s mother or father. Since both of Clarina’s parents are alive and healthy, how could that be possible? When Clarina confronts her mother with the news, she learns some dark family secrets.
In addition to the fascinating storyline, there is also a considerable amount of information provided by the author about Huntington’s Disease. The author provided details about the symptoms and diagnosis of the disease. The book details the impact of the disease on the patient and the family of the patient. Since Huntington’s Disease removes the independence of the patient, the family must provide the support needed. I learned a lot about the disease by reading this book. That is one of the things I appreciated most about the book.
I found this book captivating and difficult to put down. The characters in the book were multi-dimensional and moved the story along. They were complex and conveyed real emotions that readers would be able to relate to. The author was able to convey redeeming qualities or mitigating circumstances for even the most despicable characters. The author examined the history and motivation of these characters to provide readers with an understanding of their actions.
Readers with an interest in mysteries and thrillers will enjoy this book. The book keeps readers guessing until the end. The only negative aspect of the book was the number of errors. There were over ten errors in the book. With additional editing, I would give this book a perfect rating. The story is captivating, especially with two separate investigations taking place that unveil dark secrets from the past. However, due to the errors, I am unable to give the book a perfect rating. For that reason, I give the book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
******
Taking Care of the Family
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon