Review of Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way
Posted: 29 May 2024, 11:12
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way" by Lo Monaco.]
Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way by Lo Monaco is a murder mystery following Terry Strong, a private investigator. Father John Dresdale, the parish priest of St. Benjamin’s Catholic Church, was beloved by many. However, when his body is found at the bottom of the church’s thirty-foot-high bell tower, questions begin to arise whether Father John indeed committed suicide, as ruled by the police, or if he was murdered. Father John’s family has appointed Terry to find out the truth, and upon her investigation, she unearths many secrets that also threaten her safety.
The book started as a slow burner, and I was excited to guess the killer and their motive and see how it would all play out—if it was truly a murder. I liked the clever way Terry interrogated people and how she could get information with them being none the wiser; it was admirable, especially when checking the alibis of Trent and Monroe Morgan.
However, I had many issues with this book. Firstly, given their similarities, I thought using Carl and Kyle as the names of Terry’s boyfriend and ex-husband was not very imaginative. The plot also dragged on for too long with many unnecessary details, such as the entire proceedings of Father John’s funeral mass. What I had initially thought would be a slow burner never picked up and got boring as the book followed every minute step of Terry’s mundane life and investigation. There was no suspense, intrigue, or anything exciting, even as Terry investigated the case and the suspects. I found her agonizing over Carl and Kyle very tiring. She spends many chapters trying to understand her feelings for Kyle, and while in an early chapter, we see that she’s resolved these feelings, in subsequent chapters, she goes through the whole process again. The reasons for her divorce are repeated unnecessarily almost every time Kyle comes up in the book.
Overall, Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way by Lo Monaco was a fair read, and proper execution and professional editing could turn it into an excellent one. I give it a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, with a star reduction for the above issues. Many errors in the book also warranted an additional reduction.
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Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way by Lo Monaco is a murder mystery following Terry Strong, a private investigator. Father John Dresdale, the parish priest of St. Benjamin’s Catholic Church, was beloved by many. However, when his body is found at the bottom of the church’s thirty-foot-high bell tower, questions begin to arise whether Father John indeed committed suicide, as ruled by the police, or if he was murdered. Father John’s family has appointed Terry to find out the truth, and upon her investigation, she unearths many secrets that also threaten her safety.
The book started as a slow burner, and I was excited to guess the killer and their motive and see how it would all play out—if it was truly a murder. I liked the clever way Terry interrogated people and how she could get information with them being none the wiser; it was admirable, especially when checking the alibis of Trent and Monroe Morgan.
However, I had many issues with this book. Firstly, given their similarities, I thought using Carl and Kyle as the names of Terry’s boyfriend and ex-husband was not very imaginative. The plot also dragged on for too long with many unnecessary details, such as the entire proceedings of Father John’s funeral mass. What I had initially thought would be a slow burner never picked up and got boring as the book followed every minute step of Terry’s mundane life and investigation. There was no suspense, intrigue, or anything exciting, even as Terry investigated the case and the suspects. I found her agonizing over Carl and Kyle very tiring. She spends many chapters trying to understand her feelings for Kyle, and while in an early chapter, we see that she’s resolved these feelings, in subsequent chapters, she goes through the whole process again. The reasons for her divorce are repeated unnecessarily almost every time Kyle comes up in the book.
Overall, Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way by Lo Monaco was a fair read, and proper execution and professional editing could turn it into an excellent one. I give it a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, with a star reduction for the above issues. Many errors in the book also warranted an additional reduction.
******
Fallen in a Dark Uneven Way
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon