Official Review: Like Snowmen by Patricia Bouton Masoni

[Iva Stoyanova]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Like Snowmen" by Patricia Bouton Masoni.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Like Snowmen by Patricia Bouton-Masoni is a crime novel about love, family, drama, and changes. Gaetano Simonetti witnesses the deliberate murder of his father and, by mistake, of his mother also shot dead in a restaurant. This tragic event happens in front of Gaetano’s eyes when he is only seven, and his sister Nadia is nine years old. Silvio – their father and a member of the Mafia, has decided to leave the Family. However, he undoubtedly knew his days were numbered, but the fact did not change his mind. After some years have passed, and Gaetano has grown older, he begins to realize and understand why his father was killed. However, the accidental murder of his mother is still something he hasn’t accepted. Will Gaetano join the Mafia and become one of the people who have murdered his parents? Or will he look for revenge and justice?

The novel features mainly the themes of love and family. Gaetano is now in his forties, with two beautiful daughters and a hardware store he owns. He visits the little seaside town Cervia, Italy on a business occasion. There, he enjoys the lovely Italian town, strong espresso, good weather, and of course, unknown feelings and experiences that would transform his life forever.

The book comprises 20 chapters and an epilogue. It is written in a third-person perspective allowing the reader to follow the various characters and events. The thing I liked most is the few crime scenes. They are well written, and I believe they are not very explicit. Unfortunately, there aren't many crime scenes that would keep the reader tense. In fact, the whole narrative is not fast paced, and events are happening quite casually. What is more, the moderate occurrence of events and lack of tension was the thing I quite disliked in this book.

Woefully, I have detected many errors, most of which are punctuation ones. Also, many long sentences make the reading of the book quite disturbing. Furthermore, distinct sections are not clearly marked, which contributes to the reader’s confusion and deters the reading flow. Therefore, I rate Like Snowmen by Patricia Bouton-Masoni 3 out of 4 stars. Because of the numerous errors, the book does not deserve a full rating. However, I could not give it a lower rating either; it is nevertheless an engaging crime novel that kept me entertained.

I would recommend this book to fans of crime novels and those who would enjoy reading about the Mafia. In addition, romance has a substantial presence in the story. So, readers who enjoy reading romantic novels would equally find it engaging. There isn’t much profanity or erotic content. The few intimate scenes were rather presented in a romantic and passionate way. There are a few instances of violence but are not that explicit either.

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Like Snowmen
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[shreyagupta]

The book sounds perfect. I might give it a read to understand the title- Like Snowmen. Thanks for the review!

[Jennifer Aldo]

I'm not a crime novel fan, but your review makes the book sound interesting. Great work.

[RHD]

This one seems like an intriguing read. A lot seems to be going on here. Good job on the review!

[derialist]

I'm curious about the effect of the violence that Gaetano witnesses in his childhood will have on his future. It's a shame that the crime scenes weren't as rich. I would have loved it. Thanks for the review.

[Iva Stoyanova]

The book sounds perfect. I might give it a read to understand the title- Like Snowmen. Thanks for the review!

You will not be disappointed, It was interesting enough! Thank you for stopping by.

[Iva Stoyanova]

I'm not a crime novel fan, but your review makes the book sound interesting. Great work.

Thank you so much!

[Iva Stoyanova]

This one seems like an intriguing read. A lot seems to be going on here. Good job on the review!

Yes, I'm sure you would enjoy it! Thank you!

[Iva Stoyanova]

I'm curious about the effect of the violence that Gaetano witnesses in his childhood will have on his future. It's a shame that the crime scenes weren't as rich. I would have loved it. Thanks for the review.

It is certainly very hard to be a witness to the murder of your parents, especially when you're just a child. It's undoubtedly interesting to find out how this event has shaped Gaetano in the future. Thank you for your comment!

[NetMassimo]

This seems a terrific novel for crime thriller fans who like stories about the mafia. I hope the author does another round of proofreading. Thank you for your great review!

[Iva Stoyanova]

This seems a terrific novel for crime thriller fans who like stories about the mafia. I hope the author does another round of proofreading. Thank you for your great review!

You're absolutely right! Thank you for your comment!

[Deval Sodha]

The book is a crime thriller that focuses on the theme of love and family which makes it an interesting read.
You wrote a great review.

[Iva Stoyanova]

The book is a crime thriller that focuses on the theme of love and family which makes it an interesting read.
You wrote a great review.

Thank you so much!

[Yvonne Monique]

Although he's a fictional character, I feel sorry for Gaetano to have witnessed his parents' murder at such a young age. It will be interesting to read how his life develops after that horrible event.

[Adelle v]

It sounds like a nice Mafia crime thriller. Thanks for a great review.