Rating: 
Summary: Just Okay
Review: This book starts out with a compelling premise - a young girl goes to her rich uncle's house to take back something that was rightfully hers, witnesses his murder, and may end up on trial for her life. Unfortunately, the plot quickly unravels into several threads - the many "whos" who possibly "dunnit." Each thread is equally plausible, or implausible, depending on your perspective. Evidence is thin on the ground for all of them, and the motives seem too easy/trite. While this "device" keeps the reader wondering, a little competition for the prime suspect would have been nice. Unlike many great thrillers, this book doesn't present you with someone who appears to be the most likely suspect, and then surprise you at the end with someone else, who is, in retrospect, the obvious choice. The subplot of Nina and Paul's attempted romance is a little distracting, and the stilted dialogue between them doesn't convey a sense that they are uncomfortable or wary of each other. Rather, it suggests sloppy characterization and/or just plain bad dialogue. The authors also attempt to weave in contemporary events in the descriptions and dialogue. The one that stands out is when Nina says something about begging the D.A. on her knees, and Paul responds with something about "pulling a Monica." This struck me as both lame and dated. It actually took me a second to get the reference. It also made Paul look like more of a jerk than I had originally assumed (he is a reckless skirt-chaser, with few other redeeming qualities). It's hard to understand what Nina, a widow, sees in him, making their attraction somewhat unbelievable. The characterization of Nikki is okay. I thought the authors could do better in making her rebellious-yet-wounded persona less cliched and more real. The "good band name" and black fingernails schtick was a little tired. Vivid description and more realistic dialogue would have gone a long way.
| 
