Over the Edge

Rating:
Summary: GOOD CHARACTERS, WEAK PLOT STRUCTURE
Review: Hal Friedman's "Over the Edge" features two really likeable leadsin Dan Jarrett, an LA cop in trouble for killing a creep on a television talk show, and Molly Foley, a new teacher replacing a veteran educator who fell to her death while on a class outing, and who also happens to be the daughter of Jarrett's partner, killed by a drug lord. The way their relationship develops from the protective friend of his dead partner's daughter to a possible romantic interest is well done and you really like them and hope things work out.
Which is difficult, considering the mess the two find themselves in. The dead teacher's mysterious death is cited as an accident, but there's every indication that it could have been murder. But who did it? The darling little children, three of whom are like miniature Freddy Kreugers, or is there someone else lurking in the background? And what about this strange nephew, Wesley Gomes, who is not only embezzling money from the bank he works in, but is also doing some other strange things, too. And what about poor Paul, a local cop who looks like Jarrett, and is killed by a mysterious stranger?
The plot gets a little convoluted, and there are some strange twists and turns that are too conveniently constructed and left dangling. For instance, once you find out who the murderer of the teacher is, there's no explanation as to how this person got there. Also, the revenge of the drug lord's brother is so predictable that when it happens, you wonder why it didn't happen sooner.
However, in spite of the flaws, I did enjoy the book, mainly because of the characters of Jarrett and Molly. It left an opening for a sequel, which hasn't happened yet.

Rating:
Summary: GOOD CHARACTERS, WEAK PLOT STRUCTURE
Review: Hal Friedman's "Over the Edge" features two really likeable leadsin Dan Jarrett, an LA cop in trouble for killing a creep on a television talk show, and Molly Foley, a new teacher replacing a veteran educator who fell to her death while on a class outing, and who also happens to be the daughter of Jarrett's partner, killed by a drug lord. The way their relationship develops from the protective friend of his dead partner's daughter to a possible romantic interest is well done and you really like them and hope things work out.
Which is difficult, considering the mess the two find themselves in. The dead teacher's mysterious death is cited as an accident, but there's every indication that it could have been murder. But who did it? The darling little children, three of whom are like miniature Freddy Kreugers, or is there someone else lurking in the background? And what about this strange nephew, Wesley Gomes, who is not only embezzling money from the bank he works in, but is also doing some other strange things, too. And what about poor Paul, a local cop who looks like Jarrett, and is killed by a mysterious stranger?
The plot gets a little convoluted, and there are some strange twists and turns that are too conveniently constructed and left dangling. For instance, once you find out who the murderer of the teacher is, there's no explanation as to how this person got there. Also, the revenge of the drug lord's brother is so predictable that when it happens, you wonder why it didn't happen sooner.
However, in spite of the flaws, I did enjoy the book, mainly because of the characters of Jarrett and Molly. It left an opening for a sequel, which hasn't happened yet.

Rating:
Summary: Yawner
Review: I am a mystery and suspense fan who found this book a little on the manipulative side. Structure was all right but the book suffers from a contrived set of events and caused me to yawn a little bit too much.

Rating:
Summary: good book
Review: I loved it! I couldn't put it down