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Lily Caldwell is a private eye now. She used to be a cop, until her partner was killed and she almost died. She had a vision while she was almost dead, and that vision has had some lasting results. She saw the man who shot Danny Donovan and her – Governor 'Nob' Stevens. Her pursuit of this man has cost Lily her job, her husband, most of her friends, and lots of sleep. On her way home from reporting to a client, Lily is mugged. The problem is this: the mugger knew her name. Then her husband (the divorce isn’t final yet) is sitting on her couch when she gets home. Grayson has come to apologize for doubting her. Her former boss, Chief Anthony Paluzzi, when faced with obvious evidence that Lily’s house is bugged, also begins to reconsider her story. THE DARK BACKWARD is a thriller with a mystery at its core. Why is Nob so determined that people stop looking into the death of Emily Martin? What is the secret he is willing to kill to protect? And believe me, he kills a lot of people. I had some problems with THE DARK BACKWARD. Nob Stevens is a crazy person; I found it difficult to believe he could be such a public person and be such a wacko. If he’d been connected to the Mob, it wouldn’t have been such a stretch for me. I found Lily to be not an easy person to like. She’s one of those "My way or the highway" people, which must have made life as a police officer quite trying for her and those around her. It certainly made it difficult for her husband. There is some DNA evidence that is relevant both to plot and motivation and I’m not sure Buckley played fair with the reader in terms of the motivational aspect. To say more would give away critical plot elements. In spite of these gripes, I found THE DARK BACKWARD to be fast-paced, enthralling, and compelling. Buckley’s characters, particularly some of the seemingly minor individuals, make the book even better.
Reviewed by P.J. Coldren, September 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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