About
Reviews
Search
Submit
Home

Mystery Books for Sale

[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]


  

NO TIME FOR GOODBYE
by Linwood Barclay
Bantam, September 2007
352 pages
ISBN: 055380555X


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Twenty-five years ago Cynthia Bigge was a rebellious fourteen year-old who drank and stayed out at night. After one such night when her father pulled her from her older boyfriend's car and dragged her home, she awoke in the morning to find that her family had disappeared. Though the police looked into it - and thought she had something to do with the disappearances - her father, mother, and brother were never found and she went to live with her aunt.

Still living in her hometown, a few blocks from her childhood home, now she is having her story reenacted on a TV reality show, trying to find someone who might know what happened. Her husband isn't sure it's the right thing to do but understands that his wife needs to know what really went on that night.

Though the program is initially greeted with silence, soon enough there are clues that some members of her family might still be alive. Cynthia is at first excited by the clues, but soon becomes a nervous wreck. Terrence, her husband (who narrates this section of the story) worries about it all. Soon they are the brunt of someone's nasty work as things happen to the family that push their sanity and their safety to the limits.

NO TIME FOR GOODBYE is a very well written book. I liked the dialogue and especially that the husband was the point of view for the adult section of the book. This allowed readers get to see everything that went on without having to view it all through Cynthia's confused emotions and fears.

Unfortunately, the resolution of the book just was dumped on the readers in a packed chapter at the end. On top of that I found the story illogical. What happened at the time of the departure and afterwards doesn't make sense to me or ring true, which meant the book rang hollow and flat.

You'll probably find this a mostly well written and interesting story but be prepared to be let down at the end.

Reviewed by A.L. Katz, November 2007

[ Top ]


QUICK SEARCH:

 

Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]