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Jul302009
Book Review: Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
by Carolyn • Posted in 3.5 Star Reviews, Authors Q-T, Book Reviews, Lisa Scottoline, Mystery|Thriller|Crime
Title: Look Again
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: 3rd July 2009
Hardback: 337 pages
Rating: 7/10
Synopsis:
When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a Have You Seen This Child?’ flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops. The child in the photo looks exactly like her adopted son, Will.
All her instincts tell her to deny the similarity between her son and the photo, for she knows his adoption was lawful. But she’s a journalist and can’t stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. Moreover, she can’t shake off the question: if Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up? As she investigates, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, she digs too deep, endangering her own life – and that of the son she loves.
Review:
I received this book from Macmillan to review and as a a fan of the thriller genre I was really looking forward to reading it. I had never read anything by Lisa Scottoline before either so I was also intrigued and excited; I like discovering new authors, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Look Again pulled me into the story from the first few pages. The plot was fact-paced and each chapter ended with a tiny cliffhanger that kept me guessing. For the first half of the book I couldn’t put it down, and I couldn’t turn the page fast enough to find out what happened.
However, as I read on I realised that the only character I was likely to interact with was Ellen. The story did include other minor characters, and I enjoyed reading about them, but it wasn’t enough. I felt the book lacked depth. The writing is light and easy and, although it managed to keep my interest, was not up to the standard of other writers in the same genre.
However, this does not detract from the fact that this is a great read. I liked the protagonist, Ellen, she is warm and earthy and I could sympathise with her predicament. The passages describing Ellen’s feelings regarding her son and the dilemma she faced were heart-wrenching. I liked the inclusion of a love affair with Marcelo, it would have been nice if it was written about in more detail, as the relationship happened a bit too quickly.
Although the other characters do not feature in the book very much, what I did get to read I liked. I wish Ellen’s friend, Courtney, wasn’t written out in the first couple of chapters, as it would have been nice to have more interaction between the characters. It was a bit of a one character story.
Verdict:
On the whole, Look Again is a really enjoyable read. With a fast-paced plot and likeable characters, it had enough to keep my interest until the very end and I finished the book in two days. I would definitely recommend it, especially to those who love the genre.
Thank you to Macmillan for sending me this book to review.
To purchase Look Again go to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or buy direct from the publisher, Panmacmillan.
To find out more about Lisa Scottoline visit her website HERE
2 Comments
Have this one on my TBR pile. Thanks for reminding me it was there! Love Lisa Scottoline, but guess I'm too easily distracted!*L*
Reply
It is a good read but not as good as some thrillers I've read by different authors, but I would definitely recommend it. Let me know what you think!
Thanks for stopping by
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