I finished this book last week and truth be told, I've been unable to get into another book since. This is one of those books that just sticks with you and makes you crazy thinking about the story and more importantly how it was written. No wonder it won an Edgar for best first novel.
This is the first book in Ms. King's Kate Martinelli series. While Kate is a good detective and has an interesting life, the story doesn't revolve around Kate. I've been thinking about this and finally realized that any detective could step into Kate's shoes because this wasn't a character driven story but a plot driven one.
There are several different threads running through this book but they all revolve around the murder suspect. Without this woman there would be no story for everything needed to solve the crime involves this woman's past and present life. The book is a careful mixture of murder mystery, revenge story, and police procedural. And at the very moment you think you know whodunit, you're told your wrong, again. You can be sure I'll be looking for more books by this wonderful author.
If you find the time you might want to check out Ms. King's web site. It's not just about her books, but combines a wonderful sense of who this woman is, how she works, and her thoughts on writing, life, and family. You can find her site at this url http://laurierking.com/
Today's writing wisdom comes from William G. Tapply's "The Elements of Mystery Fiction":
"You've got to be your own editor. Take pride in your writing. Examine every word and phrase. A well-written manuscript deprives agents and editors of one reason to reject it."
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