Pages: 512
Received: Received a copy from the publisher through Edelweiss
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Buy From Chapters.ca / Buy From BookDepository.com
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Long divorced from Amanda's father, she's reluctant to settle down with either of the men who want her-Alan, the wealthy scion of one of San Francisco's elite families, and Ryan, an enigmatic, scarred former Navy SEAL.
While her mom looks for the good in people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD's Deputy Chief of Homicide. Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.
When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother's life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she's ever faced before it's too late.
My Review:
I have heard a lot of great things about Isabel Allende's writing so being able to pick up her newest novel had me excited. The part of this book that truly got me interested was how this is a book about a group of people working together as a group to solve murders happening in San Francisco. Now going into this without knowing too much, I thought I was kind of getting into something kind of about Jack the Ripper, I was definitely wrong, and yet I was not completely disappointed by the story, though I had my issues.
This novel goes through many different perspectives, at times it felt that there were too many voices for this one story. I felt that for a book that was supposed to be about murders and a group of people solving them, that plot kind of fell to the background a little bit. Every once in a while there would be a mention of it, but for the most part this book is about Indiana and the people that her life revolves around. Indiana has a lot of people around her that really love her, but her relationship with her daughter, Amanda is what makes this book. They have a very strong relationship and are there always there for each other, they are each other's best friends (almost like a Rory and Lorelai relationship is what I saw).
Ryan is another character that really helps move the story along, he is someone with a lot of personal issues that Indiana helps through things, and in a way he opens up Indiana's life and shows her there is more to the eye. I love the contrast between all the characters, Indiana is someone who wants to see the good in everybody she comes in contact with, whereas those around her are more into the darker side of things, especially Amanda, and as the book continues, this seems to cause some trouble.
There are some interesting twists that Allende brings out in the book, it was closer to the end where things really start to get interesting and truly where the story picks up. I was close to giving up on this book a couple of times, but that is around the time that a new murder would occur and I would be brought back in. I did find this to be an interesting story at times, but I just felt that what the story was supposed to be about lacked and was overshadowed by other plots, that didn't seem as important. Sadly, it just didn't end up being the best book for me.
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Buy From Chapters.ca / Buy From BookDepository.com
Goodreads Synopsis:
The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Long divorced from Amanda's father, she's reluctant to settle down with either of the men who want her-Alan, the wealthy scion of one of San Francisco's elite families, and Ryan, an enigmatic, scarred former Navy SEAL.
While her mom looks for the good in people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD's Deputy Chief of Homicide. Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.
When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother's life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she's ever faced before it's too late.
My Review:
I have heard a lot of great things about Isabel Allende's writing so being able to pick up her newest novel had me excited. The part of this book that truly got me interested was how this is a book about a group of people working together as a group to solve murders happening in San Francisco. Now going into this without knowing too much, I thought I was kind of getting into something kind of about Jack the Ripper, I was definitely wrong, and yet I was not completely disappointed by the story, though I had my issues.
This novel goes through many different perspectives, at times it felt that there were too many voices for this one story. I felt that for a book that was supposed to be about murders and a group of people solving them, that plot kind of fell to the background a little bit. Every once in a while there would be a mention of it, but for the most part this book is about Indiana and the people that her life revolves around. Indiana has a lot of people around her that really love her, but her relationship with her daughter, Amanda is what makes this book. They have a very strong relationship and are there always there for each other, they are each other's best friends (almost like a Rory and Lorelai relationship is what I saw).
Ryan is another character that really helps move the story along, he is someone with a lot of personal issues that Indiana helps through things, and in a way he opens up Indiana's life and shows her there is more to the eye. I love the contrast between all the characters, Indiana is someone who wants to see the good in everybody she comes in contact with, whereas those around her are more into the darker side of things, especially Amanda, and as the book continues, this seems to cause some trouble.
There are some interesting twists that Allende brings out in the book, it was closer to the end where things really start to get interesting and truly where the story picks up. I was close to giving up on this book a couple of times, but that is around the time that a new murder would occur and I would be brought back in. I did find this to be an interesting story at times, but I just felt that what the story was supposed to be about lacked and was overshadowed by other plots, that didn't seem as important. Sadly, it just didn't end up being the best book for me.
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