Thursday, July 29, 2010

66. Neighborhood Watch by Cammie McGovern

I first heard about Neighborhood Watch on various different blogs. I was intrigued and it sounded like an interesting book. It fell a bit short for me, however, and I can only give it a B.

From Amazon:
Twelve years ago librarian Betsy Treading was convicted of murdering her neighbor, the bohemian loner Linda Sue. After DNA testing finally exonerates Betsy, she returns to her suburban community determined to salvage her life and find the true killer. As she begins to pick apart the web of secrets, lies, and love affairs uncovered in the wake of her trial, Betsy suspects that her tight-lipped neighbors may know something that she has denied even to herself. In Neighborhood Watch, Cammie McGovern captures the nail-biting electricity of the best literary thrillers and zeros in on the subterranean tension abuzz in a town whose dark secrets threaten to obliterate the glossy façade of a perfect life. It is also the story of a woman coming into her own, finding her strength, and taking control of her life. It asks readers, what sort of price would you pay for the sake of your reputation? Intricately woven, psychologically astute, and filled with complex and surprising characters, Neighborhood Watch marks a significant step in the career of this talented author.

The thing about this book was even though it was relatively short, there were so many other story lines running throughout the story, the book left me a bit confused. I was really interested in finding out who the real killer was and thought that the setting was such an important part of the story and the author did a fantastic job of incorporating it in. With that being said, there were just too many different things happening that left me wanting for more and trying to decide why other things were thrown in. So while not my favorite book of the summer, one I am glad I read.

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