Monday, July 31, 2006
Immoral
I had heard so many good things about this novel that I purchased it a few months ago but it didn't make it to the top of my TBR pile until this past weekend. Brian Freeman's debut novel has been shortlisted for five of the major awards, the Anthony, the Edgar, the Macavity, the Barry, and the Dagger.
There is little I can say about this book without giving away too much of the plot. It is written in three parts. The first part is the investigation into the disappearance of a young girl. Jonathan Stride and his partner Maggie Bei are the lead investigators on the case. Jonathan is still haunted by a similar case from a year ago that was never solved. Feeling as if he had failed that girl, he is determined to solve this case. Suspects abound as the girl was not well liked by anyone. Even her relationship with her mother and step-father was strained.
The second part is the trial where even more of the facts in the case come out. We hear the later investigative results and a few surprises are revealed during testimony. Trials are not my favorite things to read about but this is different. We learn everything that happened in the investigation after the suspect was arrested. We also get to be like the jury and decide for ourselves the guilt or innocence of the accused based on the available evidence.
The third part actually happens three years later. Everyone has moved on and further evidence is revealed that sheds new light on the case. Jonathan has to know the truth and follows this new lead to satisfy himself that the case is really closed.
I absolutely loved this book. Jonathan became real to me. After the upheaval at the end of this book, the next will be quite different. The setting and the secondary characters will all have to change but I know Freeman can pull it off. I'll be standing in line the day it comes out.
There is little I can say about this book without giving away too much of the plot. It is written in three parts. The first part is the investigation into the disappearance of a young girl. Jonathan Stride and his partner Maggie Bei are the lead investigators on the case. Jonathan is still haunted by a similar case from a year ago that was never solved. Feeling as if he had failed that girl, he is determined to solve this case. Suspects abound as the girl was not well liked by anyone. Even her relationship with her mother and step-father was strained.
The second part is the trial where even more of the facts in the case come out. We hear the later investigative results and a few surprises are revealed during testimony. Trials are not my favorite things to read about but this is different. We learn everything that happened in the investigation after the suspect was arrested. We also get to be like the jury and decide for ourselves the guilt or innocence of the accused based on the available evidence.
The third part actually happens three years later. Everyone has moved on and further evidence is revealed that sheds new light on the case. Jonathan has to know the truth and follows this new lead to satisfy himself that the case is really closed.
I absolutely loved this book. Jonathan became real to me. After the upheaval at the end of this book, the next will be quite different. The setting and the secondary characters will all have to change but I know Freeman can pull it off. I'll be standing in line the day it comes out.