After promoting the first book some time ago, I got my first introduction to Covey Jencks when I read this one in its physical format last year. While I don’t usually choose audio books as a format to read, I’m always looking for chances to check them out. I used them a lot while traveling back and forth in the Army, but it really doesn’t work out well for me now. With three young children at home, it’s difficult to listen to audio books without being interrupted. Completing this one took a long time despite its short length, so I’m glad that I had already read it with my eyes last year. Everything was still so familiar, making it an enjoyable experience to return to it as someone else read it to me. I’m not completely ready to incorporate more audio books into my life right now, but I’m certainly happy that I had the opportunity to do so for a little while with this book.
“‘What is it with you, Covey Jencks? Does everyone you know get murdered?'”
Though this is the second book, I never felt that I was missing anything. The author has created a richly drawn cast of characters that truly comes to life off the page. Whether you end up liking them or not, each character is so well developed that personalities and idiosyncrasies shine through. Alternating chapters give readers insight into both Covey and JayJay’s frame of minds, while adding many layers to the evolving mystery surrounding multiple murders. Offering perspectives of life within Odessa in the 1990s, a wealthy liberal arts college on the cusp of welcoming diversity is certainly at odds with much of the small-mindedness and extremism found within its rural West Texas residents. But as the author reminds us, universities are not ivory towers, and they are also ripe with negativity within their own spheres of influence. It was entertaining to see just how corrupt and damaging these forces became and definitely not something that I saw coming!
“‘Bitter almonds, Covey. Bitter almonds! It’s like a friggin’ Agatha Christie novel. Can you believe it?'”
The author’s storytelling paints a vivid tale that is both compelling and relevant, yet calls to mind the classic murder mysteries that it references. So many interesting twists shift the direction of the case and provide Covey and JayJay with the ability to use their strengths to home in on making the connections that lead them to such surprising revelations. While their passionate pursuit to solve these cases drives the story, this is very much an engaging character study focusing on a time not too far removed from our own social and political climate.
After promoting the first book some time ago, I got my first introduction to Covey Jencks when I read this one in its physical format last year. While I don’t usually choose audio books as a format to read, I’m always looking for chances to check them out. I used them a lot while traveling back and forth in the Army, but it really doesn’t work out well for me now. With three young children at home, it’s difficult to listen to audio books without being interrupted. Completing this one took a long time despite its short length, so I’m glad that I had already read it with my eyes last year. Everything was still so familiar, making it an enjoyable experience to return to it as someone else read it to me. I’m not completely ready to incorporate more audio books into my life right now, but I’m certainly happy that I had the opportunity to do so for a little while with this book.
“‘What is it with you, Covey Jencks? Does everyone you know get murdered?'”
Though this is the second book, I never felt that I was missing anything. The author has created a richly drawn cast of characters that truly comes to life off the page. Whether you end up liking them or not, each character is so well developed that personalities and idiosyncrasies shine through. Alternating chapters give readers insight into both Covey and JayJay’s frame of minds, while adding many layers to the evolving mystery surrounding multiple murders. Offering perspectives of life within Odessa in the 1990s, a wealthy liberal arts college on the cusp of welcoming diversity is certainly at odds with much of the small-mindedness and extremism found within its rural West Texas residents. But as the author reminds us, universities are not ivory towers, and they are also ripe with negativity within their own spheres of influence. It was entertaining to see just how corrupt and damaging these forces became and definitely not something that I saw coming!
“‘Bitter almonds, Covey. Bitter almonds! It’s like a friggin’ Agatha Christie novel. Can you believe it?'”
The author’s storytelling paints a vivid tale that is both compelling and relevant, yet calls to mind the classic murder mysteries that it references. So many interesting twists shift the direction of the case and provide Covey and JayJay with the ability to use their strengths to home in on making the connections that lead them to such surprising revelations. While their passionate pursuit to solve these cases drives the story, this is very much an engaging character study focusing on a time not too far removed from our own social and political climate.
Though I am not one who is overly bothered by editing and formatting issues, I would be remiss to not mention that the print edition failed to provide distinction to a few chapter headings as the novel came to completion. Even the table of contents provided at the beginning makes these same mistakes. While I can look past this even within a final copy, this will definitely be a problem for other readers, which I can appreciate and understand.
Overall, this is a tightly woven tale that packs a powerful punch and highlights just how much our past is often our future.
Many thanks to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and the author for providing me with a free copy of both the physical book and the audio book. This is my honest and thoughtful review.
After promoting the first book some time ago, I got my first introduction to Covey Jencks when I read this one in its physical format last year. While I don’t usually choose audio books as a format to read, I’m always looking for chances to check them out. I used them a lot while traveling back and forth in the Army, but it really doesn’t work out well for me now. With three young children at home, it’s difficult to listen to audio books without being interrupted. Completing this one took a long time despite its short length, so I’m glad that I had already read it with my eyes last year. Everything was still so familiar, making it an enjoyable experience to return to it as someone else read it to me. I’m not completely ready to incorporate more audio books into my life right now, but I’m certainly happy that I had the opportunity to do so for a little while with this book.
“‘What is it with you, Covey Jencks? Does everyone you know get murdered?'”
Though this is the second book, I never felt that I was missing anything. The author has created a richly drawn cast of characters that truly comes to life off the page. Whether you end up liking them or not, each character is so well developed that personalities and idiosyncrasies shine through. Alternating chapters give readers insight into both Covey and JayJay’s frame of minds, while adding many layers to the evolving mystery surrounding multiple murders. Offering perspectives of life within Odessa in the 1990s, a wealthy liberal arts college on the cusp of welcoming diversity is certainly at odds with much of the small-mindedness and extremism found within its rural West Texas residents. But as the author reminds us, universities are not ivory towers, and they are also ripe with negativity within their own spheres of influence. It was entertaining to see just how corrupt and damaging these forces became and definitely not something that I saw coming!
“‘Bitter almonds, Covey. Bitter almonds! It’s like a friggin’ Agatha Christie novel. Can you believe it?'”
The author’s storytelling paints a vivid tale that is both compelling and relevant, yet calls to mind the classic murder mysteries that it references. So many interesting twists shift the direction of the case and provide Covey and JayJay with the ability to use their strengths to home in on making the connections that lead them to such surprising revelations. While their passionate pursuit to solve these cases drives the story, this is very much an engaging character study focusing on a time not too far removed from our own social and political climate.
After promoting the first book some time ago, I got my first introduction to Covey Jencks when I read this one in its physical format last year. While I don’t usually choose audio books as a format to read, I’m always looking for chances to check them out. I used them a lot while traveling back and forth in the Army, but it really doesn’t work out well for me now. With three young children at home, it’s difficult to listen to audio books without being interrupted. Completing this one took a long time despite its short length, so I’m glad that I had already read it with my eyes last year. Everything was still so familiar, making it an enjoyable experience to return to it as someone else read it to me. I’m not completely ready to incorporate more audio books into my life right now, but I’m certainly happy that I had the opportunity to do so for a little while with this book.
“‘What is it with you, Covey Jencks? Does everyone you know get murdered?'”
Though this is the second book, I never felt that I was missing anything. The author has created a richly drawn cast of characters that truly comes to life off the page. Whether you end up liking them or not, each character is so well developed that personalities and idiosyncrasies shine through. Alternating chapters give readers insight into both Covey and JayJay’s frame of minds, while adding many layers to the evolving mystery surrounding multiple murders. Offering perspectives of life within Odessa in the 1990s, a wealthy liberal arts college on the cusp of welcoming diversity is certainly at odds with much of the small-mindedness and extremism found within its rural West Texas residents. But as the author reminds us, universities are not ivory towers, and they are also ripe with negativity within their own spheres of influence. It was entertaining to see just how corrupt and damaging these forces became and definitely not something that I saw coming!
“‘Bitter almonds, Covey. Bitter almonds! It’s like a friggin’ Agatha Christie novel. Can you believe it?'”
The author’s storytelling paints a vivid tale that is both compelling and relevant, yet calls to mind the classic murder mysteries that it references. So many interesting twists shift the direction of the case and provide Covey and JayJay with the ability to use their strengths to home in on making the connections that lead them to such surprising revelations. While their passionate pursuit to solve these cases drives the story, this is very much an engaging character study focusing on a time not too far removed from our own social and political climate.
Though I am not one who is overly bothered by editing and formatting issues, I would be remiss to not mention that the print edition failed to provide distinction to a few chapter headings as the novel came to completion. Even the table of contents provided at the beginning makes these same mistakes. While I can look past this even within a final copy, this will definitely be a problem for other readers, which I can appreciate and understand.
Overall, this is a tightly woven tale that packs a powerful punch and highlights just how much our past is often our future.
Many thanks to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and the author for providing me with a free copy of both the physical book and the audio book. This is my honest and thoughtful review.