Some people take secrets to the grave¿Three years after her husband’s murder, Christine Lawrence still struggles for balance. She has a rewarding career and a close circle of friends but feels oddly unfulfilled. Worse, the close relationship she once had with her teenage daughter has grown increasingly strained. Former FBI agent, Vince Green, is battling demons of his own-painful secrets that … drove him from Driscoll Lake. Newly resettled in the small town, he makes his living as a private investigator. When Vince and Christine cross paths, stumbling over the body of a murder victim, he’s forced to confront memories he thought long buried. The circumstances surrounding the killing are eerily similar to a victim from his past. As the body count continues to rise, Christine finds herself drawn to Vince. With a murderer stalking the streets of Driscoll Lake, neither is aware the killer has targeted her as the next victim-or that Vince’s past is key to unmasking a disturbed and deadly killer.
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I’ve enjoyed all the books set in Driscoll Lake, but this might be my favorite. The author created this small town with familiar places that everyone knows about. It’s very realistic to small town life. The characters mesh well, including a few from previous books in the series. There’s a whole lot of murder going on here, and it’s maddeningly difficult to catch the killer. This is exactly what I want in a murder mystery, and Hall delivered. I found myself reading faster and faster toward the conclusion, and that’s always a good sign for me. Pick up Unclear Purposes, or any of the other Driscoll Lake stories and you won’t be disappointed.
I’ve followed the Driscoll Lake series from book one. Each novel is excellent, but the final is in a league of its own. The author clearly owns her small-town setting and the people who populate it. When a woman is found murdered in Driscoll Lake, and two women die by similar means in a neighboring town, ex-FBI agent, Vince Green (now a private investigator) finds himself center stage trying to solve the murder. He and Christine Lawrence are the ones who found the victim in Driscoll Lake—a victim with a secretive past who has ties to multiple people in the town, including Christine’s ex mother-in-law. Toss in an old, unsolved crime, an arrogant police detective, art gallery clues, and the blossoming attraction between Christine and Vince, and you have book that will keep you entertained from page one.
Hall doles out her clues a little at a time, dropping them like breadcrumbs into a forest of divergent paths. Just when you think you’re starting to fit the pieces together, a new twist sends you down the wrong trail. The strong ensemble cast is handled with dexterity, each character awarded moments in the spotlight. Several of the secondary players are particularly notable. Equal parts mystery and romantic suspense, this intriguing novel presents a fabulous close to an excellent series. Each Driscoll Lake novel can be read as a standalone, including Unclear Purposes. Highly recommended!
“Unclear Purposes” is the final book in the Driscoll series and a great way to end it. Each book has focused on one woman in a group of three friends. Christine is a widowed teacher and raising a teenage daughter. Vince, the ex-FBI agent, came back to town when he opened a Private Investigation office in town. A run through the park brings them together in an unusual way, a murder. The characters were all well-developed. The friction between Christine and her daughter was very realistic, and the misunderstandings Christine and Vince dealt with made sense to me. I love how characters show up from the other two books, so there’s an update on how they are doing. Jason and Tami were two flawed characters that I appreciated. The mystery side of the book had me guessing until the end. I kept thinking it was someone only to think it was someone else right after that. There was a satisfying conclusion, and I look forward to reading more from this author. This is for you if you enjoy a good romantic mystery.
A Compelling End to a Captivating Series
I’m both happy and sad about Joan Hall’s UNCLEAR PURPOSES. Happy because I got to visit with old friends while getting another wonderful Driscoll Lake story; sad because it’s the end of the series. And as far as endings go, the author gave this reader everything she could possibly ask for.
UNCLEAR PURPOSES tells the story of former FBI agent (turned private investigator) Vince Green and Driscoll Lake’s most infamous widow, Christine Lawrence. Their relationship almost started in an earlier book in the series, but it was put on hold. Christine had a lot of history to get over, and Vince left town for a while. You’d think his return would enable them to pick up where they left off, but he had secrets and she had trust issues—not a great combination. Watching the two of them overcome the obstacles to their relationship was a sheer pleasure. But that’s only one small piece of this novel’s wonderful puzzle.
This is by and large a romantic suspense novel, not solely a romance, and the suspense element is perhaps the best of the three novels in the series. There are so many plot threads you think they can’t possibly be resolved, yet the author weaves them all together seamlessly. The end result is a surprise I believe few will see coming.
The character arcs are well-developed and so satisfying. The plot proceeds at a brisk pace without getting out of control. The setting and returning characters are comfortable and welcome.
I’ve read many series that faltered at the end. This one, I’m happy to say, is of equal quality to the start. In fact, I’d say it’s the best of the trilogy, but I honestly can’t say which of the three books is my favorite. What I can say is this is a fitting end to a fabulous series, and fans of the genre will really enjoy it.