Come the Shadows by Wendy Young
Series: The Campbell Creek Mysteries #1
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Pages: 232 pages (paperback)
Source: Author
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Description:
Campbell Creek, North Carolina has not seen a murder in seventeen years. When bones are discovered in the old bread factory Officer Will Harmon is determined to investigate, no matter who stands in his way. His wife Laura knows there is more troubling their town than one dead body, though, and the more she digs the more she finds. It's all up to them - and they will do whatever it takes to win against the darkness invading their town.
My Rating:
My Review:
When bones are discovered in an old factory, Officer Will Harmon is not content with the ME's finding that the bones are not the result of a murder. Meanwhile, a businessman has arrived in town determined to buy up local land at any cost. When Laura Harmon asks for explanations, she is met with closed doors and silence. Refusing to give up, Laura searches for answers.
I really didn't like this book. THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW! I didn't get answers to the things I wanted answers to and got an extraordinary amount of detail about things I didn't care about. For example, why in the heck would someone claim to commit a murder that they didn't do? I'm sure it happens but usually a reasonable explanation is given. Then we get the interactions between the characters because Laura wants to have another baby and Will doesn't since almost all of their children are fully grown and they've already had their surprise baby who has just begun to crawl. This seems relevant to me if it has something to do with the plot that I'm tapping my foot and ready to get some answers to. Do I sound picky? Maybe. I didn't feel like there were any real explanations for either mystery. I understand that this is a series, but usually each mystery in a series is wrapped up in such a way that the reader feels satisfied and the next installment in the series starts a new mystery. Here, I felt that there was such a build up and then a complete let down when it was time for the big reveal. What was the motive for any of this stuff? I kept asking "Why?"
Then there are the characters. They all felt one dimensional and Laura and Will came across as judgmental and condescending at times. At other times, not so much. I just never connected. Since I didn't connect and they didn't have anything special going on, I ended up finding them to be a boring duo.
Overall, this book lacked a spark. There was nothing that grabbed my attention and there isn't anything special that sets it a part. It is written well and there is a mystery. Beyond this, I found it really difficult to care about this one. It was simply boring.
I'm disappointed to write my first "Yuck" review of the year, but please don't rely on my review in making your decision about this one. There are plenty of people who loved it.
Check out the following the reviews for another view:
Wall-to-Wall Books
Come the Shadows on Goodreads