Today I’m pleased to review Tighter, Tighter by Lynn Kear. This is the second novel I’ve read by the author and I have to say I’m quickly becoming a devoted fan. Before I say more, here’s the synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Kath Branch disappeared from St. James, Illinois in 1975. That same night, local sandwich shop owner Billy Carlson was gunned down and dumped in the St. James River.
This cold case is personal for prosecutor Meredith Carlson. Billy was her husband’s father.
Convinced she’s solved the case, Meredith lures the now legendary rock star back to her hometown for the first time since she left thirty-five years ago.
Meredith has no idea she’s about to unearth shocking secrets about herself, her husband, and her family.
A couple of months ago, I read and reviewed Black-Hearted Bitch and really enjoyed it. I mentioned in that review that Kear hooked me right away. The same can be said for this novel, Tighter, Tighter. From the very beginning I wanted to know more. I won’t try to explain too much since I don’t want to accidentally include any spoilers, which is why I copied the synopsis for this review. I hate finding out too much before I read a book.
The story has a lot going on and there are a few twists and turns. Yet, Kear’s writing simplifies the plot. She has a unique way of throwing a lot of curve balls at the reader without confusing the reader. Sometimes authors are too busy keeping their readers off-balance that they forget that the plot has to make sense. This isn’t the case with this book. Even though Kear kept me on my toes, I never thought I was lost at sea. Each chapter added to the suspense.
The characters are all pretty selfish and I didn’t relate to them personally, but I found myself liking many of them on some level. It’s difficult to create flawed characters and yet still make them somewhat likeable and I have to give kudos to Kear for accomplishing that.
I didn’t intend on reading it in two days, but I did. Simply could not put this book down. I look forward to reading more by her.
