Tuesday, September 10, 2013

After Her by Joyce Maynard





Book: After Her
 
Author: Joyce Maynard
 
Narrator (if applicable): N/A

Release date (if applicable): Published

Synopsis: From Goodreads:

It's the summer of 1979, and a dry, hot, northern California school vacation stretches ahead for Rachel and her younger sister Patty-the daughters a larger-than-life, irresistibly handsome and chronically unfaithful detective father who loves to make women happy, and the mother whose heart he broke.
Left to their own devices, the inseparable sisters spend their days studying record jackets, concocting elaborate fantasies about the life of the mysterious neighbor who moves in down the street, and playing dangerous games on the mountain that rises up behind their house.
When young women start showing up dead on the mountain, the girls' father is charged with finding the man responsible, known as The Sunset Strangler. Seeing her father's life slowly unravel when he fails to stop the murders, Rachel embarks on her most dangerous game yet: setting herself up as bait to catch the killer, with consequences that will destroy her father's career and alter the lives of everyone she loves.
It is not until thirty years later that Rachel, who has never given up hope of vindicating her father, finally smokes out the killer, bringing her back to the territory of her childhood, and uncovering a long-buried family secret.  

My rating: 3 Stars
 
My opinion: I have to say that I was incredibly conflicted in my review of this book. I LOVE Joyce Maynard's writing and have read a good chunk of her books.  The writing in this story was somewhat "cheesy" and that drove me absolutely nuts. On that note, it is set in the 1970's, which was a really "cheesy" time.

I also didn't feel that the characters nor the storyline were as developed in the other books that I have written by this author.  In my humble opinion, this book definitely started off stronger than how it wrapped up.
Source:  William Morrow
      
Would I recommend? : Yeah, I would. Can't help it...I love this author and, as I said, I don't know if the "cheesiness" was intentional. 
 
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Stand Alone

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