Loyalty: Book Review

 

Loyalty

By Lisa Scottoline

Galley copy from Netgalley

Lisa Scottoline is known as a mystery-suspense author. In her first novel, She has gone out of the box to shake things up and went out of her usual with Eternal, and now Loyalty. I can't give you my take on Eternal because I haven't read it yet. Instead, I read Loyalty and absolutely loved it. I didn't know what to expect. The only other author I know who wrote out of his usual was Chris Bojhalian. He wrote a spooky novel. In the years past he has written novels out of his usual, with historical fiction as well.  I shouldn't have been surprised then, with Ms. Scottoline writing a terrific novel either. 

I have learned to take notes when there are many characters to keep track of at first. Then once the story is set up I can usually then understand what is going on. As I have gotten older I hate starting a new book. I tense up and get nervous until I know how the story is set up. My reasoning for taking notes in the beginning of the novel.  Is to keep track of the characters. 

Loyalty takes place in Sicily sometime in the 1800s. It takes a bit to get to know who is who is in the novel. The cast of characters includes Franco and Roberto( Franco's twin brother), who work for a wealthy lemon grower, a Baron, a lawyer, Gaetano, and his family, Mafalda is a new mother, and Alfred, a farmer who produces " magical cheese", and Dante a person who intersects the entire story between all the characters. 

The lemon grower, the Baron asks Franco to commit an illegal act, kidnap 5 year old, Dante and murder him. Instead, Franco takes him to the madhouse. Gaetano, who is a lawyer and believes in Justice seeks out and investigates what happened to the little boy, and Alfredo who I'm not sure why he is a character in the book. But does enhance and enrich the folk tale-type novel He is a minor character. I would love to see more of him in the novel. I hope Lisa in the future finds a place to put him in another novel. 

Dante is held in prison for years. Most workers don't understand Dante in the Mad House. They think he is psychotic and crazy. Who wouldn't if you were imprisoned and isolated for years? 

One part I was confused about with Dante as he is older. I was trying to figure out if she was a vision or a real person. If so, how did she get into the madhouse without detection? Maybe I missed something. It didn't take away from the book though. Years later Franco thought his boss loved him. Found out the baron used him as a tool. Instead, Franco takes revenge on the Baron and burns the Baron's property, and ruins the Baron. Franco and his brother rise up to become a group of men and form what is called a mafia. The novel has themes of injustice throughout the novel. 

The novel is a unique novel set in Sicily. Some people will not like the novel because of the many unfamiliar names. But also the characters don't come all together and connect till the end. If you have the patience to let the author play with it. Then you will keep going. It is a wonderful read for the beach. Sicily is a character in the novel. I could imagine the landscape in Sicily, think of the movie, The Godfather. I could see the landscape and the music of The Godfather while reading. If you saw the second Godfather you will know what I am talking about. 

                                                  

Book Review: Lies I Tell

 

The Lies I Tell

By Julie Clark

My Copy 

The Lies I Tell is the second novel I have read by Julie Clark. I enjoyed The Lies I Tell better than her previous novel. First off my issue to call it a thriller, specifically, domestic. I didn't feel the novel was domestic. Domestic to me is a husband/ wife conflict.  There wasn't a husband and wife conflict at all. Then to call it a thriller. I didn't think it was either.  The book was revenge rather than thriller.  A thriller to me is where the novel picks up the pace and has twists and turns. There was heart thumping moments. But I would expect twists, and turns, and climax. There weren't any. There one part of the novel wasn't credibily obvious this couldn't happen in a real situation. I had the same issue in her last book. She should have thought it through. Other than that. If you overlook this part. I still enjoyed reading. 

 The novel has two main characters, Meg and Kat. Meg is a con-artist and goes with three different names depending where she is.  Kat, is a journalist that doesn't realize their lives will connect later after ten years. Meg herself was duped as a teen. As her mother got involved with  a man who her mother trusted. But soon after realized she and her Mom were conned from their home out from under them. After their home was taken from them they became homeless and her Mother died of Cancer soon after.

The book goes back and forth in time, and back and forth with the characters. It is not one of these novels that you have to keep track of who is who. Meg becomes romantically involved with the high school principle.  She was originally looking to con and take advantage of her new boyfriend. It is better than she expected. She doesn't only clean out his bank account. She contacts a journalist. The journalist is none other than Kat.  The story becomes public and he is forced to give up his job. His reputation is ruined, Sweet Revenge! I won't go any further. But to say, the novel continues with con after con and sweet revenge. Meg isn't  just looked to con people. She is a white knight as well. You will understand what I am talking about once you are half way through the book. 

If you have been  faced with sexism, me too, rape, swindled, conned, lied to.  You will or maybe feel better after reading the novel. The novel will give you a sweet tooth of just desserts after finishing and feeling satisfied. The book wasn't just about revenge. Although the book is fiction it addresses wealth, power, corruption, and white collar crime, and real estate laws, escrow.  And of course social justice. 

I kept thinking about someone in particular I wished the conclusion would have happened to. And the end of the book. I don't know if anyone else would figure out who I was speaking about after I finish the book. Or I just have a one track mind front and center. It seemed the author was sending a message to white collar crime. People who commit white crimes or any crimes should be accountable. Most people don't think of white crime as a crime as much as murder. I think this is why white crime isn't taken seriously.