But Jewel and her friend Lizzie decide to make a break for it taking with them Lizzie's baby daughter Sunshine, fathered by Mordecai. But before they can escape there is an FBI raid. Gunfire is exchanged and then an explosion causing the compound to go up in flames. Lizzie is shot during the raid and her dying wish is that her friend Jewel take care of her daughter.
Chapter one fast forwards us to 2003 and Jewel is now Julie Jones, a successful TV news anchor in Syracuse raising her 16 year old daughter Dawn (Sunshine). Life should be good but Julie is being blackmailed by someone who has found out about her past. Julie goes to the hotel room to pay the blackmailer because she has never told her daughter the truth about her life at the compound or that she is not Dawn's biological mother and that Dawn's father is the infamous Mordecai Young. But when Julie arrives at the hotel she discovers that her blackmailer has been murdered and she is now a suspect.
I decided to give Thicker Than Water 3.5 stars. Initially I was going to go with 4 stars because Maggie Shayne is an author I have read in the past and I really enjoy her writing. And two thirds of the way through Thicker Than Water I was finding this novel a page turner. But the last third of the book involved twists that to me didn't seem plausible. But the novel ends on a cliffhanger and there are 5 more books in this series and so I see myself eventually going on to book 2, Colder Than Ice
Hmm, I haven't heard of this author. Funny how when you read a lot you always think you know every author 'ever'. LOL! Anyway, I'll go and look this up as it sounds really interesting with the cult background.
ReplyDeleteI have read two prior books by Maggie Shayne and I have enjoyed them both. She is very prolific and writes paranormal novels and also romantic suspense. Thicker Than Water I thought was going great but the last third of the book was becoming too outlandish I thought. But she is worth reading
DeleteHaving too many twists at the end of a book can ruin it...or make you drop your rating of it. Especially when it starts to feel really implausible. I agree with Cath on the interesting cult background in this one though. Almost makes me want to read it. :D
ReplyDeleteThe cult background is interesting and there is romance in the novel between Julie and her rival, a radio talk show host, Sean McKenzie. There was enough to work with in the novel so that a final twist or two wasn't needed.
DeleteI had not heard of this author either but she has written a lot of books. I will be interested to see how you like the 2nd one in the series.
ReplyDeleteShe's very prolific and writes well so I definitely will go on to the second book. After that it depends how the second book turns out.
DeleteThat's a doozy of a premise. Quite a few turns there. So the rest of the books in the series deal with these characters? Julie faces an uphill battle it seems.
ReplyDeleteI think the characters in this book don't factor as big in subsequent books in this series. New characters are introduced. But some of the characters in Thicker Than Water go on to have bigger roles.
ReplyDeleteIt's always frustrating when a novel seems to drop off a cliff after being wonderful for most of it. I think so many authors struggle with endings, and the implausibility factor is a deal breaker for me. These are always the most challenging reviews to write--it's easier when the book is a solid four or five stars. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane and I have read a few books in the romantic suspense genre where less would have been more. There is no need for multiple twists and sometimes a 400 page book would have been better with a tighter plot coming in at 250 or 300 pages tops.
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