Book Review: Say Goodbye by E. J. Rand (Reluctant Sleuth Mysteries #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Interesting characters; strong plot

Cons: Romance sub-plot; poor writing

The Bottom Line:

Mystery plot was good

But the romance was so weak

Wanted to like more

Promising but Flawed Hello

Say Goodbye is a debut in two ways. It's the first novel to come from Deadly Ink Press, an offshoot of an established mystery convention. It's also the first novel from author E. J. Rand. There are a few flaws to the book, but it shows promise for both.

Gary Kemmerman is still struggling to get over the death of his wife. In the year since she died of cancer, he's hardly even left their house.

All that changes when a neighbor dies in a car accident. Even though that's what the police have ruled it, the widow thinks it was murder and asks Gary to look into it. The idea seems plausible to Gary since the victim was obviously upset about something before he left for work that morning.

Gary has just barely started investigating when he meets Becca Strassberg. She witnessed the accident, and she saw some tings that make it look suspicious as well. Gary also finds her attractive, but she has some baggage of her own. Can they overcome their issues and find something more? Was the accident murder? Can Gary prove it and survive? Or is he in over his head?

This is a suspenseful thriller that starts out strong and never lags. I was afraid at one point then ending wouldn't be believable, but it worked as well. I was gripped the entire way through waiting to see what would happen next.

The characters were interesting and likable. We were allowed to get to know Gary and Becca's back story without it really slowing down the plot. The various friends and neighbors are real as well, although their development depends on the amount of page time they have. And the villains were truly evil. There are quite a few things hinted at but it never goes overboard and gets truly gruesome.

I did have on issue with the characters, Gary and Becca's romance. Going in, I knew that romance would play a big part of the story. It just happened too fast for me to swallow, especially given their baggage. There's now way in real life these two would end things where they did. That's not to say I don't think they work as a couple. They just don't work as a couple that fast.

My other issue with the book was the writing. It was stiff and not nearly as polished as most authors I read. Normally, I can get into the flow of the writing as the book progresses, but here that never happened for me. It made it frustrating at times as I wanted to read faster then I could. Still, I did feel the book was worth reading.

Unfortunately, it's a little too obviously a first novel. Despite some weaknesses, it shows real promise, however. As those things get ironed out in future books, E. J. Rand should have a great career. So if you enjoy a thriller and want to give a new author a chance, say hello to Say Goodbye.