Book Review: Double Minds by Terri Blackstock

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Enjoyable book with interesting stories to tell

Cons: The endings are so rushed it doesn't satisfy

The Bottom Line:

Mystery and music

I wanted to like this book

Resolutions rushed

Double Minds Can't Decide What Story to Tell and Suffers as a Result

I love mysteries and I love Christian music, so I figured a mystery set in the world of Christian music would be right up my alley.  I was excited to read Double Minds by Terri Blackstock.  Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the promise of the premise or the first half.

Parker James has dreamed her whole life of a career singing her songs before her fans.  However, the best she seems to be able to do is sing before small, local groups in Nashville.  Her best friend, Serene, has been building a successful Christian recording career by singing Parker's songs.  Now, one song has hit it big, and Serene may be able to cross lines into the general market if Parker will rewrite her songs for Serene.

But Parker has other things on her mind.  An intern at the recording studio where Parker works has been murdered at Parker's desk.  While Parker wasn't scheduled to work during that time, it still freaks her out.  Just when she's convinced herself the murder had nothing to do with her, a phone call changes her mind.  Who is behind the murder?  What part does Parker play in the unfolding drama?

As I said, the book started out strong.  With multiple stories, there was plenty to keep me engaged.  The characters introduced were delightful.  They felt real, with flaws as well as strengths.  The story was told mostly from Parker's point of view with a few chapters from other character's points of view.  It was enough to expand her story.  And the writing flowed well, making it easy to get lost in the story.  Every time I picked the book up, I didn't want to put it down again.

However, by the time the book ended, I was highly disappointed.  The expected character growth and development wound up feeling more forced than real, and things in their lives were solved too easily.

Then there's the story itself.  I found the climax at once gripping because of the tense situation but also weak because it was so sudden.  Honestly, the last 100 pages almost seemed to forget about the mystery and just brought it up a few times to remind us it was still unsolved.  The more I've thought about it in the few days since I finished it, some of the sub-plots either got dropped or were ended abruptly as well.

Really, I think the book suffered from too much story.  There was enough material here for two or three books, and if it had been told that way, the plot threads could have been better developed.  But since this was a stand alone, everything needed to be wrapped up by the end, making things feel rushed and ultimate unsatisfying.

Terri Blackstock can write a book that truly delivers.  Double Minds isn't one of those books.  It seems like a good story at the time, but when you finish, you realize how disappointing it really is.