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The Right Call: A Novel (2010)

by Kathy Herman(Favorite Author)

4.03 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1434767841 (ISBN13: 9781434767844)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

David C. Cook

series

Sophie Trace Trilogy

review 1: 'The Right Call' is the third book in the Sophie Trace trilogy, a fact I was unaware of when I picked up the book to read. I began the book with no expectations, I just wanted a mystery to tide me over for the weekend, unfortunately I wound up very disappointed. The book begins with an apparently 'random' series of shootings where three people are killed. This is quickly followed by the fourth shooting of a potential witness in front of the police chief's daughter, Vanessa. Vanessa and her boyfriend, Ethan (who happened to be the cousin of the fourth shooting victim) are now drawn into the 'murderous mystery'. However, there are several serious issues with this book. The first being the plot. Ethan is described as a God-fearing, smart, logical, young man who despite... more his personal connection with the police chief decides it would be best to not mention to her that he was warned at knife point to walk away or 'they' would kill his girlfriend and her son. What? Where did that smart young man suddenly go? Sadly, this was only a minor example of the character and plot line disconnect. Despite guessing almost immediately who the antagonist was and roughly how he had accomplished the murders, Herman spent very little time developing his character. This contributed to making the conclusion less satisfying. Lastly, 'The Right Call' is distinctly Christian. In fact I would define it as a Christian mystery, if such a thing exists. The primary message I received from the characters was the wonder of God's love. This is not a bad thing, but I would have liked to have known before I started the book that one of the primary drives was to spread the word of God.All in all, I finished the book in hopes that it would suddenly improve or at least become more tolerable; it didn't. The mystery is sugary sweet and insubstantial.
review 2: I enjoyed this one a lot more than its predecessor, The Last Word. The third in the Sophie Trace Trilogy, this story is from Ethan's viewpoint. We met him at the beginning of the previous book, and he's returned for the summer to work and save money, as well as spend time with Vanessa and her baby, Carter. Their romance is sweet, and Vanessa has certainly grown up since the last book. While there are references to the previous two books, this one stands alone just fine. The premise was a bit implausible and certainly predictable. However, it was also enthralling and captured my attention. The typical small-town drama is there, as well as the familiar faces at the restaurant lunch counter who discuss the latest criminal events and add an interesting subplot. But it's a fast read and perfect for an afternoon escape. less

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