Wow! This book is bad. I'd say spoiler alert before writing certain parts of this review, but you can't spoil this novel. Trust me. I got the book on sale for 99 cents, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that I didn't get my money's worth, even at that price. To be fair, the author can write, in a basic way, but her ability to create a cohesive story idea that she'll use her general writing abilities to execute is really sophomoric. I really enjoy low brow stories that involve metaphysical stuff, murder mysteries, serial killers, and all sorts of other things. What I expect is for the author to create a storyline that is believable within the universe that she creates. Omens started with this, and seemed to be promising serial killers, a new murder, and/or some sort of metaphysical storyline. The serial killers were central to the story and yet almost incidental to what happens, the new murders were a precursor to the yet to be mentioned plot surprise (and I don't mean twist), and the metaphysical aspects were constant and yet so downplayed that they really could have been left out altogether without altering the story. Around 65-70% of the way through the book, a heretofore minor character is announced as having been a CIA agent, about 40 years in the past. About 5% further into the book it turns out maybe he never really stopped working for them. The rest of the book is the two main characters uncovering the CIA connection. I think it's important to note that for a completely unmentioned detail that comes completely out of the blue 2/3 or more of the way through a book, with not even the most minor of hints or references, is not a twist. It seems obvious from the way the book was written, the change of direction toward the end, and the author's note after the ending, that the author intends this to be the first book in a new series. A good series leaves readers wanting to know what happens next. I honestly could care less. I don't require books to be high art or classical fiction, but decently thought out and recently executes is a requirement for me to enjoy a book. The Marion Zimmer Bradley Witchlight trilogy and sent high Art, but she came up with a decent storyline before writing them, and it showed. This book reads like she came up with an idea for a series, but only a partially thought out idea for the first book, started writing it anyway, couldn't figure out a good ending, but had seen a discovery channel program on the CIA's brainwashing program in the 60s and 70s, and threw on an ending with that to get the book out to her publisher by some set deadline. She didn't even develop enough of the future storyline about the town of Cainsville and what might be going on there for me to care enough to want to find out. Trust me. Save your money and time. Otherwise you'll be asking yourself, "why didn't I listen to him?" Oh, and I gave the book 2 stars not because the story has redeeming qualities, but because the author's other writing skills are good enough that if she had started with a thoroughly fleshed out story outline, and the. Started writing the novel, it probably would have been a very good, entertaining novel, and I'd have immediately bought the second book. As it is, she didn't, and neither did I. You've been warned. I'm a big fan of Kelley Armstrong, and this book, the first in a new series, does not disappoint. It's a little darker than her usual books, and it's very intriguing. Olivia, heiress to a Chicago retail empire, discovers to her shock that she was adopted, and that her birth parents were notorious serial killers. Needing to escape the relentless media barrage, she takes refuge in a small town outside Chicago, Cainsville, populated with quite an eccentric mix of people. Olivia decides to investigate the crimes her birth parents supposedly committed, and this first book involves her discovery of the facts surrounding two of the eight deaths. She is helped by a possibly unscrupulous, possibly misunderstood (and possibly both) lawyer, Gabriel, who has his own ties to Cainsville. Good, strong characters, interesting premise, appealing setting. I'm looking forward to reading/hearing the rest of the books.
Do You like book Omens (2013)?
A little bit "Stephen King (light)" - but compelling fun holiday reading. I shall have another!
—Manea
4 stars until I was surprised to find the book was over, then it dropped half a star.
—AhmAd
First time I've read this author. Fabulous book, cant wait to read the next one!
—oleander
Enjoyable supernatural mystery. Look forward to the next one
—Meliglesias
