*The shorter the review, usually the better the story in my opinion. When they're this long, the author left too many questions, wrote stuff that made no sense/add up or incorrectly.*
This story is a perfect example of why I would never go to another country, or most anyways. You being a stranger, not knowing all the rules and whatnot, you end up getting in trouble for either something really stupid or not your fault like Ray.
Anyways, this was an interesting read. It had me guessing as to who was the actual killer right up till the end. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters though, they seemed to all be basically the same. It must have had something to keep me interested though since I did manage to finish. Sadly, it's books like this that kill me. I mean it's like no one bothered to really this this and see all the mistakes that are throughout it. I mean so many inconsistencies and questionable things...I'd much rather type up a short review.
Questions/Comments:
Sandy was so annoying. I mean, her brother wasn't around when she was stuck in juvie 10 YEARS PRIOR! I mean get over it already! How many times did she have to bring it up? But that whole situation makes no sense to me. "When I got to the age where I might help him, he was already off to college...maybe with clothes or how girls thinks..." (How old was Ray when he left for college? We know Sandy's 26 and Ray's 40. Typically someone leaves for college say between 18-20. Ray is 14 years older than Sandy. So that would have made Sandy around 6? Am I missing something here? The timeline just doesn't add up for me. So how old was she when she was doing drugs?
Ray is thinking about Meg and how, "She wasn't afraid to discuss serious subjects such as art and antiques." (Um, how are those considered 'serious subjects?' I thought religion and maybe family would be serious.
Prior to Loraine making her story up, she's laying on the bed naked. We're told earlier on that it's November and obviously the story takes place in Florida. Yet Ray notices that "Her tan hadn't started..." (What exactly does that mean? You'd think by November if a female was going to get tanned, she'd be tanned by then.)
Why it is when two characters are suppose to be talking about something important, they have to first have some random chit chat? Like when Ray shows up at the Senator's apt to find Tammy, yet they end up talking about china for a few hours...Or Tammy being asked if she has a gun and goes on about when she was younger, blah, blah, blah. I get the gun comment was relevant later on in the story but still. There were numerous situations like this. Which ended up being really annoying!
What was with everyone constantly wondering about the image of Loraine wearing a thong? I mean, yes she's like 70, but if she looks younger and keeps in shape then who cares?
After Ray gets burned he goes to the drugstore to get first aid. "Ray pleaded for one stray, by chance leftover tranquilizer..." (A tranquilizer? For a hand burn? Seriously?) The hot coffee had been in a teacup! It's not like that much liquid can fit into one of those cups.
When Ray's telling the police about meeting the Senator at Meg's party, how does he not remember her last name? I mean he talks about her like he likes her, she comes by his office EVERYDAY! for some unknown reason to him, but he doesn't know. I find that hard to believe. It's not like he was getting tons of female attention.
What took the cops (Goddard) so long to talk to the people that Ray said were involved with what was going on? I didn't get that. If the spouse or ex, is usually at the top of the suspect list why did it seem to take so long before she was questioned?
-------------------------
MAJOR MISTAKES: How the author missed these, no clue. But of course I don't!
#1
So Sandy meets Goddard the first time when he pulls up behind her in the parking lot. She ends up wondering what color his eyes are. "He took a deep breath and removed his sunglasses...Loved his steely eyes." This is on my kindle and Page 78. But then later on Page 108 "She had yet to see his eyes." (WRONG!) I was actually surprised the author didn't suddenly have a different eye color for Goddard. That would have been funny.
#2
Sandy ends up waiting for Norma outside her restaurant. Goddard asks her "'Where are you now?' 'The Jardin...She said she couldn't talk inside because someone is always watching her. She told me to wait outside.'" (Seconds later) "'Where are you anyway?' 'She couldn't talk inside because someone is always watching her'...waiting outside, blah, blah, blah. (How did the repeating happen and no editor notice?)
-------------------------
Goddard meets with Norma Martin. He asks her where she lives. She tells him she lives with the cook on Banyon Street. We assume he had already typed in Norma's name (in the directory), hence no address. He tries again suddenly there's her name and address. ?
Why did Loraine bother lying so much when finally questioned about meeting Ray at Meg's party? I mean all the cops had to do was go talk to the other party goers and find out the truth, to a degree anyways. I mean the fact she said that he "kept calling", when they just had to check her phone records...yet in the end, they never did check out anything she said. Strange.
If Sandy is trying to find evidence that will prove her brother is innocent, how does that work? I mean wouldn't it be against the rules or something since they're related? I can't remember what the term is...
Questionable phrase "She lifted her skirt, and you charged off to tilt at windmills." (Excuse me?)
Moran was....IDK what. How was he still a state prosecutor? I mean he's obviously not doing his job correctly and the police know this. There had to have been something they could have done. The fact that he refers to Ray as a hitman? Really? What would ever make any of them think Ray was a person paid to kill someone else? At least with the love triangle thing, which would have made a little more sense, the hitman angle was too much. Aren't hitmen usually more in the background? Not running around talking to all these people?
Sandy tells Goddard that he doesn't talk or walk like a cop. More like a lifeguard. (haha) It's funny because he says he had been a lifeguard! "I was, right here on this beach. Summer before I went off to college." (Just ONE summer! Now I can't imagine a single summer would have changed your walking and talking that much. I mean how long has he been a cop?)
"Sandy said, 'You're a plain black coffee kind of guy.' 'What kind of guy is that?'" (Seriously? You'd have to ask?)
"She struck a pose with one hand on her hip and stared at him." (Now I can imagine this pose when the person is standing! Considering they're both sitting, how would her putting her hand on her hip mean anything?)
The gun box was found with Tammy's prints on it. She had found the box in a bag, in her closet. "An empty toy box someone stuck in there at some store thinking it was trash, or something." 1. Why would other people be putting stuff in your closet? 2. If it's trash, again, why put it in someone else's closet? Tammy just seemed way too stupid there.
Weird moment. So Sandy goes to sleep and ends up dreaming that Pirro is dead on a sword? Really? Why was that even brought in?
Linda and Sandy have a sit down and tell each other all the secrets they've found out. Sandy ends up SHOWING Ray's statement he made showing all the names of the people involved. Why did Sandy have the statement with her? I can see her just telling Linda the names but physically having the paper with her?
The girl that ended up coming forward against Huress. That was weird too. I mean the way it's written "Every day when she looked at the clipping the whole nightmare would come back." Makes it sound like she had the clipping for a while and not just like what? a couple days?
Sandy said she was going to move to Florida but had to go back to Philadelphia to finish some stuff up. First off "Like a certain guy who has to move or take over my lease." (So she had a bf there? Yet he was never mentioned at all?) Then she's bringing back a new miata? How much money does she make to where she get a new car like that again? I mean she was doing the grunt work in PA? I just can't imagine she was getting that much money.
So the police are called to Loraine's house because the bug guy is dead in her pool. How did they get a search warrant? I understand how she ended up getting arrested. There should have been no reason for them to go into the house, hence no evidence or anything to allow them to get a warrant.
The fact that Tammy supposedly fell in love with Ray after one night? Or let me rephrase, she fell in love with him during THAT evening. So after a couple hours and she was hooked?
The Senator, Loraine and Tammy thing, it was kind of too strange/coincidental to me. Like this all took place the same time. Loraine gives the bug guy the money and gun, the Senator gets killed, and Loraine assumes it was him but really it was Tammy.