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Isabella Moon
“Isabella Moon is a book of secrets and dark miracles. Laura Benedict writes with tender power and understanding, filling the pages with characters whose mysteries and longings will matter to every reader.”
–Luanne Rice, author of The Edge of Winter
Sometimes the past comes looking for you. . . .
Two years ago, in idyllic Carystown, Kentucky, nine-year-old Isabella Moon disappeared on her way home from school. Is it just coincidence that Kate Russell, a young woman with no discernible past, arrived in town just months before Isabella’s disappearance? When Kate walks into Sheriff Bill Delaney’s office to tell him that Isabella’s ghost has led her to the child’s hidden grave, he immediately views her as a suspect. Mystery follows mystery as a local athlete drops dead, inexplicably, on the basketball court, and someone close to Kate is viciously murdered.
Quiet Carystown was to be Kate’s salvation, and she’s settled into a comfortable job, a charming cottage, and a blissful romance. But having lied to her boyfriend, Caleb, for so long about the terrors of her past life, she finds she can’t trust him to understand the terror that Isabella Moon has now brought. And Kate’s best friend, Francie, is too wrapped up in her own troubles–particularly a secret affair with a man she at once loves and despises–to give Kate the help she needs. Utterly alone, Kate is torn between finding justice for the dead child and keeping away old ghosts of her own.
The unsolved disappearance of Isabella Moon has been the biggest disappointment of Sheriff Delaney’s career. But he senses that Kate is trouble. As he investigates her impossible claims, he also uncovers a series of unsettling truths about Carystown itself. Behind his hometown’s genteel façade is a morass of lies and murder, drugs and destruction. And Carystown’s residents are about to discover that even though the past is buried, it can rise again–with a vengeance.
Dark and suspenseful, tense and eerie, tinged with the supernatural, Isabella Moon is an engrossing, beautifully written debut novel, a breathtaking and artful story of the dark mysteries that can lurk in the most bucolic of places–and the ghost of a little girl who watches as evil rises unstoppably to the surface.
–Luanne Rice, author of The Edge of Winter
Sometimes the past comes looking for you. . . .
Two years ago, in idyllic Carystown, Kentucky, nine-year-old Isabella Moon disappeared on her way home from school. Is it just coincidence that Kate Russell, a young woman with no discernible past, arrived in town just months before Isabella’s disappearance? When Kate walks into Sheriff Bill Delaney’s office to tell him that Isabella’s ghost has led her to the child’s hidden grave, he immediately views her as a suspect. Mystery follows mystery as a local athlete drops dead, inexplicably, on the basketball court, and someone close to Kate is viciously murdered.
Quiet Carystown was to be Kate’s salvation, and she’s settled into a comfortable job, a charming cottage, and a blissful romance. But having lied to her boyfriend, Caleb, for so long about the terrors of her past life, she finds she can’t trust him to understand the terror that Isabella Moon has now brought. And Kate’s best friend, Francie, is too wrapped up in her own troubles–particularly a secret affair with a man she at once loves and despises–to give Kate the help she needs. Utterly alone, Kate is torn between finding justice for the dead child and keeping away old ghosts of her own.
The unsolved disappearance of Isabella Moon has been the biggest disappointment of Sheriff Delaney’s career. But he senses that Kate is trouble. As he investigates her impossible claims, he also uncovers a series of unsettling truths about Carystown itself. Behind his hometown’s genteel façade is a morass of lies and murder, drugs and destruction. And Carystown’s residents are about to discover that even though the past is buried, it can rise again–with a vengeance.
Dark and suspenseful, tense and eerie, tinged with the supernatural, Isabella Moon is an engrossing, beautifully written debut novel, a breathtaking and artful story of the dark mysteries that can lurk in the most bucolic of places–and the ghost of a little girl who watches as evil rises unstoppably to the surface.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2007
21 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
Laura Benedict
35 books423 followersLaura Benedict is the Edgar- and ITW Thriller Award- nominated author of eight novels of suspense, including The Stranger Inside). Her Bliss House gothic trilogy includes The Abandoned Heart, Charlotte’s Story (Booklist starred review), and Bliss House. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and in numerous anthologies like Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers, and St. Louis Noir. A native of Cincinnati, she lives in Southern Illinois with her family. Visit her at www.laurabenedict.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
February 5, 2009
ISABELLA MOON (Para/Thriller-Kate Russell-Kentucky-Cont) - Poor
Benedict, Laura – 1st book
Ballantine Books, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN; 9780345497673
First Sentence: Kate was surprised when the stern-looking young woman at the duty desk told her to take a seat instead of just asking her name and sending her on her way when she announced, in a voice she could barely keep from shaking, that she knew where they could find the body of Isabella Moon.
Kate Russell has been seeing a small child. The problem is that it is the ghost of a child who disappeared two year previous. Although Kate can’t convince the sheriff, Lillian, the mother of Kate’s friend, Francie, believes the spirit wants Kate to find her body. Once the body is found, it seems all the towns secrets come to life.
I like woo-woo books and the handling of that, frankly, was the best part of this book. The rest? Not so much. But even though the appearances of the spirit were well done, the actions were completely predictable.
There were a lot of characters that the story jumped between. About half of them were not unlikable, but even some of the more appealing characters spent much of their time being just too stupid to live. I ran out of sympathy for them very quickly. The villains of the piece, of which there were many, were so obvious it negated much of the suspense.
There were large sections of back flash providing us Kate’s history, which while relevant, was all printed in italics, making it difficult to read. What was really off is that there was no good reason for all the events that happen to have happened at the same time.
There was quite a bit of sex, which isn’t a bad thing in itself, but with next to no romance it became unappealing. I know it was used as a way to demonstrate power and control but, for me, it just became boring.
The ending felt rather bizarre and as though the author had reached her word quota. You read and read and waited and waited and suddenly…it’s done.
I know all this sounds as though I hated the book. Oddly, I didn’t. It certainly kept me reading and I read it in one sitting. But after starting off really so well, it felt as though it spun off out of control into…nothing. This was such a disappointment.
Benedict, Laura – 1st book
Ballantine Books, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN; 9780345497673
First Sentence: Kate was surprised when the stern-looking young woman at the duty desk told her to take a seat instead of just asking her name and sending her on her way when she announced, in a voice she could barely keep from shaking, that she knew where they could find the body of Isabella Moon.
Kate Russell has been seeing a small child. The problem is that it is the ghost of a child who disappeared two year previous. Although Kate can’t convince the sheriff, Lillian, the mother of Kate’s friend, Francie, believes the spirit wants Kate to find her body. Once the body is found, it seems all the towns secrets come to life.
I like woo-woo books and the handling of that, frankly, was the best part of this book. The rest? Not so much. But even though the appearances of the spirit were well done, the actions were completely predictable.
There were a lot of characters that the story jumped between. About half of them were not unlikable, but even some of the more appealing characters spent much of their time being just too stupid to live. I ran out of sympathy for them very quickly. The villains of the piece, of which there were many, were so obvious it negated much of the suspense.
There were large sections of back flash providing us Kate’s history, which while relevant, was all printed in italics, making it difficult to read. What was really off is that there was no good reason for all the events that happen to have happened at the same time.
There was quite a bit of sex, which isn’t a bad thing in itself, but with next to no romance it became unappealing. I know it was used as a way to demonstrate power and control but, for me, it just became boring.
The ending felt rather bizarre and as though the author had reached her word quota. You read and read and waited and waited and suddenly…it’s done.
I know all this sounds as though I hated the book. Oddly, I didn’t. It certainly kept me reading and I read it in one sitting. But after starting off really so well, it felt as though it spun off out of control into…nothing. This was such a disappointment.
July 31, 2012
When I picked up this book at a thrift store, I was excited -- a literary ghost story/murder mystery ... what's not to love? Unfortunately, I loved nothing. This character-driven story was barely a ghost story, and the crime elements were weak at best. Not much was made of the reveals of the various murderers; they were sort of thrown toward the end of the story, but it didn't really matter because any mystery aficionado could have figured it out about a third of the way through the book. No surprises here.
The stock characters were little more than your average archetypes: The Small-Town Sheriff, The Rich Bitch, The Wealthy Bad Boy, The Misguided Woman, The Hapless Protagonist. In addition to being single-faceted, the characters were entirely unlikeable and poorly developed. Logic gaps made the characters even worse -- why on earth did the sheriff dislike the main character from the beginning, and yet find himself attracted to her toward the end? Why did he suspect her of one of the murders when she clearly had nothing to do with it and was physically unable to commit it? Why did one of the characters call another (I don't want to reveal spoilers) when it would be quite unlikely for the character to do so, and why was this call never explained?
The use of italics to tell relate stories that happened in the past was bizarre and made reading these sections difficult. The cliched writing in the scenes became unbearable -- the author used the phrase "all things XXX" over and over again. The dialogue was stilted and filled with cliches, and sounded nothing like how real people would speak.
As one reviewer pointed out, the end was rushed and unfulfilling and read as though the author had, indeed, reached her word count. The penultimate fate of the main character was never explained adequately. It's tough to relate this without giving spoilers, but something happened that wasn't supported by the scene in which it happened, and the major element of the scene was that the character "disappeared," but it was logically impossible for someone not to have found the character.
I'm glad I only paid a buck for this book. It's going back to the thrift store, but I pity the person who buys it. I'm tempted to include a note in the book warning people away.
The stock characters were little more than your average archetypes: The Small-Town Sheriff, The Rich Bitch, The Wealthy Bad Boy, The Misguided Woman, The Hapless Protagonist. In addition to being single-faceted, the characters were entirely unlikeable and poorly developed. Logic gaps made the characters even worse -- why on earth did the sheriff dislike the main character from the beginning, and yet find himself attracted to her toward the end? Why did he suspect her of one of the murders when she clearly had nothing to do with it and was physically unable to commit it? Why did one of the characters call another (I don't want to reveal spoilers) when it would be quite unlikely for the character to do so, and why was this call never explained?
The use of italics to tell relate stories that happened in the past was bizarre and made reading these sections difficult. The cliched writing in the scenes became unbearable -- the author used the phrase "all things XXX" over and over again. The dialogue was stilted and filled with cliches, and sounded nothing like how real people would speak.
As one reviewer pointed out, the end was rushed and unfulfilling and read as though the author had, indeed, reached her word count. The penultimate fate of the main character was never explained adequately. It's tough to relate this without giving spoilers, but something happened that wasn't supported by the scene in which it happened, and the major element of the scene was that the character "disappeared," but it was logically impossible for someone not to have found the character.
I'm glad I only paid a buck for this book. It's going back to the thrift store, but I pity the person who buys it. I'm tempted to include a note in the book warning people away.
December 26, 2007
This should have been an interesting and suspenseful mystery, but in the hands of this author, it was just a mess -- too many storylines, distractingly bad soap opera-ish names, and after wasting my time reading 351 pages, I'm still not sure what the point of it all was.
March 8, 2008
Any of you city slickers who imagine small-town life is dull ought to read Laura Benedict's suspenseful, sexy, and haunting debut novel, Isabella Moon, as this book set in Carystown, Kentucky, proves otherwise. It's a page turner that is just as much about character as it is about plot. In fact, the characters are richly, artfully drawn with Benedict's deft hand.
And just who is Isabella Moon? Well, she's the missing girl who comes back to haunt the novel's protagonist, Kate, and reveal her secret. But like pulling a thread--one secret revealed leads to another, until all of the town's ugly skeletons are revealed and we learn once and for all that secrets are dangerous and that buried secrets don't stay that way for long.
I was drawn to this book when I saw the spooky book trailer last year and I have to say it did not disappoint and many a night after I'd put the book down and shut out the light, I kept the covers pulled up tight under my chin.
If you like books that keep you guessing, that keep you on the edge of your seat, and that present you with believable, sympathetic characters, then this book is for you. Read it.
And just who is Isabella Moon? Well, she's the missing girl who comes back to haunt the novel's protagonist, Kate, and reveal her secret. But like pulling a thread--one secret revealed leads to another, until all of the town's ugly skeletons are revealed and we learn once and for all that secrets are dangerous and that buried secrets don't stay that way for long.
I was drawn to this book when I saw the spooky book trailer last year and I have to say it did not disappoint and many a night after I'd put the book down and shut out the light, I kept the covers pulled up tight under my chin.
If you like books that keep you guessing, that keep you on the edge of your seat, and that present you with believable, sympathetic characters, then this book is for you. Read it.
July 26, 2008
Laura Benedict does an excellent job of getting into the minds of her various characters, particularly control-freak Miles. He was downright scary and gave me nightmares! She also handles the intricacies of the story well; there were a few plot twists that I simply did not see coming. That's hard to pull off.
August 13, 2011
Ok, I gave this book one star because the story had potential, but this book frustrated me like not many do. The storyline had so many holes- I'm not talking unanswered questions- I'm talking the characters would mundanely have conversations about something that was going to happen and the next thing you know the conversation would happen and the reader wasn't any part of it! It was soooo frustrating! Then I would have to go back, thinking I missed something when it turned out it was not me, but the author's fault. The story is about a young woman with a past who sees a ghost of a child who disappeared several years ago. There are many not so nice characters and the nice characters were just plain stupid. They just couldn't make any reasonable decisions on anything. The end picked up a bit, but it was such a mix-mash of plots that it was way too much to tie in at the finale. I was just glad I got through the book and could then start on my next one.
January 5, 2008
While the Amazon reviews for this book weren't great, I really enjoyed it - I thought the soft, meandering pace of the story suited the rural Kentucky setting perfectly. The characters are a little Springeresque, but Kate's story grabbed me at the beginning and I was willing to forgive a lot for it. It's also a nice change from most small-town mysteries that present the country as an idyll; the reality of rural life is closer to the meth-damaged poverty of Carystown than the shiny-scrubbed view presented in your typical cozy.
January 18, 2014
This wasn't a bad read, can't say that it was my favorite but I did like the different plots going on in the story. I was a bit puzzled through most of it; I couldn't ever decide what the main point was. A little girl's life cut short in such a meaningless way? A woman being abused by a husband? A woman making the wrong choice in who she slept with? I never did quite figure it out, but the character development was ok, and I thought the ghost was cool. If you're looking for a story with a happy ending, this book isn't the one for you!
January 27, 2008
The title of this book caught my eye at the library. I am glad I did. I truly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down.
March 10, 2009
A little more romance than I usually like in mysteries but I enjoyed this book. Interesting characters and a ghost who seems less spooky than spunky.
November 22, 2011
review by SusanAshlea
*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*
I picked up Isabella Moon because the author is local I like to support local artists. Since it's paranormal fiction, I knew I could get into it, and it's set in Kentucky, which isn't far from where I live. I ordered the book from Amazon.com and waited patiently for 3 weeks to get the book. I had originally wanted to read and review it back in December but that didn't work out. I finally got the book, read it, took a few weeks to think about it, and alas, here is the review.
A few years ago, Isabella Moon went missing. No one has seen hide nor hair of her since, and no information has been brought forth, leaving it a true unsolved mystery. That is, until one day Kate Russell had a vision, which she promptly reports to the local sheriff, Bill Delaney. Kate continues to see the ghost of Isabella, who even shows Kate where she is buried. The sheriff mostly blows it off, choosing instead to investigate Kate. Kate is a virtual unknown in Carystown, having drifted into town a couple of years before with no history to speak of and only a few friends in town. Her boyfriend, Caleb, works out of town and only makes a few weekend appearances.
Once Kate comes forward with her story, everything seems to come unglued for the sheriff, especially when one of Kate's only friends winds up dead. It isn't until he hears Kate's alibi that Bill Delaney thinks her cockamamie story might have some truth to it, though he still keeps a keen eye on her at all times, even discovering that her name is an alias. As for Kate herself, Isabella isn't the only ghost haunting her; a ghost from her past threatens to steal her peaceful existence in her new home as well.
I had a hard time getting into this book, but it wasn't because of the actual book. Mostly, it's because I'd been gorging myself on Young Adult novels like Blue Bloods and House of Night for a few months. Those are all very easy reads and you don't have to do a lot of work to keep up with the plot. However, Isabella Moon is an adult novel and you can't skim through it. When I first started reading the book, I could only take in about 20 pages each night because there is a great deal of information coming at you from the get-go and in order to really get the time line I had to pay close attention. That's not to say that the book isn't well written, because it is. I simply had to retrain my brain to read something of this nature.
I have always enjoyed a good murder mystery, and Isabella Moon delivered. There wasn't a whole lot of paranormal stuff going on outside of the random appearances of the little girl's ghost, though. The murder mysteries are pretty intriguing, and I think throughout the book, no fewer than 5 deaths are investigated. What really intrigued me more than any other part of the story was when we saw flashbacks of Kate's former life. It's when those proverbial "ghosts" start to haunt her that the story really came alive for me.
The characters in the book were well developed, except for Sheriff Bill; he just fell a little flat to me. The other characters were wonderful, including the despicable Janet Roarke and disgusting Paxton Birkenshaw. I think everyone knows a few people in their real lives that mirror those two: selfish, entitled, and willing to do anything to get who or what they want. But Kate was the richest character of the bunch, and I think it's because we saw so much of her life through flashbacks. We saw her grow and develop into the hermit-like person that graced the first page of the book.
One of the best parts of Isabella Moon is the imagery. Laura Benedict does a masterful job at describing each character and their surroundings so well that I can see them in my mind's eye. I often suffer from "blank face" syndrome when I read: the characters are there in my imagination, but their faces are blank. But that is not the case with this book; each character, each house, each diner and downtown thoroughfare is described so well that it's very vivid in my imagination.
The action picks up about 100 pages in, and even though the mystery of Isabella Moon is solved, it's somewhat anticlimactic compared to the other stuff going on in the book. I imagine the author intended it to be that way because at the heart, the book is about Kate and her story. The end took me awhile to process and it took me a few weeks to decide if I liked it or not. In the end, I think I do like it, though in my uneducated opinion, I think the ending was best served without the final chapter.
All in all: a very good read and I recommend it. It's the author's first published novel and I can only wish mine will be as good. ;-)
*Warning: possible spoilers ahead.*
I picked up Isabella Moon because the author is local I like to support local artists. Since it's paranormal fiction, I knew I could get into it, and it's set in Kentucky, which isn't far from where I live. I ordered the book from Amazon.com and waited patiently for 3 weeks to get the book. I had originally wanted to read and review it back in December but that didn't work out. I finally got the book, read it, took a few weeks to think about it, and alas, here is the review.
A few years ago, Isabella Moon went missing. No one has seen hide nor hair of her since, and no information has been brought forth, leaving it a true unsolved mystery. That is, until one day Kate Russell had a vision, which she promptly reports to the local sheriff, Bill Delaney. Kate continues to see the ghost of Isabella, who even shows Kate where she is buried. The sheriff mostly blows it off, choosing instead to investigate Kate. Kate is a virtual unknown in Carystown, having drifted into town a couple of years before with no history to speak of and only a few friends in town. Her boyfriend, Caleb, works out of town and only makes a few weekend appearances.
Once Kate comes forward with her story, everything seems to come unglued for the sheriff, especially when one of Kate's only friends winds up dead. It isn't until he hears Kate's alibi that Bill Delaney thinks her cockamamie story might have some truth to it, though he still keeps a keen eye on her at all times, even discovering that her name is an alias. As for Kate herself, Isabella isn't the only ghost haunting her; a ghost from her past threatens to steal her peaceful existence in her new home as well.
I had a hard time getting into this book, but it wasn't because of the actual book. Mostly, it's because I'd been gorging myself on Young Adult novels like Blue Bloods and House of Night for a few months. Those are all very easy reads and you don't have to do a lot of work to keep up with the plot. However, Isabella Moon is an adult novel and you can't skim through it. When I first started reading the book, I could only take in about 20 pages each night because there is a great deal of information coming at you from the get-go and in order to really get the time line I had to pay close attention. That's not to say that the book isn't well written, because it is. I simply had to retrain my brain to read something of this nature.
I have always enjoyed a good murder mystery, and Isabella Moon delivered. There wasn't a whole lot of paranormal stuff going on outside of the random appearances of the little girl's ghost, though. The murder mysteries are pretty intriguing, and I think throughout the book, no fewer than 5 deaths are investigated. What really intrigued me more than any other part of the story was when we saw flashbacks of Kate's former life. It's when those proverbial "ghosts" start to haunt her that the story really came alive for me.
The characters in the book were well developed, except for Sheriff Bill; he just fell a little flat to me. The other characters were wonderful, including the despicable Janet Roarke and disgusting Paxton Birkenshaw. I think everyone knows a few people in their real lives that mirror those two: selfish, entitled, and willing to do anything to get who or what they want. But Kate was the richest character of the bunch, and I think it's because we saw so much of her life through flashbacks. We saw her grow and develop into the hermit-like person that graced the first page of the book.
One of the best parts of Isabella Moon is the imagery. Laura Benedict does a masterful job at describing each character and their surroundings so well that I can see them in my mind's eye. I often suffer from "blank face" syndrome when I read: the characters are there in my imagination, but their faces are blank. But that is not the case with this book; each character, each house, each diner and downtown thoroughfare is described so well that it's very vivid in my imagination.
The action picks up about 100 pages in, and even though the mystery of Isabella Moon is solved, it's somewhat anticlimactic compared to the other stuff going on in the book. I imagine the author intended it to be that way because at the heart, the book is about Kate and her story. The end took me awhile to process and it took me a few weeks to decide if I liked it or not. In the end, I think I do like it, though in my uneducated opinion, I think the ending was best served without the final chapter.
All in all: a very good read and I recommend it. It's the author's first published novel and I can only wish mine will be as good. ;-)
Read
August 28, 2019DNF at chapter 8, page 63. Just not clicking with this one.
March 4, 2012
Every so often, I read a book so powerful that it pervades my soul, lingering there far longer than most. Laura Benedict’s debut novel, Isabella Moon, is just such a book. Few words exist that measure up to the task of describing this story, but evocative, soulful, and exquisitely heartbreaking certainly top the list.
Two years ago, nine-year-old Isabella Moon disappeared on her way home from school. For two years, Sheriff Bill Delaney and his deputies conduct a fruitless investigation, until Isabella’s ghost leads a young woman named Kate Russell to her secret grave. Sheriff Delaney suspects newcomer Kate is keeping secrets of her own, especially after someone close to her is brutally murdered. With another suspicious death on his watch, Delaney discovers that this idyllic small Southern town has much more to hide than a little girl’s body.
Written with mesmerizing prose and chilling attention to detail, Isabella Moon both astonishes and impresses in its exploration of the coexistence of good and evil and – as Kate observes – the “single sharp line” that separates them.
Two years ago, nine-year-old Isabella Moon disappeared on her way home from school. For two years, Sheriff Bill Delaney and his deputies conduct a fruitless investigation, until Isabella’s ghost leads a young woman named Kate Russell to her secret grave. Sheriff Delaney suspects newcomer Kate is keeping secrets of her own, especially after someone close to her is brutally murdered. With another suspicious death on his watch, Delaney discovers that this idyllic small Southern town has much more to hide than a little girl’s body.
Written with mesmerizing prose and chilling attention to detail, Isabella Moon both astonishes and impresses in its exploration of the coexistence of good and evil and – as Kate observes – the “single sharp line” that separates them.
July 28, 2008
Kate Russell, who has only been in the small town of Carystown, Kentucky two years, awakens to find a little girl in a yellow coat outside her window. She follws the girl until she disappears and realizes it is Isabella Moon, a girl who has been missing for just over two years. So Kate goes to the police to tell them where to look for the girl's body.
It's a great begining. and soon there are an overdose and a poisening to go with first mystery.
I didn't mind that the point of view switched around, but I didn't like that the first point of view we see, isn't at the end of the book. It left me with the same sad empty feeling that the movie No Country For Old Men left me with. (Sorry, haven't read the book... yet.)
The conclusion didn't feel whole to me. But it was very good for a first novel.
It's a great begining. and soon there are an overdose and a poisening to go with first mystery.
I didn't mind that the point of view switched around, but I didn't like that the first point of view we see, isn't at the end of the book. It left me with the same sad empty feeling that the movie No Country For Old Men left me with. (Sorry, haven't read the book... yet.)
The conclusion didn't feel whole to me. But it was very good for a first novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2009
I enjoyed this book. There were several plots twisting and weaving together yet all having to deal with the one major murder in the book. It seems everyone in the book had something to hide either from there past or something presently such as a hidden affair. I was shocked at the brutality of the murders and often shocking descriptions. I wasn't ready for the dirty cop and the scene that played out and exposed the person was confusing to me. I did not like the ending however. It felt unfinished. The only closure comes from the discovery of who murdered Isabella Moon not any of the other plot lines. One does end but with no significant hoopla just oh that happened and nothing else was said.
Overall I did like the book and would try the author again.
Overall I did like the book and would try the author again.
March 12, 2009
Isabella Moon was awful. The review sounded so great. I needed a book for the airplane. After I finished it, I felt like you feel when you eat a doughnut. I can't believe I ate that whole thing, I feel terrible and it didn't even taste good.
Benedict just writes without any regard for her characters or her readers. You get the feeling that she had scenarios up on a dart board and choose her plot through a series of (misplaced) hits. I was so mad at this book-I started to leave it on the plane and then I thought I don't want anyone else to pick up this book and read it. This book was one of the few books that I have really disliked and cannot think of one person I would recommend it to.
Benedict just writes without any regard for her characters or her readers. You get the feeling that she had scenarios up on a dart board and choose her plot through a series of (misplaced) hits. I was so mad at this book-I started to leave it on the plane and then I thought I don't want anyone else to pick up this book and read it. This book was one of the few books that I have really disliked and cannot think of one person I would recommend it to.
September 10, 2013
I just finished Isabella Moon and I loved the book!!! the switching back and forth on who was telling story didn't bother me like I have seen in other reviews. quite a lot of twists and turns which equals surprises! the end did feel abrupt but when you take a moment afterwards you realize all characters had been covered with an ending probably in the last 2 chapters. if I understand it correctly the nook /kindle version has an updated ending. so if there were bad reviews posted at first publication then you need to ignore those, do yourself a favor and get the updated book. worth the read! would love to see a movie made from it in fact!
March 13, 2008
Kate Russell has lived in her small town for 2 years, hiding from her "secret" past. The book is interesting in the beginning with firends Lillain & Francie. The life of Sheriff Bill and the station. Kate's "secret" is told in flashbacks throughout the book.
Then, half way through, the book wanders off course and never gets back on. The last part of the book was rushed, the plot and character backstories are never fully developed and the end was confusing to me. Very disapointing after a promising beginning.
Then, half way through, the book wanders off course and never gets back on. The last part of the book was rushed, the plot and character backstories are never fully developed and the end was confusing to me. Very disapointing after a promising beginning.
January 15, 2010
Horrible. I hated it. I read the whole thing, because even though I didn't like it, it flowed okay. There were some characters that stuck with me...but there wasn't as much about the little girl as I thought there'd be. Lots of sex out of nowhere. Like the part when the cop was watching the main character out of suspicion...suddenly he gets hard, realizing she reminded him of his wife. What the heck?? My husband read it and hated the whole thing as well. He was weirded out by how every other scene was sex or drugs.
February 8, 2009
A little girl disappears without a trace. A newcomer to town begins to have visions (visitations?) which lead to the discovery of her body. Unlike LULLABY this book had characters that I wanted to know more about. Not necessarily because they were likable, but because they were interesting. Each new chapter brought on another aspect to the characters keeping my interest peaked. The ending was a surprise too. It did not really take me to where I expected ... in this case ... a good thing!
October 15, 2007
This book was not what I expected. It was well written so I quickly fell into the captivating pace of the story. The murder mystery kept me intrigued while the supernatural elements somewhat fit this time of year...
It held a bit too much gore, violence and drug use to be a great read but it was something different for me. And the characters were fairly deep and well connected.
It held a bit too much gore, violence and drug use to be a great read but it was something different for me. And the characters were fairly deep and well connected.
August 25, 2008
How far would you go to escape an abusive husband? Kate Russell changed her identity and moved to Carytown, Kentucky, and was living a quiet, relitively happy life until she was visited be Isabella Moon's ghost. Though it reminded me of Jodi Piccoult's early books, it is entertaining, though far-fetched in many ways. It was a pretty good read.
March 17, 2009
I was really looking forward to reading this book, but ended up disappointed. I thought it would be more about Isabella Moon, but it was more about everyone else...and most of the characters have few redeeming qualities.
The story reminded me a bit of the Julia Robert's movie Sleeping with the Enemy.
I guess I was looking for more paranormal and didn't get that.
The story reminded me a bit of the Julia Robert's movie Sleeping with the Enemy.
I guess I was looking for more paranormal and didn't get that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2010
Happy to be pulling down the curve on this awful novel with my lowly one star rating. How could anyone publish this? Worse still, how in the world did I justify finishing this terrible novel? I'm both puzzled by my actions and ashamed, and heartly sorry to all the wonderful books I could have been reading.
November 1, 2007
This book literally kept me up at night reading...to finish with a not-outstanding conclusion. 3 and half stars I'd award it, but I'll give it four because it's a first novel and because I've been thinking about it all day. It's a spooky ghost story/murder mystery/southern gothic tale.
December 7, 2007
a very compelling, dark read about a woman visited by a dead girls ghost while she deals with her own ghosts... the ending is ambiguous but that fits well with the mood of the book (definitely not a satisfying ending though).
February 3, 2012
I loved this book from right at the very beginning to the bitter end! So many things going on and yet I was able to keep up with it all. Very nice suspense and kept me wanting to go pick it up again to see what would happen next and then I didn't want it to end. :)
April 5, 2008
This was similar to a Jodi Picoult book and I love her writing. Also reminded me of "Lovely Bones" and "Sleeping with the Enemy".
February 16, 2009
Good little mystery: wife hidng from an abusive husband, a little girl's ghost and the gossip of a small town. I enjoyed it.
March 15, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting yet easy read. I was pulled in by the characters and the story kept me going. This book was a joy to read! I would highly recommend it.
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