What do you think?
Rate this book
Missing the Mark: A Life Odyssey
MISSING THE MARK
A young and naïve northeast Georgia mountain girl, Margaret Ann, has great aspirations for her life, but does not have the financial or experiential resources to fulfill her half-baked plans, based on her outlook on the world. However unwittingly on her part, circumstances fall into place and events unfold that lead her toward her ultimate goal on a dangerously circuitous path. In the beginning of the book, Margaret Ann’s background is explored, and the groundwork is laid for the foundations of what she will experience during the two decades or so over which this story extends.
From a visit to a nefarious gypsy at a county fair, an infrequent opportunity for Margaret Ann, with her dire warning about the future, to subtle clues throughout the book, the tale is rife with an omnipresent feeling that something is going to happen momentarily. And things do happen, suddenly, and when least expected. Margaret Ann goes to college, and almost immediately is thrust into the real world, where she is too trusting, but still somewhat heeds warning signals, as she engages in a relationship that will prove to thrust her into the midst of grave danger and uncertainty.
The man she courts and marries against her better judgment has a past that is known to no one in its entirety, even to perhaps himself because of a life of denial. She completes college, and moves into the home where Jerry, her husband, has lived for an indeterminate period of time, as he does not volunteer much information about his past, even to his wife. Apparently an abrupt move from Florida, where his parents had lived most of their lives, occurred prior to Margaret Ann’s meeting Jerry. Jerry’s parents and a mysterious man live on the property near the home where Jerry and Margaret Ann live together. Margaret Ann learns of two unmentioned marriages by Jerry prior to meeting her and a son whom she has never met, but that Jerry did not feel was important enough to mention to her. On one particular visit to the mountains on a Sunday drive, where Margaret Ann is puzzled by Jerry’s extraordinary interest in an abandoned railway tunnel in the mountains of bordering South Carolina, begins a series of events that shake Margaret Ann’s emotional security and threatens her future, as well as her immediate well-being.
Shortly after their marriage, when Margaret Ann and Jerry go for a leisurely walk through the picturesque mountains near their home, Margaret Ann is surprised to see a blue tattoo-like mark on Jerry’s calf when they take off their boots to dip their feet in a cool pool of mountain water. She did not mention what she had seen or question Jerry to any great extent, for his legendary fits of temper were not pleasant to endure. Later, in various settings, including in a morgue into which she gained entrance by her charm and skullduggery, she saw the same mark on the legs of other men. At times she was able to convince herself that they meant nothing, but when she found that there were numbers associated with these markings, she put her mind to work with surprising revelations that came over a period of years.
Nighttime visits by strange men also sparked a determination by Margaret Ann to put her sleuthing abilities to work, and a discovery of a well-hidden message center near her house yields both puzzling and fraught-with-danger activities by the young woman. Margaret Ann has now grown into a more confident, strong, and somewhat worldly-wise young woman who has become a mother of two children. She is lulled into false feelings of security for periods of time, over the years, but events unfold that always bring her back to her belief that there are things that could endanger her. But the only way to find out is to do so secretively and by the machinations of her own fertile mind, which she does with amazing alacrity.
A young and naïve northeast Georgia mountain girl, Margaret Ann, has great aspirations for her life, but does not have the financial or experiential resources to fulfill her half-baked plans, based on her outlook on the world. However unwittingly on her part, circumstances fall into place and events unfold that lead her toward her ultimate goal on a dangerously circuitous path. In the beginning of the book, Margaret Ann’s background is explored, and the groundwork is laid for the foundations of what she will experience during the two decades or so over which this story extends.
From a visit to a nefarious gypsy at a county fair, an infrequent opportunity for Margaret Ann, with her dire warning about the future, to subtle clues throughout the book, the tale is rife with an omnipresent feeling that something is going to happen momentarily. And things do happen, suddenly, and when least expected. Margaret Ann goes to college, and almost immediately is thrust into the real world, where she is too trusting, but still somewhat heeds warning signals, as she engages in a relationship that will prove to thrust her into the midst of grave danger and uncertainty.
The man she courts and marries against her better judgment has a past that is known to no one in its entirety, even to perhaps himself because of a life of denial. She completes college, and moves into the home where Jerry, her husband, has lived for an indeterminate period of time, as he does not volunteer much information about his past, even to his wife. Apparently an abrupt move from Florida, where his parents had lived most of their lives, occurred prior to Margaret Ann’s meeting Jerry. Jerry’s parents and a mysterious man live on the property near the home where Jerry and Margaret Ann live together. Margaret Ann learns of two unmentioned marriages by Jerry prior to meeting her and a son whom she has never met, but that Jerry did not feel was important enough to mention to her. On one particular visit to the mountains on a Sunday drive, where Margaret Ann is puzzled by Jerry’s extraordinary interest in an abandoned railway tunnel in the mountains of bordering South Carolina, begins a series of events that shake Margaret Ann’s emotional security and threatens her future, as well as her immediate well-being.
Shortly after their marriage, when Margaret Ann and Jerry go for a leisurely walk through the picturesque mountains near their home, Margaret Ann is surprised to see a blue tattoo-like mark on Jerry’s calf when they take off their boots to dip their feet in a cool pool of mountain water. She did not mention what she had seen or question Jerry to any great extent, for his legendary fits of temper were not pleasant to endure. Later, in various settings, including in a morgue into which she gained entrance by her charm and skullduggery, she saw the same mark on the legs of other men. At times she was able to convince herself that they meant nothing, but when she found that there were numbers associated with these markings, she put her mind to work with surprising revelations that came over a period of years.
Nighttime visits by strange men also sparked a determination by Margaret Ann to put her sleuthing abilities to work, and a discovery of a well-hidden message center near her house yields both puzzling and fraught-with-danger activities by the young woman. Margaret Ann has now grown into a more confident, strong, and somewhat worldly-wise young woman who has become a mother of two children. She is lulled into false feelings of security for periods of time, over the years, but events unfold that always bring her back to her belief that there are things that could endanger her. But the only way to find out is to do so secretively and by the machinations of her own fertile mind, which she does with amazing alacrity.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2012
2 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 4, 2019
The author uses fantastic imagery to help transport the reader in to the exact location that the book is taking place in. It’s a nice plot and the author takes their time ensuring all the pieces are in place from past to present. It’s a really nice paced read that has some mystery and suspense running through it. This is the first time I have read anything by this author, and I have to say I’m really pleased that I was given the opportunity to be introduced to his work. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 6, 2019
This is the first book I have read by this author and I am so glad that I was able to receive this book to read. I loved the storyline/plot and the characters are so real. I love the author's use of imagery. I recommend this story and this author to like-minded readers.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 28, 2019
This is a convoluted mystery told from a third person point of view with little active dialogue. The story line moves slowly through the younger years of the protagonist, Margaret Ann, in her Appalachian home. Surroundings and upbringing are described at length as her thoughts turn to her education and goals after high school. For me, it was too much detail and seemed to stretch on before the mystery began; I especially lost interest while reading her inner voice’s warnings about the man she meets during college. Perhaps both subjects could have been covered in fewer pages, given this writer’s talent?
The real mystery involving drugs, murder and power in high places finally appears with a fascinating and intricate reveal via Margaret Ann’s personal investigations, with high stress and excitement at every turn. You may argue this is Margaret Ann’s story, but it becomes just as much Jerry's, who is a very complicated character.
The writer definitely has a knack for detail and the plot is excellent. I am not a fan of stories with little dialogue and extensive background; however, after reaching the point at which the active mystery begins, the story is excellent.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout after seeing it on Book Buzz Reviews and am voluntarily leaving an objective review.
The real mystery involving drugs, murder and power in high places finally appears with a fascinating and intricate reveal via Margaret Ann’s personal investigations, with high stress and excitement at every turn. You may argue this is Margaret Ann’s story, but it becomes just as much Jerry's, who is a very complicated character.
The writer definitely has a knack for detail and the plot is excellent. I am not a fan of stories with little dialogue and extensive background; however, after reaching the point at which the active mystery begins, the story is excellent.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout after seeing it on Book Buzz Reviews and am voluntarily leaving an objective review.
March 24, 2019
Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews