Sharon Wright: Butterfly

by John Lynch

No-one gives Sharon a chance. Except Sharon.
All Sharon wants is a better life—a husband who takes care of her, the kind of food they have in magazines and civilized conversation. Is it her fault that she is in the middle of a plot involving two hitmen? Well, yes, actually. It is.
In Sharon’s deprived childhood, Buggy was Top Cat—the one everyone went in fear of. Buggy ruled the roost and Buggy’s girlfriend could be the Number One female. So she married him. Of all the mistakes she could have made, that is the biggest.

344 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 10/11/2014
Author: John Lynch
Recommended for: fan's of mystery novels mixed with a bit of violence.

I recieved this book for free through Goodreads FirstReads

I thought this was a brilliant book, written by the very talented John Lynch. It captivated my attention, it was full of mystery. The description of the characters make the very beliveable and the circumstance of Sharon Wright (marrying a man who was the leader/boss) is a believeable storyline to follow. The author has a very good way with words which make you keep on reading and keeps up the rhythm throughout the book there isn't a slow part it is all the same pace. I think anyone who reads this book will enjoy it as much as I did. It was a real joy to be able to read this book.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sharon Wright. Butterfly.

More a praying mantis or a black widow than a butterfly. Any omnivorous creature who would dine on her mate, and does what she can to avoid or consume potential offspring.

Sharon is a street smart gal, who wants more from her life than being a mate to a second class errand boy, and using her skills with mouth and between her legs.

We learn in exhausting detail about the men and women who are around or pass through her world, whether they be thief, cop, librarian or lover.

The background info ad stories are written in ways that are interesting, there is just WAY too much of the background and ancillary tales.

The story is not really compelling enough for 500 plus pages. A lot like reading Michener's The Source: layer, upon layer, with thinly connected stories.

Not sure I needed to know, for example, that a cop who took info on two loosely connected players in the story ended up marrying the librarian he questioned about the girls, and produced three children with her years hence. The officer never appears in the story again, so why do we care?

Feels like releasing story notes.

What was written was well written. I really missed visiting nooks and crannies along the canals in France. The descriptions of the good vs the vinegary wines made me thirsty, though the tasty baguettes with cheese and meat really did sound even yummier.

If you're not a fan of large tomes or 80's era James Michener length novels, this may not be your cup of tea.

If you want to long for France, and the simple things that really are better there than England, that really do come more cheaply, then allez! and enjoy!

[Ann Keeran · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting, entertaining and fabulous story of a girl who is married to a small-time hood. As several scenarios unfold, Sharon is busy trying to better herself. Thievery, murder, amazing characters and a fast paced story pack this book to its seams. John Lynch has written a hard hitting chronicle of life.

[Brian O'Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow out of the Gate…Romps Home

I read John Lynch’s novel, Sharon Wright: Butterfly, in the paperback version. I have to say that the first sight was impressive…beautifully designed matt cover, de luxe pages and quality print. The technical elements of the text, formatting, grammar, sentence structure and presentation, were equally impressive, faultless and without error as far as I could see.

And as to the content, there is no doubt that John Lynch can write. His sentences are crisp, his rhythm fluent, and his whole approach to the craft is competent and confident. Add to that, expertly drawn characters, dialogue that clearly shows that Lynch has had his ear to the ground, and a wry humour that rears its head from time to time, and you have a book that passes professional muster on every count. I might add that a significant element of the story is set in France. a country that I love and holiday in every year. Lynch clearly knows France well. His descriptions are accurate and appealing and I truly enjoyed the enviable canal trip from Auxerre experienced by three of the characters.

I could perhaps question the number of characters introduced rather too early in the book, characters with substantial back stories but with no apparent connection to each other. The result of this approach is that it initially presents a series of vignettes rather than a single story line. My normal preference is for a story that grabs me from the outset and won’t let go. Here there are too many unconnected stories and, for the first third of the book, I trouble discerning whether there even was a principle storyline or where it was going. To be fair, the author does bring the various strands together later in the book … but is it too late for some?

Lynch has chosen a social milieu in which to place his tale that, convincing though it is, conflicts raucously with this reviewer’s tastes. The characters are real but, if I am to be honest, I found them for the most part to be amoral, odious, and sleazy, lacking any qualities that would allow me to empathise with them. The fact that the reader’s early introduction to them occurs when they tend to be engaged in sexual activity or fantasising about it, only serves to reinforce the general impression of sordidness. (I stress again that, although this fictional world is unattractive to me, it is the one that the author has chosen and he writes about it with great skill. Other readers might well love it. I should also add that the eroticism becomes considerably less intrusive as the storyline gathers impetus.)

The police investigations, again too many policemen who are hard to keep track of, are based on what are probably more true-to-life approaches than are the sudden enlightened hunches of the standardised detectives of mystery fiction. Here the cops engage in a laborious search for minor clues, nuggets of unrelated information, trying to connect one small piece with another small piece, until eventually a picture emerges and a hunt for the miscreant can begin. Lynch uses this technique with supreme skill and while it may not offer the excitement of the eureka moment, it does have the ring of authenticity.

All of that said, when the story lines merge and the reader has grown accustomed to the characters and their foibles, Lynch does eventually capture our interest and what was a somewhat slow and cumbersome early pace, settles into a steady clip that keeps us increasingly engrossed until the end. For me the story’s excitement intensifies several notches when the focus falls, and remains, steadily upon the police and their efforts to identify, locate and capture the two hitmen.

All-in-all, despite some early misgivings, I enjoyed this book and once I got to the second half I could hardly leave it down. Whether one’s taste responds to its dissolute setting or not, the plot is exceptionally well handled and is a far cry from the usual stereotypical approach to crime and mystery. Definitely worth reading. It brings additional relish to those who admire excellent writing, convincing characterisation, and something a bit out of the ordinary.

[Clare Scanlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book - couldn't put it down. Great story, great characters, some wonderful twists. Violent in places but there is a quiet humour too.

[A.A. Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Educating Rita" meets "The Bill". In a pacy thriller with a touch of the picaresque, Sharon and her associates are hard to love but never boring.

[Liza Perrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Lynch is a talented and entertaining writer and this book, Sharon Wright: Butterfly is no exception. Despite a large cast of characters at the beginning which had me a little confused for a while, the author deftly brings all the different threads together later in the book, weaving the narrative into a superb story with fabulous dialogue, surprise twists, and a bit of violence and wit. Each well-drawn character eventually slots into position in the story and from then on, it’s hard to put this one down.
I found this story of Sharon, married to a small-time crook, who wants more out of life and will do whatever she can to get it, is an insightful commentary on life and all its aspects. And I would recommend Sharon Wright: Butterfly to readers who enjoy captivating, hard-boiled mystery stories.

[Boadicea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't much like this book. It seems like a series of unconnected 'bits' looking for a story, and not finding one, just threw them all together anyway.
And the author quite patently does not like women. They are whores or ball breakers or devious manipulative users. Not one three dimensional person among them, not even the titular character, who is a real nasty piece of work.
I do not recommend this book and will not read any of the author's other work.

[Ica Iova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon Wright: Butterfly by John Lynch starts slow with an army of characters and no clear picture of their role in the story. It eventually picks up about halfway as Carver’s story, Sharon’s story, Buggy’s story and all the other stories merge into one.
Aside from having trouble keeping up with names and each story in the beginning, I found no issues. Through a mix of vividly descriptive scenes, and clean, crisp dialogue, each character eventually finds his/her place in the story and makes the book hard to put down.