A book cover should tell you exactly what genre you'll find inside and this one did not fail. I'm not ashamed to admit that I bought this novel because of the cover and it didn't disappoint. Traces ticks all the boxes I enjoy in stories, a bit of mystery, suspense, drama, and wholesome dollop of romance.
A fugitive reality show isn’t a concept I’ve read before which made it all the more appealing. Their journey through friends, homeless shelters and empty houses is an exciting, emotional, yet sometimes humorous one.
It wasn’t particularly scary or mysterious and yet still a highly enjoyable book. Denise Weimer does a great job of keeping the reader occupied without going over the top. Her modest writing style is fitting and flawless and makes it easy for everyone to read. This story addresses themes like betrayal, conspiracy and the simplicity of love. I give it a 4/5 because there are one or two things I can nit-pick on if I have to but won’t since its negligible for a fun and thrilling read.
The next section contains spoilers:
Glamor girl, Kate Carson is the PR spokesperson for SurveyCorp, a company that developed a sophisticated piece of 'spy' technology called 'The Eye'. When the reality TV show Traces comes to Atlanta because of it, Kate's boss urges her to partake.
Before the show starts, Kate notices some inconsistencies in the technology’s press release, which is her department but was covered by her boss. She also finds some incriminating evidence on her boyfriend’s laptop. When she goes to confront him, he’s with another woman. On a furious whim, and with $500,000 prize money stake, she enters the show without reading the fine print.
I enjoyed Kate because her strengths and flaws cancel each other out. She’s the typical reluctant hero, yet far from dumb. Her failed writing career, red hair and freckles shape her insecurities which she covers with a too-thick layer of foundation. She’s human, relatable and perhaps not the best contender for a show like Traces.
When the producers asked Kate to participate, they implied—never promised—that she would be partnered with her cop brother. However, when she’s escorted to the starting point, she finds Alex Mitchell, the G.I. Joe of SurveyCorp’s security. Unlike Kate, Alex is prepared, determined and trained for the show. He’s in desperate need of the money and will do whatever it takes to win the game.
But, with Kate’s implicating evidence, they have to avoid more than just Traces handlers to get out alive.