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Last Exit In New Jersey
Nice young ladies really shouldn’t be dumping bodies at sea. But that isn’t stopping Hazel Moran, and she still can’t figure out why anyone thinks she’s nice to begin with. Raised aboard a schooner and riding shotgun in her father’s old 18-wheeler, there’s little on the road or water that she can’t handle; it’s her people skills that need work. Normally that’s not an issue – behind the wheel of a Kenworth most people tend to leave her alone. But when Hazel and her father become the targets of some unsavory characters hunting for her blue-haired cousin, their stolen tractor-trailer truck and a delivery that never arrived, she knows it’s time to heed a lesson learned from her favorite hard-boiled paperbacks: playing nice will only end in tears.
For ten sweltering days Hazel navigates the Garden State’s highways and shorelines, contending with a suspiciously wealthy stranger, white trash, Born Agains, appliance salesmen, an unstable stalker and his curiously troublesome companion. It’ll take all her ingenuity, not to mention some fishing tackle and high voltage, if Hazel hopes to protect her family and unravel this tangle of greed and betrayal. And anyone who gets too close, no matter their intent, will discover just how dangerous Hazel truly is as she sets in motion a twisted plan to uncover the truth, settle some scores, and if possible not wind up dead in the process.
Somewhat hard-boiled, slightly noir, Last Exit in New Jersey is an offbeat tale that travels from a Delaware Bay ghost-town to metropolitan north Jersey, where boats and big rigs set the scene for danger, suspense, dark humor and an unlikely bit of romance.
For ten sweltering days Hazel navigates the Garden State’s highways and shorelines, contending with a suspiciously wealthy stranger, white trash, Born Agains, appliance salesmen, an unstable stalker and his curiously troublesome companion. It’ll take all her ingenuity, not to mention some fishing tackle and high voltage, if Hazel hopes to protect her family and unravel this tangle of greed and betrayal. And anyone who gets too close, no matter their intent, will discover just how dangerous Hazel truly is as she sets in motion a twisted plan to uncover the truth, settle some scores, and if possible not wind up dead in the process.
Somewhat hard-boiled, slightly noir, Last Exit in New Jersey is an offbeat tale that travels from a Delaware Bay ghost-town to metropolitan north Jersey, where boats and big rigs set the scene for danger, suspense, dark humor and an unlikely bit of romance.
472 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2010
71 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
C.E. Grundler
3 books14 followersI've spent far too much time around boats and trucks, sailing, working on engines and generally not behaving according to expectations. A life-long resident of New Jersey, I've grown up on and around boats, sailed the region's waters single-handed since childhood, and done a little of everything from boat restorations and repairs to managing a boatyard and working in commercial marine transportation. My work has been published in Boating on the Hudson, Offshore Magazine and DIY Boat Owner Magazine. I divide my time between working on Annabel Lee, my 32' trawler, and writing. I'm currently moving ahead with the next book in this series, No Wake Zone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 10, 2011
What do you get when you have too many red herrings? A: A messy kettle of fish.
Twenty year old Hazel Moran is introduced to us aboard the schooner Witch just after she has killed a man. The jarring part of the narrative, however, is that her father and his friend, Joe, are in the process of disposing of the body at sea, while Hazel replays the entire scene in her mind. This is a world of insularity; vigilante justice is acceptable and often preferred. Loyalty always trumps legality.
I had mixed feelings about LAST EXIT IN NEW JERSEY. The plot is a dense tangle of coincidence and unlikely maneuvering. The narrative alternates between two narratives, each in the first person, and the connection between the two felt overly delayed. Enormous detail is lavished on the many boats -- their construction, their movement, the arrangement of their space. Likewise cars and trucks – their size, weight and handling – are also key elements. They even have names like Tuition and Roadkill. Anyone interested in or familiar with New Jersey beyond the tri-state area or Atlantic City will also be drawn to this book. One character muses about a slogan to replace the "Garden State": "Welcome to New Jersey, now go home." The convergence of these disparate interests actually make this an appealing Book Club choice in that it will certainly draw comment from a variety of viewpoints. All of these features offer important color, and regrettably, none of them are areas of particular interest to me. It says a lot that I still felt drawn in. The strongest recommendation for this book is that Grundler introduces us to some fascinating characters. There is Micah, Hazel's stoner cousin. His protectiveness is touching given the swathe of dubious characters he mixes with. Joe is an employee whose secretive past hints at the capacity for danger, but he is more like both an uncle and a mentor to Hazel. Most distinctive of all, however, is Hazel. One would think that danger – to herself and to her family – would cause at least a moment of mind-numbing paralysis. Even when the facts are unclear, and the outcome is completely unpredictable, Hazel is guided by the instinct to react. I admired that total absence of emotional repression, that physical courage in her. Regardless of consequences, her impulsiveness is never inhibited.
LAST EXIT IN NEW JERSEY is the first in a series. An excerpt of the next book is included with this edition. I found the characters in this book intriguing, and hope that the succeeding books rely on that strength rather than convoluted and incredible plots.
Twenty year old Hazel Moran is introduced to us aboard the schooner Witch just after she has killed a man. The jarring part of the narrative, however, is that her father and his friend, Joe, are in the process of disposing of the body at sea, while Hazel replays the entire scene in her mind. This is a world of insularity; vigilante justice is acceptable and often preferred. Loyalty always trumps legality.
I had mixed feelings about LAST EXIT IN NEW JERSEY. The plot is a dense tangle of coincidence and unlikely maneuvering. The narrative alternates between two narratives, each in the first person, and the connection between the two felt overly delayed. Enormous detail is lavished on the many boats -- their construction, their movement, the arrangement of their space. Likewise cars and trucks – their size, weight and handling – are also key elements. They even have names like Tuition and Roadkill. Anyone interested in or familiar with New Jersey beyond the tri-state area or Atlantic City will also be drawn to this book. One character muses about a slogan to replace the "Garden State": "Welcome to New Jersey, now go home." The convergence of these disparate interests actually make this an appealing Book Club choice in that it will certainly draw comment from a variety of viewpoints. All of these features offer important color, and regrettably, none of them are areas of particular interest to me. It says a lot that I still felt drawn in. The strongest recommendation for this book is that Grundler introduces us to some fascinating characters. There is Micah, Hazel's stoner cousin. His protectiveness is touching given the swathe of dubious characters he mixes with. Joe is an employee whose secretive past hints at the capacity for danger, but he is more like both an uncle and a mentor to Hazel. Most distinctive of all, however, is Hazel. One would think that danger – to herself and to her family – would cause at least a moment of mind-numbing paralysis. Even when the facts are unclear, and the outcome is completely unpredictable, Hazel is guided by the instinct to react. I admired that total absence of emotional repression, that physical courage in her. Regardless of consequences, her impulsiveness is never inhibited.
LAST EXIT IN NEW JERSEY is the first in a series. An excerpt of the next book is included with this edition. I found the characters in this book intriguing, and hope that the succeeding books rely on that strength rather than convoluted and incredible plots.
February 21, 2011
The book begins with an introduction to a protagonist who, by all rights, should be wholly unlikable. She is rude, egocentric, antisocial, judgmental, and more than a little bit of a sociopath. It is a great demonstration of Grundler's skill that the girl ended up drawing my compassion, as well as a begrudging sort of affection. Her character, in all its flawed glory, was revealed through the choices that she made, and I found myself caught between marveling at her MacGyver-esque skills and feeling completely awed by her presence of mind, laughing all the while at the inch-think coat of snark that blankets her tongue.
The novel actually alternates between two points of view, flip-flopping from Hazel to Hammon and back again. At first, it was difficult to see how the parallel storylines were related, and I was annoyed by the constant passing of the baton because I wanted to find out where each one was going. When she dovetailed the two, however, everything came together seamlessly, and the importance of establishing personalities and histories became apparent. As the mystery unraveled, I was torn between blazing forward to see how it ends and going back to match recent revelations with past clues. The plot was complex, surprising, and at times confusing, but wholly enjoyable for those very reasons.
There is a fair amount of nautical-speak, as would be expected in a story about people who live on boats. Grundler successful walks the line between authenticity and overkill; as a reader with very little sailing experience, I was still able to wade through the technical terms without becoming bogged down by them. They slipped in unobtrusively in the edgy, irony-ridden tone of voice that dominates the novel. My own real criticism would be a few typographical errors, but no glaring grammatical ones come to mind.
Last Exit In New Jersey is a lesson in balance — dramatics without implausibility; suspense sans gratuitous filler; and romance conveyed in half a handful of love scenes. In the end, reading this book is a lot like sailing aboard Hammond's boat, the Revenge: the pacing is efficiently done, even if part of you irrationally wishes it were a faster ride.
The novel actually alternates between two points of view, flip-flopping from Hazel to Hammon and back again. At first, it was difficult to see how the parallel storylines were related, and I was annoyed by the constant passing of the baton because I wanted to find out where each one was going. When she dovetailed the two, however, everything came together seamlessly, and the importance of establishing personalities and histories became apparent. As the mystery unraveled, I was torn between blazing forward to see how it ends and going back to match recent revelations with past clues. The plot was complex, surprising, and at times confusing, but wholly enjoyable for those very reasons.
There is a fair amount of nautical-speak, as would be expected in a story about people who live on boats. Grundler successful walks the line between authenticity and overkill; as a reader with very little sailing experience, I was still able to wade through the technical terms without becoming bogged down by them. They slipped in unobtrusively in the edgy, irony-ridden tone of voice that dominates the novel. My own real criticism would be a few typographical errors, but no glaring grammatical ones come to mind.
Last Exit In New Jersey is a lesson in balance — dramatics without implausibility; suspense sans gratuitous filler; and romance conveyed in half a handful of love scenes. In the end, reading this book is a lot like sailing aboard Hammond's boat, the Revenge: the pacing is efficiently done, even if part of you irrationally wishes it were a faster ride.
June 23, 2012
It was a relief to finish this book. The title specifically mentioned that it was a thriller. I guess they had to do that because the reader wouldn't know otherwise. The whole book just seemed to drag forever!
Even with the big reveal at the end (which for me was this book's only redemption), I still felt that there were some bits and pieces of the story that got lost along the way; or probably it was too jumpy I was not really able to follow.
There is still a sequel, but I'm not bothering anymore.
Even with the big reveal at the end (which for me was this book's only redemption), I still felt that there were some bits and pieces of the story that got lost along the way; or probably it was too jumpy I was not really able to follow.
There is still a sequel, but I'm not bothering anymore.
September 26, 2010
Great book with a sequel in the works! If you like heroines that are strong with hidden vulnerabilities, mysterious men, and boats, cars, and trucks you'll love this action thriller. I grew up where this book takes place, the author did as well. The settings are real, the boats and cars accurately described.
August 2, 2014
What a good book! And darkly humorous too boot! Hazel made me laugh until my stomach hurt. And someone did try to hurt Hazel Moran, since she is out on the water with a dead guy on board. The dead guy FINALLY convinced her father that someone tried to kill her when her Miata ended up in the drink. She feels bad that she killed the man, but it had to be done. Her cousin, Micah, is missing; so is the Morans' truck - Intuition. People are chasing Hazel and her Dad on land and sea. But why? And why did Micah steal her truck? Or was it someone else? Hazel decides to find out using her fictitious hero - Travis McGee - to find out. he's not worried. But the bad guys should be, Hazel is not a people person. She's lived with her dad on a small schooner and can shift the gears on an 18 wheeler fast. Oh yeah - she knows how to wield a very sharp knife, like Micah taught her.
Yes, Hazel has trust issues and she isn't good at listening to her father's instructions; but she does have a soft spot : animals and a burn-scarred, brain scrambled boy that makes her heart go pitter-pat until it doesn't. Who is this boy? Who is Stevenson? What do they want and are they responsible for Micah's disappearance? Better watch out, Hazel is on the hunt for the bad guys!
Last Exit In New Jersey is a fast read that takes the reader on a wonderful ride. C.E. Grundler doesn't give any clues to what is going on and whom the bad guys really are until the last 80 pages. She has a dark sense of humor that comes out in Hazel, Micah, Zap, and Gary. I loved the characters and want to read more by this author.
Yes, Hazel has trust issues and she isn't good at listening to her father's instructions; but she does have a soft spot : animals and a burn-scarred, brain scrambled boy that makes her heart go pitter-pat until it doesn't. Who is this boy? Who is Stevenson? What do they want and are they responsible for Micah's disappearance? Better watch out, Hazel is on the hunt for the bad guys!
Last Exit In New Jersey is a fast read that takes the reader on a wonderful ride. C.E. Grundler doesn't give any clues to what is going on and whom the bad guys really are until the last 80 pages. She has a dark sense of humor that comes out in Hazel, Micah, Zap, and Gary. I loved the characters and want to read more by this author.
December 28, 2010
The Last Exit in New Jersey is an action packed story that deftly weaves unconventional characters into a darkly intriguing thriller.
Grundlers' intricate plot is tightly constructed as Hazel Moran finds herself caught in a deadly tangle of smugglers, thieves and killers. The story moves forward at a brisk pace with moments of brutal and explosive action as Hazel tries to evade the shadowy figures targeting her family while hunting for her missing cousin. The plot is intricately layered and while, if at times I was frustrated by the possibilities, I was never confused by the twisting threads of the premise. The author builds the connections between the seemingly disparate events and characters with care and skill. I thought the plot clever and challenging, requiring engagement with the characters and story.
I found the psychological disquiet of the characters the most compelling and unique aspect of the novel.
It becomes clear as the story progresses that Hazel is an unusual heroine. Her motivations are transparent, but she has an edge of violence and instability that is disconcerting. Otto is obviously struggling with sanity and while his behaviour is consistently motivated by his obsession with Hazel/Annabelle, the potential for him to fall apart with spectacular consequences is always present. In regards to the other characters it's not always obvious whom means harm and whom means to help, and this contributes to the complexity and tension of the story.
Grundlers experience with trucking and boating in New Jersey gives her work authenticity, and her imagination provides for an original, entertaining thriller with fascinating characters. The Last Exit in New Jersey is a well written, impressive debut novel.
Grundlers' intricate plot is tightly constructed as Hazel Moran finds herself caught in a deadly tangle of smugglers, thieves and killers. The story moves forward at a brisk pace with moments of brutal and explosive action as Hazel tries to evade the shadowy figures targeting her family while hunting for her missing cousin. The plot is intricately layered and while, if at times I was frustrated by the possibilities, I was never confused by the twisting threads of the premise. The author builds the connections between the seemingly disparate events and characters with care and skill. I thought the plot clever and challenging, requiring engagement with the characters and story.
I found the psychological disquiet of the characters the most compelling and unique aspect of the novel.
It becomes clear as the story progresses that Hazel is an unusual heroine. Her motivations are transparent, but she has an edge of violence and instability that is disconcerting. Otto is obviously struggling with sanity and while his behaviour is consistently motivated by his obsession with Hazel/Annabelle, the potential for him to fall apart with spectacular consequences is always present. In regards to the other characters it's not always obvious whom means harm and whom means to help, and this contributes to the complexity and tension of the story.
Grundlers experience with trucking and boating in New Jersey gives her work authenticity, and her imagination provides for an original, entertaining thriller with fascinating characters. The Last Exit in New Jersey is a well written, impressive debut novel.
April 5, 2011
With the opening line of "Nice young ladies really shouldn't be dumping bodies at sea.", you really can't help but be pulled into the story of Hazel, a strong-willed, 20-year old who is searching for her cousin who is missing. Between the dead bodies of the guys who come after her, looking for something she doesn't have and trying to figure out who she can trust, she must protect her father. She is chased up and down the eastern coastline on a boat she captains and swerves around the corners of the New Jersey highway in a Viper. This is one cool 20-year old!
I bought this book because of the boating aspect and was immediately drawn into the suspense of it all. This is great writing!
The characters are intriguing and well-written. There is humility and humor in everyone--even the bad guys. But, with all the plot twists, it is hard to figure out who the bad guys are. This book will keep you guessing right up until the last chapter. It will capture you from page one and keep you hooked the whole way through.
This thriller is a must read that you won't be able to put down.
Victoria Allman
author of: SEAsoned: A Chef's Journey With Her Captain
I bought this book because of the boating aspect and was immediately drawn into the suspense of it all. This is great writing!
The characters are intriguing and well-written. There is humility and humor in everyone--even the bad guys. But, with all the plot twists, it is hard to figure out who the bad guys are. This book will keep you guessing right up until the last chapter. It will capture you from page one and keep you hooked the whole way through.
This thriller is a must read that you won't be able to put down.
Victoria Allman
author of: SEAsoned: A Chef's Journey With Her Captain
November 29, 2011
I think C.E. Grundler writes like a house afire, and creates amazing characters. I hope to see much more from her. No-one else is writing books quite like this one. Hazel Moran is at the same time likable and just a bit crazy, especially when it comes to how to handle the mysterious people who are threatening her family and friends. Grundler handles the characters and their unfolding stories quite deftly, and with love. She will certainly be a top author in her field someday, or there's no justice.
What cost this book a star was that it really needed an edit to reduce the number of similar scenes. This would allow the pace to pick up a bit where needed, and tell the story more smoothly. There were also proofreading and formatting issues that need to be addressed in order for a potentially great story to come through without distraction.
UPDATE: I've popped on an extra star for fear someone just flipping through might think I don't recommend this book for others. I most certainly do. My nitpicks should not detract from the fact that Ms Grundler has created something extraordinary in this book.
What cost this book a star was that it really needed an edit to reduce the number of similar scenes. This would allow the pace to pick up a bit where needed, and tell the story more smoothly. There were also proofreading and formatting issues that need to be addressed in order for a potentially great story to come through without distraction.
UPDATE: I've popped on an extra star for fear someone just flipping through might think I don't recommend this book for others. I most certainly do. My nitpicks should not detract from the fact that Ms Grundler has created something extraordinary in this book.
June 27, 2013
Hazel Moran is only twenty years old, two weeks shy of her twenty-first birthday when she takes a long drive off of a short pier with her car. She tells her dad that someone was trying to kill her, but he tells her to stop lying; quit being so melodramatic.
So when a man in the shadows attacks Hazel while she is in her bunk on their schooner, she uses her sewing shears to protect herself. She wants to tell her dad she told him so, but is too traumatized to do so. Her dad takes care of the body in the hold, and that's that.
But it's only the beginning. Someone wants her cousin Micah in a bad way and will stop at nothing that heeds their way. If it's Hazel and her family, so be it. Hazel spends ten harrowing days dodging whoever wants her dead, but she can't figure out the who and they why.
Just when you think you figure out who you can trust and what's really happening, the story twists, reverses, and turns and you still don't know. Hazel is a solid and likable character, with her own strengths and weaknesses that lend credence to the story. A heart-thumping, thrilling page turner that will keep you guessing, Last Exit to New Jersey is a deftly blended thriller.
So when a man in the shadows attacks Hazel while she is in her bunk on their schooner, she uses her sewing shears to protect herself. She wants to tell her dad she told him so, but is too traumatized to do so. Her dad takes care of the body in the hold, and that's that.
But it's only the beginning. Someone wants her cousin Micah in a bad way and will stop at nothing that heeds their way. If it's Hazel and her family, so be it. Hazel spends ten harrowing days dodging whoever wants her dead, but she can't figure out the who and they why.
Just when you think you figure out who you can trust and what's really happening, the story twists, reverses, and turns and you still don't know. Hazel is a solid and likable character, with her own strengths and weaknesses that lend credence to the story. A heart-thumping, thrilling page turner that will keep you guessing, Last Exit to New Jersey is a deftly blended thriller.
October 24, 2010
I'm going to start by saying that I deducted a star for being a bit convoluted (confusing); I found myself having to stop in the final scenes to consciously sort out the folks who had appeared earlier. Moreover, it was a bit gory as well. Then again, I'm not much for thrillers, so perhaps this is normal and it's just me?
That having been said ... I really, really liked the book. Hazel and Hammon (Otto) make a truly compelling set of parallel protagonists, such that alternating between the two meant double the reading pleasure. Moreover, Grundler has created quite a bit of suspense of exactly why(the "villain") Stevenson is so interested in Hazel, as well as the backstory with him and Hammon. To round things out there's also Hammon's ... sidekick ... Annabel, who serves as a sort of Greek Chorus.
Definitely recommended!
That having been said ... I really, really liked the book. Hazel and Hammon (Otto) make a truly compelling set of parallel protagonists, such that alternating between the two meant double the reading pleasure. Moreover, Grundler has created quite a bit of suspense of exactly why(the "villain") Stevenson is so interested in Hazel, as well as the backstory with him and Hammon. To round things out there's also Hammon's ... sidekick ... Annabel, who serves as a sort of Greek Chorus.
Definitely recommended!
July 31, 2011
The problems I had with this book were:
- confusing as it jumped around a lot,
- led the reader throughout the entire book knowing that there is something you don't know but will learn at the end. I prefer there being a surprising twist at the end, not a foreshadowed twist.
- the heroin was impulsive and resorted to violence immediately. I could not find myself to root for her very much.
With all that said, the ending was very good. I just wish it was easier to get to that point. It felt like the author had the ending thought up first the had to come up with a story to fit the ending.
- confusing as it jumped around a lot,
- led the reader throughout the entire book knowing that there is something you don't know but will learn at the end. I prefer there being a surprising twist at the end, not a foreshadowed twist.
- the heroin was impulsive and resorted to violence immediately. I could not find myself to root for her very much.
With all that said, the ending was very good. I just wish it was easier to get to that point. It felt like the author had the ending thought up first the had to come up with a story to fit the ending.
January 10, 2013
Why didn't Hazel listen to her father? Why did her father treat her like a kid?
I feel I have wasted my time reading a book about a father and a daughter who didn't trust each other enough, which led to a lot of complications, and voila, this novel. I kept waiting till the end hoping for something to rescue these questions that kept haunting me. But, alas, I was hoping against hope. 2 stars because, at least, the writing is not all that bad. And I liked Micah's character.
Completely avoidable mess. Basics people!
I feel I have wasted my time reading a book about a father and a daughter who didn't trust each other enough, which led to a lot of complications, and voila, this novel. I kept waiting till the end hoping for something to rescue these questions that kept haunting me. But, alas, I was hoping against hope. 2 stars because, at least, the writing is not all that bad. And I liked Micah's character.
Completely avoidable mess. Basics people!
August 27, 2011
I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this bargain for my Kindle. I'm from NJ, so the geography was very familiar, as well as the nautical terminology and environs. But the big surprise here is the excellent writing, and the characterizations, and the interesting characters! Nobody is a cliche here, and this is a really creative story. I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for something interesting.
May 9, 2012
There was not one character in this book I liked - or found realistic. Nothing that happened made any sense in terms of actual behavior. Strangely the story was still compelling just disappointing - an editor saying WAIT WHAT? A few times could have made this worth something.
January 21, 2020
I tried to read this book in fits and starts for well over a year, and just could not get into it. A few good characters and a well-developed setting, but SLOW SLOW SLOW. So slow. Not really worth the amount of time I had to put into it.
DNF.
DNF.
March 28, 2015
I'm reading this for the 2015 Ultimate Reading Challenge category "set in your hometown." I grew up in Union County, NJ. Literally millions - MILLIONS - of other people grew up there, too - JUDY BLUME was born and raised in Union County. Was I able to find a book specifically set in Union County? Why, no, of course not!! I found a bunch of murder mysteries set in Newark, but that sounded a lot grittier than my suburban childhood. I found Last Exit, which promised to involve driving all over the state, so that sounded promising.
I have some misgivings about this book.
First of all, it alternates between a chapter about Hazel and a chapter about Hammon. Hammon is a very confusing character, because he’s got brain damage, and I’d have liked more of a clue early on about how he relates to Hazel’s story. Second, too many characters are introduced but not fully explained – initially, I was going with the flow, but now I’m starting to get irritated, because I keep having to page back to figure out who some new guy is.
Third, Hazel is being ridiculous.
1. Hazel is brutally attacked, and ends up killing the attacker in self-defense. Okay, fine. But instead of calling the police, Hazel, her father, and Joe (who is Joe? We don’t know. He’s the guy who is there with them all the time) hack the dead guy up and sink him at sea!? Don’t worry, this isn’t a spoiler, it happens in the first chapter. I’m thinking they are law breakers themselves, but, no, they appear to be law-abiding citizens.
2. Hazel is concerned about her missing cousin/best friend, Micah. Her father tells her to stay home, but she heads out anyway. She asks around at his workplace and home – okay, it makes sense, but on the other hand, she WAS just brutally attacked, and she is flouting her father’s perfectly reasonable restriction. I kind of didn’t like that, but I hung in there.
3. Her father arranges for Hazel to spend a week alone with a complete stranger, transporting his boat. Uh, okay … that’s weird. But I’m hanging in … Her father thinks this will keep her out of trouble.
4. Hazel is cornered by some other guy who brutally attacked her in the past – this is getting a bit much. Her father KNOWS about this attack, but does nothing to keep this guy away? That didn’t sit right with me.
5. Said Other Guy threatens to attack her father if Hazel doesn’t tell him something she actually doesn’t know. Instead of telling her father about this immediately (her father is standing Right Outside the Building when this is happening), she … grabs 2 liters of gasoline and a box of fireworks and throws them in a dumpster outside the office and lights it on fire, creating a huge distraction, and she then takes an old boat she has and leads Other Guy on a merry chase out to the ocean, planning to ram his boat when they are in deep water. screeeeeeeeech I’m sorry, WHAT?!?!?!?!? I’m really starting to dislike Hazel, because that is the dumbest thing ever. I don’t even CARE when Please! Drown! Maybe then this narrative can be picked up by someone who is More Mature Than an Eight Year Old.
6. And on top of all that, Hazel’s father is being ridiculous too! He KNOWS she’s skittish because she’s been attacked multiple times, PLUS she doesn’t take well to direction – does he explain everything to her? NO of course not!!! He says he’s too busy to explain and she’s just going to have to trust him. That shit works okay if you’re planning a surprise party, but otherwise, it’s a dick move. The lack-of-communication plot engine is a completely trite and annoying move – it should never be used.
At the 30% mark, we start to see a connection between Hazel and Hammon, and things start to get interesting. I had some high hopes, but the communication breakdown just remained so completely inexplicable that I couldn't enjoy it.
I’m starting to wonder about the author and her familiarity with NJ. I’m paying extra attention to locations in the story, because (a) I’m reading it for “set in your hometown” category, and (b) the book itself makes a big deal about location. Each of Hazel’s chapters is headed with a precise time and location, such as:
04:46 MONDAY, JUNE 28
40°27’24.61”/74°16’09.29”W
PARLIN, NJ
Parlin??? Where the heck is Parlin??? She was just in the Raritan Bay, so I felt I should recognize the next town, but no. I Googled. Wikipedia tells us: “Parlin is an unincorporated community located within Old Bridge Township and Sayreville Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.” Unincorporated borough. In other words, I think it might be one of those place names that Google Maps uses, but no one irl uses. Now, I could be wrong, because I didn’t grow up in Sayreville. But I worked on a construction site in Sayreville one summer, on the Raritan Bay, and I bought my first car (a Mustang!) in Sayreville, so I do have a passing familiarity with the area. Place names in the area that people know: Carteret, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Iselin, Menlo Park, Perth Amboy, South Amboy, Sayreville, East Brunswick, Old Bridge, Keyport, Hazlet, Matawan. Place name I’ve never used before in my life: Parlin. Am I wrong here?
I will say this much: the plot conclusion was interesting, and while hints were given, they were not 2x4’s hitting you in the face. Plot twists were unpredictable, therefore enjoyable, and in the end it really was becoming difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys. But … BUT … it didn’t make sense! The plot depended on a complete breakdown of communication between Hazel and her father – without that, none of this would have happened.
I have some misgivings about this book.
First of all, it alternates between a chapter about Hazel and a chapter about Hammon. Hammon is a very confusing character, because he’s got brain damage, and I’d have liked more of a clue early on about how he relates to Hazel’s story. Second, too many characters are introduced but not fully explained – initially, I was going with the flow, but now I’m starting to get irritated, because I keep having to page back to figure out who some new guy is.
Third, Hazel is being ridiculous.
1. Hazel is brutally attacked, and ends up killing the attacker in self-defense. Okay, fine. But instead of calling the police, Hazel, her father, and Joe (who is Joe? We don’t know. He’s the guy who is there with them all the time) hack the dead guy up and sink him at sea!? Don’t worry, this isn’t a spoiler, it happens in the first chapter. I’m thinking they are law breakers themselves, but, no, they appear to be law-abiding citizens.
2. Hazel is concerned about her missing cousin/best friend, Micah. Her father tells her to stay home, but she heads out anyway. She asks around at his workplace and home – okay, it makes sense, but on the other hand, she WAS just brutally attacked, and she is flouting her father’s perfectly reasonable restriction. I kind of didn’t like that, but I hung in there.
3. Her father arranges for Hazel to spend a week alone with a complete stranger, transporting his boat. Uh, okay … that’s weird. But I’m hanging in … Her father thinks this will keep her out of trouble.
4. Hazel is cornered by some other guy who brutally attacked her in the past – this is getting a bit much. Her father KNOWS about this attack, but does nothing to keep this guy away? That didn’t sit right with me.
5. Said Other Guy threatens to attack her father if Hazel doesn’t tell him something she actually doesn’t know. Instead of telling her father about this immediately (her father is standing Right Outside the Building when this is happening), she … grabs 2 liters of gasoline and a box of fireworks and throws them in a dumpster outside the office and lights it on fire, creating a huge distraction, and she then takes an old boat she has and leads Other Guy on a merry chase out to the ocean, planning to ram his boat when they are in deep water. screeeeeeeeech I’m sorry, WHAT?!?!?!?!? I’m really starting to dislike Hazel, because that is the dumbest thing ever. I don’t even CARE when Please! Drown! Maybe then this narrative can be picked up by someone who is More Mature Than an Eight Year Old.
6. And on top of all that, Hazel’s father is being ridiculous too! He KNOWS she’s skittish because she’s been attacked multiple times, PLUS she doesn’t take well to direction – does he explain everything to her? NO of course not!!! He says he’s too busy to explain and she’s just going to have to trust him. That shit works okay if you’re planning a surprise party, but otherwise, it’s a dick move. The lack-of-communication plot engine is a completely trite and annoying move – it should never be used.
At the 30% mark, we start to see a connection between Hazel and Hammon, and things start to get interesting. I had some high hopes, but the communication breakdown just remained so completely inexplicable that I couldn't enjoy it.
I’m starting to wonder about the author and her familiarity with NJ. I’m paying extra attention to locations in the story, because (a) I’m reading it for “set in your hometown” category, and (b) the book itself makes a big deal about location. Each of Hazel’s chapters is headed with a precise time and location, such as:
04:46 MONDAY, JUNE 28
40°27’24.61”/74°16’09.29”W
PARLIN, NJ
Parlin??? Where the heck is Parlin??? She was just in the Raritan Bay, so I felt I should recognize the next town, but no. I Googled. Wikipedia tells us: “Parlin is an unincorporated community located within Old Bridge Township and Sayreville Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.” Unincorporated borough. In other words, I think it might be one of those place names that Google Maps uses, but no one irl uses. Now, I could be wrong, because I didn’t grow up in Sayreville. But I worked on a construction site in Sayreville one summer, on the Raritan Bay, and I bought my first car (a Mustang!) in Sayreville, so I do have a passing familiarity with the area. Place names in the area that people know: Carteret, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Iselin, Menlo Park, Perth Amboy, South Amboy, Sayreville, East Brunswick, Old Bridge, Keyport, Hazlet, Matawan. Place name I’ve never used before in my life: Parlin. Am I wrong here?
I will say this much: the plot conclusion was interesting, and while hints were given, they were not 2x4’s hitting you in the face. Plot twists were unpredictable, therefore enjoyable, and in the end it really was becoming difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys. But … BUT … it didn’t make sense! The plot depended on a complete breakdown of communication between Hazel and her father – without that, none of this would have happened.
August 19, 2025
I want to read her other book, "No wake Zone" but can't find it.
December 20, 2018
No thanks
None of the characters have any redeeming attributes. The story is disturbing and depressing. I didn't finish it. And there are more like it? No thanks.
None of the characters have any redeeming attributes. The story is disturbing and depressing. I didn't finish it. And there are more like it? No thanks.
August 12, 2011
For me, the mark of a good noir is the ability to render relatable and interesting characters who wouldn't be under any other circumstances. Last Exit in New Jersey stars a truly motley crew with so many twists and turns in the plot it required full attention to keep everything straight. At the end, though, much like the trucks that feature so prominently in the story, the finale isn't afraid to mow you down- it was intense.
Set against the backdrop of the New Jersey coast and all its relevant highways and byways, our story stars, among other folks, Hazel Moran, a young woman who may or may not be a complete psycho, but we like her anyway. No, seriously- Hazel is a no-nonsense person who doesn't like to be jerked around by anyone, and when someone tries she takes care of the problem right away. Sometimes this ends peacefully, but sometimes it doesn't; Hazel has an unfortunate habit of jumping to conclusions and creating her plans of action before all the facts have been delivered. She's loyal to a fault, and often to the wrong people- less than savory people know this about her and capitalize on it mercilessly throughout the story.
On the flip side of the story is Hammond, a paranoid, scarred survivor whose constant companion is Annabel, his own personal angel in more ways than one. Hammond is in turns brilliant and psychotic, with a mind like Swiss cheese- he can't remember much and what he does remember is garbled; his angel Annabel is there to pick up the pieces and put them together for him, to his eternal gratitude.
Tying them together is a twisted path of drug smuggling, secrets and lies, past hurts and betrayals, and many other little details that seem insignificant at the time but end up adding together in a big way at the end. This is the kind of book that will take multiple readings to see fully how one arrives at the end from the beginning; I like catching all the little details though so that's no hardship.
As we as readers try to figure out how Hammond and Hazel are connected and how the motivations of the other characters are going to impact the overall story, the road novel elements really shine. Hazel does the best she can to survive and defend those she loves; the fact that she doesn't care about anyone else is just a minor detail- unless you're on the receiving end, that is.
There's a sequel in the works to this story, and I'm definitely on board to read it when it becomes available.
Set against the backdrop of the New Jersey coast and all its relevant highways and byways, our story stars, among other folks, Hazel Moran, a young woman who may or may not be a complete psycho, but we like her anyway. No, seriously- Hazel is a no-nonsense person who doesn't like to be jerked around by anyone, and when someone tries she takes care of the problem right away. Sometimes this ends peacefully, but sometimes it doesn't; Hazel has an unfortunate habit of jumping to conclusions and creating her plans of action before all the facts have been delivered. She's loyal to a fault, and often to the wrong people- less than savory people know this about her and capitalize on it mercilessly throughout the story.
On the flip side of the story is Hammond, a paranoid, scarred survivor whose constant companion is Annabel, his own personal angel in more ways than one. Hammond is in turns brilliant and psychotic, with a mind like Swiss cheese- he can't remember much and what he does remember is garbled; his angel Annabel is there to pick up the pieces and put them together for him, to his eternal gratitude.
Tying them together is a twisted path of drug smuggling, secrets and lies, past hurts and betrayals, and many other little details that seem insignificant at the time but end up adding together in a big way at the end. This is the kind of book that will take multiple readings to see fully how one arrives at the end from the beginning; I like catching all the little details though so that's no hardship.
As we as readers try to figure out how Hammond and Hazel are connected and how the motivations of the other characters are going to impact the overall story, the road novel elements really shine. Hazel does the best she can to survive and defend those she loves; the fact that she doesn't care about anyone else is just a minor detail- unless you're on the receiving end, that is.
There's a sequel in the works to this story, and I'm definitely on board to read it when it becomes available.
February 13, 2011
Growing up on New Jersey’s Raritan Bay, I fell in love with boats. Sailboats, rowboats, cabin cruisers—it didn’t matter. Boats represented freedom, adventure and mystery, access to all those Jersey waterways that I could only explore on a map. Sadly, I never had a boat, unless a halved propane tank or a raft of leashed driftwood counted. By the time I could have acquired a boat, my passions had been redirected to cars (boats with wheels) and girls. C.E. Grundler’s novel Last Exit in New Jersey is probably the closest I’m going to come to my dream of boating adventure on the creeks, bays, rivers, harbors, marinas and seas of my home state—although I never envisioned that number of dead bodies showing up. A mystery in the John D. MacDonald tradition (Travis McGee is referenced many times in the story) both in its largely watery setting and tone, the novel also brings to mind Dashiell Hammet in the complexity of its plot, and even Stieg Larsson in its use of a strong young woman with an attitude as a main character.
Twenty-year-old Hazel Moran was raised on boats, and when she wasn’t sailing she was accompanying her father in his big-rig. Hazel knows Jersey from quiet creeks to its roaring turnpike, as will the reader by the book’s conclusion. We meet Hazel aboard the small schooner Witch 23 nautical miles southeast of Cape May (specifically 38°39'51.72"N 74°34'27.40"W. Grundler keeps us well posted on locations) as she’s getting rid of a dead body. From this point, the story will flash back and flash forward at a dizzying pace. Grundler introduces us to a Wagnerian cast of characters, whose motives, actions, loyalties and even identities are always in doubt. Of particular interest is Hammon, whose baffling actions are frequenty provoked by his mysterious companion Annabel. The chapters alternate from Hazel’s to Hammon’s perspective, an interesting strategy that has a big payoff. Thrust into the role of detective, Hazel will spend 10 days digging into the past, every discovery dragging her deeper into murder and mayhem. Last Exit In New Jersey is well-paced, densely-plotted story that mystery-thriller fans will enjoy immensely.
Twenty-year-old Hazel Moran was raised on boats, and when she wasn’t sailing she was accompanying her father in his big-rig. Hazel knows Jersey from quiet creeks to its roaring turnpike, as will the reader by the book’s conclusion. We meet Hazel aboard the small schooner Witch 23 nautical miles southeast of Cape May (specifically 38°39'51.72"N 74°34'27.40"W. Grundler keeps us well posted on locations) as she’s getting rid of a dead body. From this point, the story will flash back and flash forward at a dizzying pace. Grundler introduces us to a Wagnerian cast of characters, whose motives, actions, loyalties and even identities are always in doubt. Of particular interest is Hammon, whose baffling actions are frequenty provoked by his mysterious companion Annabel. The chapters alternate from Hazel’s to Hammon’s perspective, an interesting strategy that has a big payoff. Thrust into the role of detective, Hazel will spend 10 days digging into the past, every discovery dragging her deeper into murder and mayhem. Last Exit In New Jersey is well-paced, densely-plotted story that mystery-thriller fans will enjoy immensely.
December 5, 2010
Last Exit in New Jersey pulled me in from the first page with a really terrific opening scene. The action never stops as main character Hazel sets out first to find her missing cousin and later to protect herself and her family from a vicious killer or killers. The plot is complicated and there are at least three separate groups involved at cross purposes. Sometimes Hazel is the hunter and sometimes the hunted. One minute she has the upper hand and the next she is bound hand and foot. Another main character is Hammon, who is insane due to a head injury. Hammon is unpredictable, but his love for Hazel never wavers, even if he mostly has trouble getting her to trust him.
The characters end up chasing each other and being chased in a series of vehicles, including boats. Questions are slowly answered, but along the way boats and homes are destroyed and people are killed and injured.
Hazel is at home on the water and can pilot boats as well as she can drive any vehicle, including a semi. She was brought up by her truck driving father after desertion by her mother. This makes her strong and competent. At the same time, she has suffered from the desertion as any child would. Though Hazel is acting to protect her family, some of the other characters are motivated completely by greed and revenge and their actions are brutal.
C.E. Grundler is a skilled author with a gift for writing action scenes, and I really liked this book. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I felt that much of the damage to people and property could have been avoided if some of the characters would have only explained themselves. Hazel would have known she could trust certain people if her father had told her what was going on. It bothered me that such otherwise competent characters didn't communicate with each other to explain what they were doing and why, though of course, the unanswered questions added to the mystery. But at the end everything was explained.
The characters end up chasing each other and being chased in a series of vehicles, including boats. Questions are slowly answered, but along the way boats and homes are destroyed and people are killed and injured.
Hazel is at home on the water and can pilot boats as well as she can drive any vehicle, including a semi. She was brought up by her truck driving father after desertion by her mother. This makes her strong and competent. At the same time, she has suffered from the desertion as any child would. Though Hazel is acting to protect her family, some of the other characters are motivated completely by greed and revenge and their actions are brutal.
C.E. Grundler is a skilled author with a gift for writing action scenes, and I really liked this book. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I felt that much of the damage to people and property could have been avoided if some of the characters would have only explained themselves. Hazel would have known she could trust certain people if her father had told her what was going on. It bothered me that such otherwise competent characters didn't communicate with each other to explain what they were doing and why, though of course, the unanswered questions added to the mystery. But at the end everything was explained.
December 5, 2010
Twenty year old Hazel Moran is on the run, but she’s not quite sure who she is on the run from or why. All she knows is that her best friend and cousin is missing and she and her father have received death threats. As her father desperately tries to protect his daughter, Hazel has a mind of her own and her first priority is to find her cousin.
She takes off on her own and meets up with some very unsavory characters including a young troubled man who falls in love with her. Unfortunately, Hazel’s not sure who she can trust and even the readers aren’t quite sure. One thing for certain, Hazel has to do whatever she can to save her family even if it means using the methods of her favorite detective featured in the books she loves so much.
This book kept me hooked from the start. The plot moved along at a steady pace and the characters were beautifully portrayed and came to life on each page. My head was spinning as I tried to figure out who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. This was no easy feat. More often than not, I turned out to be wrong. I love a book that gives me much to think about and keeps me on my toes.
There was a little mix of everything in this story from suspense, adventure, mystery, a dash of romance and a bit of black humor all tossed together to make one exciting book. C.E. Grundler is an author I’ll be looking for in the future. I’d love to read more from this author.
She takes off on her own and meets up with some very unsavory characters including a young troubled man who falls in love with her. Unfortunately, Hazel’s not sure who she can trust and even the readers aren’t quite sure. One thing for certain, Hazel has to do whatever she can to save her family even if it means using the methods of her favorite detective featured in the books she loves so much.
This book kept me hooked from the start. The plot moved along at a steady pace and the characters were beautifully portrayed and came to life on each page. My head was spinning as I tried to figure out who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. This was no easy feat. More often than not, I turned out to be wrong. I love a book that gives me much to think about and keeps me on my toes.
There was a little mix of everything in this story from suspense, adventure, mystery, a dash of romance and a bit of black humor all tossed together to make one exciting book. C.E. Grundler is an author I’ll be looking for in the future. I’d love to read more from this author.
March 13, 2016
About two pages into this, I almost put this down (well, "removed it from my carousel" - but that doesn't sound as compelling), thinking it was going to be gory, violent, and use shock value instead of plot. If you notice the start/end dates, you'll see I obviously got pretty quickly beyond that and tore through the book.
And here's the thing - it wasn't bad, I didn't notice the writing (this is a good thing to me in a novel - if I'm noticing your sentence structure, you're doing something wrong), there were a few stand-out turns of phrase (I actually had to highlight this one: "It was better than nothing and less conspicuous than aluminum foil. When people see someone dressed like a baked potato, they tend to make negative assumptions."), the plot moved quickly, the main character was multidimensional, and there were several satisfying twist.
Yet overall, I found too many moments where I had to force suspension of disbelief over choices and coincidences of the plot, and when the ending was really just a cliffhanger for the next book in the series (including the "sneak preview first chapter to entice you!" ploy), I lost much of the goodwill the build-up had generated.
So, it's solidly in my "meh" pile - I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, but if I see someone I like picking it up, I wouldn't run yelling at them to put it down before they could never get back the hours of their life they'd waste on it.
And here's the thing - it wasn't bad, I didn't notice the writing (this is a good thing to me in a novel - if I'm noticing your sentence structure, you're doing something wrong), there were a few stand-out turns of phrase (I actually had to highlight this one: "It was better than nothing and less conspicuous than aluminum foil. When people see someone dressed like a baked potato, they tend to make negative assumptions."), the plot moved quickly, the main character was multidimensional, and there were several satisfying twist.
Yet overall, I found too many moments where I had to force suspension of disbelief over choices and coincidences of the plot, and when the ending was really just a cliffhanger for the next book in the series (including the "sneak preview first chapter to entice you!" ploy), I lost much of the goodwill the build-up had generated.
So, it's solidly in my "meh" pile - I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, but if I see someone I like picking it up, I wouldn't run yelling at them to put it down before they could never get back the hours of their life they'd waste on it.
October 6, 2012
Last Exit in New Jersey is a mystery or thriller, but with qualities mixed in that are more common to noir (the frequent dead bodies and the character’s attitude about them for one thing) and even horror (one of the major characters feels like he’d fit well in a horror novel). When I encounter a mix like this, I find myself off balance in a good way. I’m never convinced that I know where the story is headed, because the typical genre conventions and formulas I would normally expect to be followed, don’t seem to apply. That’s what I experienced with this book.
The author integrates her interest and expertise in boats into the story with plenty of action on the water, at marinas, and in a boatyard, settings unfamiliar for many readers, which add spice to the story. I wouldn’t call them exotic, but they’re definitely different, unless you’re a diehard Travis McGee fan. I wouldn’t describe Last Exit in New Jersey as “fast paced,” in the sense in which this is usually used in relation to thrillers, because it is longer, with more going on than the typical thriller, but it is not guilty of being the opposite of fast-paced, it doesn’t drag. It held my interest and kept me coming back for more.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
The author integrates her interest and expertise in boats into the story with plenty of action on the water, at marinas, and in a boatyard, settings unfamiliar for many readers, which add spice to the story. I wouldn’t call them exotic, but they’re definitely different, unless you’re a diehard Travis McGee fan. I wouldn’t describe Last Exit in New Jersey as “fast paced,” in the sense in which this is usually used in relation to thrillers, because it is longer, with more going on than the typical thriller, but it is not guilty of being the opposite of fast-paced, it doesn’t drag. It held my interest and kept me coming back for more.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
September 11, 2012
Overall Feedback: Sit back and let the bodies fall in the Atlantic. From the very beginning this one has you on the edge of your seat and wondering WTF. We find ourselves twisted in plots that are twisted into others and the only way out is no mercy. Our main character must do what she must do to survive, protect and unravel the mystery.
Point of View: Told from Hazel Moran's pov. You follow her and her decisions and actions that must be made or taken to find out what is happening and why. The author does well to make her a very strong female lead.
Voice: What would you do if faced with kill or be killed?
Character Development: Very deep with the main character and perfectly shallow with the supporting characters. This author obviously knows how to develop characters correctly.
Plot: Filled to the brim with mystery, suspense and intrigue. This book takes your imagination on a joy ride but never loses sight of the end.
Dialogue: Natural and flowing.
Pacing: The end comes faster than ever in this book.
Setting: Maybe this has or is happening maybe it isn't but I can tell you one thing. We will never look at women on the East Coast the same way.
Continuity: Not a hole in the whole book. Very tightly written and expertly crafted.
Point of View: Told from Hazel Moran's pov. You follow her and her decisions and actions that must be made or taken to find out what is happening and why. The author does well to make her a very strong female lead.
Voice: What would you do if faced with kill or be killed?
Character Development: Very deep with the main character and perfectly shallow with the supporting characters. This author obviously knows how to develop characters correctly.
Plot: Filled to the brim with mystery, suspense and intrigue. This book takes your imagination on a joy ride but never loses sight of the end.
Dialogue: Natural and flowing.
Pacing: The end comes faster than ever in this book.
Setting: Maybe this has or is happening maybe it isn't but I can tell you one thing. We will never look at women on the East Coast the same way.
Continuity: Not a hole in the whole book. Very tightly written and expertly crafted.
June 15, 2012
I meant to say something about this book earlier, I really did. I finished it a few weeks ago and I talked about it to another Goodreads member and I guess that made me feel that I had reviewed it. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could. I liked the book, especially the beginning. The first part of the book had me grinning. It was weird and I was scratching my head for the first few chapters. Then when I saw what was happening, I liked it. It was a refreshing approach to the main protagonists. But as for the storyline...well, I'll just post here what I said to my friend at the time.
I just finished reading a book called The Last Exit In New Jersey and I need to update my Goodreads. The book is quirky and has potential but I found myself getting impatient with it and constantly checking to see how much more there was to go (never a good sign). I'm thinking a good title for the review would be Who's On First? I spent most of the book trying to figure out what was going on and by the time it ended I didn't much care.
I just finished reading a book called The Last Exit In New Jersey and I need to update my Goodreads. The book is quirky and has potential but I found myself getting impatient with it and constantly checking to see how much more there was to go (never a good sign). I'm thinking a good title for the review would be Who's On First? I spent most of the book trying to figure out what was going on and by the time it ended I didn't much care.
July 27, 2012
I am stumped! I found the story and the mystery involved totally engrossing! The "I can't wait to get back to my book" kind of engrossing. However, as someone else said, there aren't a lot of people to like in this book most of the way through! I personally thought it picked up about 20% of the way in and after that HOLD ON AND PAY ATTENTION! What I found hard to deal with is I felt like I needed to be an expert on all kinds of boats and all kinds of cars and trucks to really know what they were talking about half the time! I even went back to check that it was indeed a woman author!
What fascinates me is how it all tied together in the end! I certainly didn't see that coming! In that way the author is a genius! I would recommend it but pay attention because A LOT happens!
April 23, 2012
The start of this one hooked me and then it got confusing, was full of 'coincidences', kept the reader in the dark too long, way too long and then resolved it all at the end.
The story held my interest most of the time but made my eyes cross when we were continually moved back and forth between the two main characters and trying to keep the periferal characters straight.
Hazel is a strong female with quite a skill set but she doesn't put 2 and 2 together as well as strong female characters from other books I have read.
So an ok read and warning, if you start you need to go all the way to the end to know why all of this is happening and how it ties together.
The story held my interest most of the time but made my eyes cross when we were continually moved back and forth between the two main characters and trying to keep the periferal characters straight.
Hazel is a strong female with quite a skill set but she doesn't put 2 and 2 together as well as strong female characters from other books I have read.
So an ok read and warning, if you start you need to go all the way to the end to know why all of this is happening and how it ties together.
April 17, 2012
Twenty year old Hazel Moran feels most comfortable at sea off the New Jersey shore or behind the wheel of a semi. When her best friend and cousin suddenly goes missing she is thrown into a murderous plot that thickens with every turn of the page.
Last Exit in New Jersey is entertaining, and moves at a dizzying clip. It suffers from over-plotting and was ultimately a little too dark for my taste. However, I developed a new appreciation for New Jersey reading this, and can no longer consider it just a small, and less exciting appendage to New York.
Last Exit in New Jersey is entertaining, and moves at a dizzying clip. It suffers from over-plotting and was ultimately a little too dark for my taste. However, I developed a new appreciation for New Jersey reading this, and can no longer consider it just a small, and less exciting appendage to New York.
July 11, 2012
Confusing in the beginning. Author jumps around a lot and you really have no idea who anyone is or what is going on. Even by the end of the book, I still don't know how certain parts fit into the puzzle. It was just a jumbled mess that leads you to a surprise ending. To the books credit, the ending was amazing... Though it had absolutely nothing to do with all the drama that occurred in between. But maybe that was the point. Witty dialogue, which I enjoyed. Plenty of details about boats and trucks so if you have an interest in those, you'll enjoy it.
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