2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Which case did you find more interesting, the witness protection murders or Tracy’s investigation of Trisha Morley? Why?

Another good question.

I liked Tracy's investigation story more although I think it would have been better if the evidence she found led to Nick's conviction for abuse and murder. The way it ended with Tricia staging the murder to stop Nick was pretty far fetched and didn't really work for me.

And I had some issues with the Witness Protection case as well. Jacob killing people he had no connection with just to find Leanne so he could kill Boy X. It did seem a round about way to get justice for his cousin. And the perpetrator Boy X was not even in the story .

I liked both stories equally. And, as Lisa mentioned, both of the stories had some problems.

Changing the public's mind about Nick may have helped to convict Nick, but that wasn't assured. How do they pick a jury in the UK? If it is like the US, the first thing the attorney is going to ask potential jurors is about what they've read in the newspapers.

I also didn't buy into the PR firm causing these "accidents" to warn people off of Nick's case. And I doubt that Tracy showing pictures of Trisha's abuse injuries to the head of the firm would have made them back down.

I did find it hard to believe that Jacob would torture and kill people to learn where Boy X was. It reminded me of a previous book where the father of a victim killed someone to set up his daughter's killer who was now out of prison. I can't see someone who was hurt by the murder of a loved one actually doing that.

That's a good point Robin. In both cases the reader was asked to believe that what had happened to the victim's family member was so horrible it led them to do other equally horrible murders. Their grief turned them psychotic. And the murders were just so brutal in this book, the murderer didn't even have anything personal with his victims yet he chose to use his cousin's murder as inspiration. And they weren't linked at all other than having Leanne as their Witness Protection Officer. I found this not making sense at all.

I liked Tracy's investigation better. It's always nice to see justice done for a victim. The graphic nature of the witness protection case was a little disturbing for me.

I missed this question.

I liked both cases equally. It is unusual that cases don't come together in this series. We learn a lot about Tracy through her investigation.

It is very easy for me to put reality aside when I'm reading a good story or watching a show.

In the case of Boy X. I believe that abuse and murder helped mold the boy Jacob into the man he is today. There is no way to know if he had the evil gene, and what he would become in the future. I could see Jacob as a murderer and justifying his actions.

In the previous case, I didn't buy the father committing the murder of an innocent girl. We know up front that violence isn't in his nature. If he killed someone it would make more sense if he killed the murderer or a cop not an innocent.

I loved Tracy’s investigation but enjoyed both. I hated the idea that Nick was presenting himself as a good guy misjudged when he’d abused so many women and harmed people they cared about. So often the victim is forgotten and Tracy did Trisha justice.

For me, Trisha's case made more sense, even though I agree that some of the events are a bit far-fetched.

Jacob's revenge motive doesn't make sense and actually undermines this particular storyline. I'm surprised that Marsons did not go with the more plausible explanation that Liam was Boy X.