Thursday, February 13, 2014

Deadly Memories

Deadly Memories by S. D. O'Donnell
WindStorm Books: 1/29/2013

eBook, 326 pages
ISBN-13: 9780988455603
www.sdodonnell.com


Who is the beautiful Jayne Doe? And why does someone want to kill her? Ex-detective Saul Becker learned the hard way not to get involved in the troubles of beautiful women. But what else can he do when a barefoot, catatonic Jayne Doe turns up practically in his backyard? Who is she, and what is she so afraid of?Jayne Doe doesn't remember anything about her life before she crawled into a hollow tree at the lake next to Saul's home. All she knows is that she's afraid of something-or someone. Together, Saul and Jayne set out to uncover her past. But they are in more danger than they know, and it will take all of Saul's skill and training to track down the past that's stalking them.
My Thoughts:

Deadly Memories by S. D. O'Donnell is recommended.

When his elderly neighbor Mrs. Blackstone calls him to help, retired detective Saul Becker finds himself thrust into the life of a beautiful woman who is found in a catatonic state on Saul's property. The police and doctors call her Jayne Doe. Because Saul managed to get her to say a few words after she was found, he's persuaded to visit her daily in the hospital until she comes out of her self-induced catatonic state. But Jayne is still suffering from amnesia and has no clue about her past.

Saul is very aware of his past, and he is trying to steer clear of any entanglements in his current life when Jayne shows up. He has had plenty of danger in his past and reason's to keep his life simple and quiet. The arrival of Jayne changes all of that and soon Saul finds himself working with her, trying to untangle the answers found in her mysterious past. At the same time there are odd things going on around Saul that makes him wonder if someone is stalking Jayne. Maybe she has a reason to hide too.

Deadly Memories did manage to keep me engaged and entertained. It is well written and proved to be a quick and easy read with a clear, linear plot. O'Donnell keeps the action moving along with just a few slowdowns here and there along the way. Don't expect any startling plot twists in this solid debut mystery with hints of a psychological thriller.

There are a few places that ask you to take some leaps of faith to accept the actions of the characters. For example Becker has had no contact with anyone on the police force, including his ex-partner, until Jayne shows up and then he's down there talking to them again - and they are all hail-and-hearty good with his actions. Even if he was a legend on the force there would be some animosity. Additionally, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason for this to turn into a love story. 


Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of WindStorm Books for review purposes

Excerpt

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