The Girl With a Clock For A Heart - Peter Swanson

Photo courtesy: Goodreads.com

A disappointing read especially since enjoying his other book.

I read Anything Worth Killing first and was suitably impressed. The style and the technique and the guessing game was neatly done. So when I heard rave reviews about his debut novel, I was keen to duplicate my previous experience. I was disappointed.

Gist:

George Foss is an average guy with nothing much going for him. One day he is visited by a former girlfriend from college. She is in trouble and needs his help. They were a great couple in college but something disastrous happens that forces them apart. Can he trust her after what she did to him in college?

What works:

• The plot. It is compelling and keeps you wondering what would have possibly happened. Even when you are reading the story and attempt predictions, the twist still throws you off. 

• Character of George Foss as believable as Liana's sounds bizarre. However, Swanson makes you believe in the situations and the reader goes with the flow. 

What doesn't:

• After the brilliant suspense of Anyone Worth Killing, this one seems like a draft, a test drive to see if the devices work well. The plot pales in comparisons and it sounds as if Swanson used this as the practice run for his next book that became a bestseller. 

Overall, the style and the writing is good. Reminds you of one of those Erle Stanley Gardener novels where action and plot twists are what the stories are made of.

An OK read but as I said, I prefer the second one.