Wrecker by Dave Conifer

Release Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: Self-published

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Jane knew she had a pretty good life. Both she and her husband had good jobs, a beautiful home, top-of-the-line cars and a child to complete the blissful picture. But something was missing for Jane. She spent much of her time feeling unfulfilled.

When her husband, Steve, hired a contractor to do manual labor around the house, Jane was intrigued by the man's unnatural physique. Innocent questions soon turned into something more than either Jane or Steve could handle. They were face to face with unexpected truths and accusations. Can they unravel the past before it's too late?


Review:
Okay, I admitted it once before and I'll do it again. I have a thing for mysteries. It has to be my favorite genre, so whenever I see a book with a bit of a mystery in it, I have to read it. I stumbled across this book while looking for a different title. Of course, I had to find out what happened to Jane and her family. When I started reading this book, it didn't seem like it would be a mystery of any kind. Truthfully, I thought I had been duped into buying a romance. Pushing myself to keep reading, I finally reached a point where the road turned back toward Mysteryville and I wasn't expecting the ending.

Jane and Steve were the typical modern family, complete with their own set of problems and flaws that impacted their relationship with each other. Though the story went back and forth between Jane's and Steve's point-of-views, the bulk of the story centered around Jane. It was easy to identify with her, especially with the way her husband was treating her a lot of the time. I could see why she felt intrigued about the contractor's history. Something so innocent as getting to know someone went downhill very fast for her and her family. I almost felt sorry for a few of the other characters when their histories were laid out, but my sympathy was tempered by their recent actions.

I felt the book started off slowly and didn't reach a steady pace until I reach the third or four chapter. Setting the scene took time, which I began to suspect as I continued turning the pages. The more I read, the quicker the pace became. By the two-thirds mark of the book, the action had propelled the pace toward resolution with a strong grip on the reader, aka me. The resolution was a little tidy for me but I feel it was a good way to leave the story. Some of the characters were never going to be the same after what they experienced. I do wonder what will become of them.

Overall, I have to say that I liked the story more than I anticipated at the beginning. It became much more involved as I kept reading. There were plenty of layers and questions that needed answering to keep me turning the pages. I'm happy I kept going until the end. More than likely, I will add some more of the author's books to my TBR pile. A great way to fill a sleepless night, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries and putting together the pieces as they read.

Wrecker by Dave Conifer is available for purchase at many online retailers in either paperback or Kindle format. Clicking the link below will allow you to visit the book's page at Amazon.
Wrecker by Dave Conifer