The Mystery Starts Here

Okay, first of all, let me just tell you. I do not read books set in England. Never. I know, I know - it’s dumb, but it’s my quirk. I don’t understand the terms, I get confused trying to decide where people are and what they’re doing, and what they’re talking about - I just don’t like them. I am also not fond of books written in the present tense. Seems weird to me! So, why did I just read “Shatter?” Because it was so damn good! Besides by the time I realized the story took place in a small town in England, I was hooked.

The books starts with the main protagonist, Joe O’Laugin standing on a bridge trying to talk a naked woman, wearing only red high heeled shoes, from jumping. She’s sobbing into a cell phone when she turns to him and says, “You don’t understand,” then jumps. Joe is naturally upset because he couldn’t stop the women. He’s a psychologist and should have done something to help her. Then the woman’s daughter turns up at Joe’s house and tell him she thinks her mother was murdered because she’s terrified of heights! See why I couldn’t put it down?

Of course we get another weird death, naked woman, high heeled boots, cell phone, and she too has a young daughter. Joe tries to help and keeps getting sucked further and further into the case. He is married and has two daughters and feels great compassion for the children of the dead women. 

Throughout the story we get bits from the killer - a real nut-job. It’s fascinating to finally discover how he manipulates the woman, and why. I won’t say more because I do not want to give away a precious word of this story. All I can say is, run to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up a copy of “Shatter,” by Michael Robotham You’ll enjoy every delicious moment of the ride. 

Did you hear me scream? I did - long and loud. I was going to throw the book against the wall but, it’s a hard cover library book and I didn’t want to pay for the damage. That bad you say? YES.

I read mysteries almost exclusively. I always have. Why? Because I love to follow the story, the clues, and the characters to that final, satisfying conclusion. I didn’t get that with “The Associate.” No, it was one of those annoying novels that do not end - they just stop! There was no conclusion! I hate that - did I tell you?

The book starts with an interesting premise. Kyle McAvoy, a senior law student at Yale, is approached by a group of men who blackmail him into stealing information from a prestigious New York law firm on a HUGE upcoming law suit, when he starts working for them. It’s either work for the bad guys or…face charges of rape, possible imprisonment and certainly good-bye law career. The bad guys have a tape of the supposed rape and even though Kyle did nothing wrong, he was there. Kyle is torn because he loves the law and has ethics but what choice does he have?  As usual with a Grisham novel, Kyle is brilliant and outsmarts the blackmailers left and right even though they are seasoned professionals.

Throughout the novel we meet Kyle’s old college buddies, the “victim” and some of his new law firm friends. Unfortunately we get WAY too much of the boring law firm information, but hey, Grisham’s an attorney, maybe HE likes that stuff. Grisham is a good writer which makes the ending that much worse! It was almost as if he only had three days to finish the darn book and just scribble down something to get it done!

In the end, Kyle remains a good guy. He finds a way to get out of the mess but…the bad guys are not apprehended and…we really never know who they were working for! It could have been a foreign power, it could have been another law firm - it could have been our own government but of course we never know - unless Grisham is planning on resurrecting Kyle and the gang for another book! If he does, I won’t be reading it.