Book Review: Distortion

Distortion by Terri Blackstock
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This review has a couple spoilers so if you really want to read this book, don't read the part in light grey towards the end! 


This book was a fast read for me, it's a mystery novel mainly concentrating on four siblings, 3 of whom dabble in working for a private detective (who is dating one of them) and who are drawn into another mystery when Juliet's successful doctor husband is executed before her eyes.  They conduct their own investigation, partly working with the police and FBI. This book is a tough one. I liked the story idea, I was drawn in and wanted to know what happened.  The idea of the hidden life of the husband was intriguing.  Now, if you typically enjoy Christian mystery novels and Blackstock's work in particular, and are not super detail oriented when reading,  stop reading this review right here and go get the book.  You'll probably enjoy it immensely. I'll give you a second to click the little x at the top of your screen...



For me however,there were just too many things that seemed illogical or tweaked to fit what the author wanted to happen. The first was that Juliet as sent home the night of the murder with a bag of her husband's effects, cell phone, wallet etc. She is the first to hear a message threatening her husband and their family. Now, I'm not in law enforcement, but I have never read a book or seen a movie where the victims personal items were not kept as evidence. It seemed like the author just wanted to advance the story and give Juliet a reason to start digging. There were many similar things. The police did not gain access to his computer files, home office, work office, etc until Juliet and Co. had a chance to search it and offered it to the police because of what they found. When Juliet is wired by the FBI to talk to her husband's mistress in hopes of gaining information, she is allowed to decide where they go afterward and who she tells what she found to (she includes the PI and her sister) and the FBI just follows her around like puppies. There were so many things like this that took the enjoyment out of the book for me. And the end of the book was terrible. Spoiler: Everything wrapped up so quickly and when the FBI come in and start executing everyone, there is never any explanation of why or how they were involved in the drug ring. I did appreciate Juliet's "sacrifice" at the end, but again it felt just thrown out there, and that the author could have done a better job of fleshing it out. 

I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them but I don't think I would recommend this unless you are a reader who can whiz through and not focus on the details!


I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

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