Angel Dust

Good story line. Keeps you guessing. Bit slow in parts but a good read

This is yet another story about a missing child.
This is yet another story tediously written in the present tense. I must be more careful when buying books on line to avoid any more as it’s very, very rare to find a book written in the present tense where it is used effectively and doesn’t grate on me.

The story is told in the first person from the viewpoint of the mother and increasingly by the missing daughter. I’ve no issue with the chapters narrated by the mother BUT if you’re writing in the voice of an eight year old it should be much more authentic. I could quote dozens of absurd sentences that no young child would ever say. It was so ridiculous that it was the thing that finally finished off any real interest I had in the plot. I read on to see what the author would come up with next.

There seemed to be too much repetition meaning the story dragged at times and felt overlong.
I never felt any empathy for any of the characters.
A character from a previous book was mentioned numerous times. It might have helped if I’d read that book first but, really, I don’t care.
I skim read a few implausible, boring sections towards the end.

I’m wondering now why I gave three stars but I did finish it and I’ve read worse.