Review – Shadows of the Past

Patricia Bradley has provided for your consideration a mystery filled with intrigue, suspense, and a spice of romance in her first of the Logan’s Point series.  The author has taken care to ensure that the reader is hooked from the beginning, and with a liberal dose of “red herrings,” inexplicable incidents, and a strong undertone of looming danger strives to “land” the reader at the very least possible moment – at the end of a breathtaking climax.

I must admit that this is probably not my favorite genre, so the criticisms I offer probably owe a lot to that statement.  Patricia Bradley has done her homework, and on the way has gathered a myriad of details on a wide range of interests.  Sometimes . . . it’s best to leave the tools in the tool-shed.  Some of the “details” that she has garnered in her research serve to slow the pace of the book.  Some descriptions seem to take longer to get through, and I found myself bogged down at times.  And the “liberal dose of ‘red herrings'” mentioned of above . . . the emphasis is on “liberal.”  Again, my unfamiliarity with the genre probably made me more sensitive to this aspect than some other readers.

Having said that, Patricia Bradley takes the same detailed approach to her characters. And in this instance, it really works.  The psychological and emotional palette that each character brings to the scenes help you understand why the character is thinking, or responding, in a certain way.  And the author is completely consistent with those characteristics, even as the characters learn, and grow, throughout the book.  This is an aspect of the “novel” genre that distinguishes good, from great, from classic literature.  I would love to see a novel from Patricia Bradley.