He Started It
By Samantha Downing
Release Date: July 28, 2020
Ebook Available from WV Reads!
3 stars - Normally I wouldn't be enticed by the tale of an unhappy and dysfunctional family on a cross country trip for their inheritance. But Downing writes in fast-moving manner, scenes filled with dialouge and an air of menace. The ending could have been more satisfying after so much build up.
Here's a road trip as somber as possible as if they weren't stressful enough. We're introduced to everyone from the first-person view of Beth, the self-proclaimed villian. Downing sets her up as sort of an anti-hero, dealing with her own personal demons as she trudges through less than notable sights in the South. I was really confused at times though. The back and forth and seriously vague timeline and ages had me lost at various points. And then the change in POV was clearly intentional but it added little tension for me.
The train of thought early on is much like a road trip itself, a bit rambling and seemingly disorganized. Memories surface and are detailed. This story was very much about sibling relationships and family dynamics. Even though their family wasn't huge, it seemed much bigger than mine. I struggled a bit to relate or enjoy any of the characters. That said, this is played in a very Agatha Christie fashion where everyone is sort of staged like pawns in a game of Clue (or maybe Risk). Beth and her husband just have a terrible relationship, rife with lies and strange expectations. Really the smoking? While the story was engaging no matter how ridiculous the moment in the plot was whether bickering over food or bar fights, sometimes I felt lost inconsequential details. The book probably could have been a lot shorter than it was with relatively the same pay-off. This was my first Downing novel and I think maybe fans of her work will be more impressed or perhaps someone more intrigued by the blurb.
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