Official Review: Forever Beth Lost and Found

[AnaF]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Forever Beth Lost and Found" by Elizabeth Cook - Howard.]

Forever Beth – Lost and Found is a mystery novel written by Elizabeth Cook-Howard and is the first installment of the Forever Beth series.

Beth Morris, a domestic violence case worker hasn't had an easy life. Her first marriage had failed and ever since its end, she has led a lonely life. Seven years later, when she seemed to be at a better place, two of the most important people in her life are brutally killed. Rosa and Rosie - mother and daughter – had taught her the meaning of unconditional love and had given her something to look forward every day. Their tragic murder left Beth completely distraught and her life seemed to have lost its purpose.

Detective Kevin Walker, in charge of the investigation of this daunting crime, will have to face many challenges and will try his best to help Beth cope with this great loss and give her something to look forward to.

I was completely blown away by the first chapter. It promised such a great story and even though it was a somewhat violent, it was beautifully written and seemed quite realistic. It didn't try to sugarcoat a harsh reality and I believe it dealt pretty well with all the emotions, fears and desperation that one experiences when subjected to such heinous actions.

As for the characters, they were lovable but unfortunately that was it! I sympathized with Beth and with all she had gone through but there were times she seemed over emotional – nonetheless, it was understandable why she would react that way. I also felt that she was the only one that grew throughout the story and maybe that was because we got to know so much about her, including some of the more traumatic events that had scarred her past.

I wanted to know more about Cynthia and Kevin; it was quite easy to see how much they loved Beth and how they did everything they could to protect her and keep her safe from harm but I wanted more. I also wanted more information about Beth’s relationship with her parents and why she and her mother were in such bad terms.

I should also point that this book wasn't as focused on solving the crime as I thought it would be. After reading the first chapter I thought this book would deal with solving crimes related to domestic abuse but it was actually more focused on Beth’s life. That wasn't necessarily bad, it just wasn't what I had expected from this novel.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book and give 3 out of 4 stars. Even though it wasn't as focused on the crime investigation as I initially thought it would be, the way the author developed Beth’s story was really good. It left a lot of questions unanswered and it ended in great mystery but that made it even more appealing to me I and has made me really curious about the next installment of this series. I have to say, though, that this book seemed quite similar – at least where its formula is concerned – to Nora Roberts’ mystery novels; so, if you like her works than you should definitely check out the Forever Beth series.

It’s a page turner that will warm your heart with the romance but that will also keep you at the edge of your seat with all the mystery surrounding the killer of this book. An intriguing novel and a great start to this series.

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