4 out of 4 stars
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This is a review of Kaylin McFarren's book Twisted Threads . It is the fourth book of her Threads series. It is a fictional, romance adventure published in the fall of 2017 by Creative Edge Publishing LLC, OR; ISBN: 978 1975 921 354.
I found this book to be an extremely engaging thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat! You will not want to put it down! The storyline occurs essentially on a ship cruising through the Carribean from the coast of FL. However, various background details of some characters' lives guide us through aspects of Japan. Similarly, the activities on the cruise ship, along with the port excursions, satisfy the traveler in all of us. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars for its unique content, sentient imagery and potential for the big screen!
The author performs a private dance of characters encountering one another at critical points in their lives. As the individuals seek to find a place in the world, be it an activity on the cruise ship or a family pecking order, their bump into one another tends to make a marked impression not only on their current endeavour but their past reflections and future hopes, as well. This quality of the author's writing is subtly presented because of the mysterious nature of the storyline. For instance, if it were a drama, we'd likely read outward expressions among the characters more often. So, per its intrique, this quality remains necessarily subtle and is only fingered (pun intended) under purposeful scrutiny.
Another key way in which the author measures out this concept of meaningful life encounters is through her play on words. Though she doles them out sparingly, they're always very impactful in how they manage to encompass the full scope of a complex matter and, yet, reduce it to comedic happenstance. And isn't this the point of life? To take our chips where we may and not take anything too seriously? The following are two examples. The one I call the "I do" scene is found at page 248, line 29 through page 250, line 19. The second example takes place early on at page 64, line 10 and its surrounding development. Because this particular play on words appears so early in the storyline, one is left wondering whether there will be some intimate scene or relationship between Peter Hoffman and some other male.
It is this intrique that I most appreciate about Twisted Theads . The characters, replete with question marks, (some de-facto, some presumed by others and some self-imposed), coupled with the cruising ship and the whole international waters angle aspect of it all regarding laws, keep the reader riveted to her literary seat! When you consider the semi-stationary setting, you are tempted to expect mundane, predictable scenarios. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Instead, because of the mystery clottered within each persona, you truly never know what might happen next. This style of writing is the most engaging type of intrique since the reader is reminded at every turn to expect the unexpected while simultaneously being fed a familiar rhythm that connotes cotidian expectations. An example here would be how the book commences with Akira slicing and dicing people like an afterthought, yet, when she catches Yuki on Devon, she doesn't instinctually send 'katana' sailing through Yuki's neck. So, here again we experience how the author very subtly reveals varied emotional regions of her characters. In Akira's tenderness toward Devon, she likely did not want to cause him to have such a memory - Yuki's headless body slumped over his erection.
So, yes, I give this book the top rating of 4 out of 4 stars . If the scale was a range of 1-5, I would still give it a 4. But on a scale of 1-4, I can not justify anything other than the 4 star rating. There are some uses of wording where it appears autocorrect may have 'over corrected', so to speak. Some examples of possible mistaken intent include: "detour" for (?) 'deter' on page 159, line 24; and "catch" for (?) 'caught', page 236, line 29.
If I had to consider any dislikes regarding Kaylin McFarren's Twisted Threads , it may be an opportunity for greater detail given the settings of the scenarios. But that would be borne of an extreme personal preference on my part and not a criticism of the development of the storyline. I tend to prefer prolific details versus broad strokes of the brush, if you will. So, that leaves just one actual dislike. That the avenging death carries a name way too similar to that of one of my favorite jazz pianists! Twisted Threads is an absolutely wonderful read wherein the author, Kaylin McFarren, weaves a complex tale filled mainly with violence and intrique which serve as the guiding principles of the book's character development and scene selections! ENJOY!
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Twisted Threads
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