Review of Cruel Lessons

[Amy Luman]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Cruel Lessons" by Randy Overbeck.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Who do you trust with your school-age children? Do you let them ride the bus? Are their teachers some of their biggest role models? What about the administrators of their education? Do they have children’s best interests at heart, or is money their motivating factor? I know what the answers should be, but I also know that even though intentions are mostly good, the realities of the situations are hardly ever what they seem. Cruel Lessons by Randy Overbeck addresses these questions of trust.

This story revolves around Ken Parks and Stacy Thompson. Ken is the Assistant Superintendent of the district, and Stacy is a fifth-grade teacher. When Stacy is accused of and arrested for the murder of four of the boys in her class, Ken begins an investigation of the facts to exonerate her. The drugs involved in their deaths are somehow making their way into Foster Elementary School, and Ken is determined to find out how.

There are many teachers and administrators involved in the investigation, and everyone is talking about it. All of the evidence that the police seem to be able to find regarding the dead children points to Stacy’s being the drug pusher. When Ken is ordered to drop the investigation and his wife is subsequently killed, he becomes more determined than ever to find the real killer. Do you think that Stacy was involved, or was it one of her colleagues?

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. The conversations and relationships among the characters were very real. All of the teachers, their classrooms, and the administration were well researched by the author. From what I can tell, there was great attention to detail.

Unfortunately, there were also things about the book that I didn’t like. The chapters were only designated by a number and had no heading. If I had been reading this out of an actual book or on a device that did not save my place for me, it would have been difficult to find. The ending of the book was another aspect with which I had a difficult time. Mr. Overbeck appeared to run out of good ideas with which to tie up the loose ends of some of the characters, so the reader was just left hanging, while with others we were given very satisfying conclusions.

Considering everything, I will have to give this novel 3 out of 5 stars. When I began reading this, I felt that it was an excellent book. The suspense was great, and many times I was sure that I knew who the perpetrator was, only to find out differently. However, the farther that I got into this novel, the more disappointed I became. I can only recommend it for those that have a large amount of time on their hands.

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Cruel Lessons
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Julie Marie Basil]

This sounds like an intriguing story that deals with some heavy themes. I am sorry to hear that it felt like loose ends were not tied up by the end of the story. I will pass on reading this book.

[Sarah Zain]

It's hard to read a book with all these flaws, which I think are essential, despite the story potential. Thank you for your honest review.

[Priya Murugesan]

Thanks for your detailed and honest review. Based on it, I will skip this book for now!

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I've picked this one up a couple of times and then put it down again. The story is one that I want to read. I always trust your reviews, so now I'm on the fence again, lol.

[RJ Reviews]

I am disheartened to know that the book couldn't deliver what it promised. That's really sad given such an intriguing theme. The threat of drugs is really concerning. Your review is very detailed and helpful. Thank you.

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

Love how this book describes in a detailed way the workings behind an educational institution and the people (teachers, admin, etc.) working in it. Who is the killer?

[Surabhi Rani]

'Volunteer Review: Cruel Lessons' by Randy Overbeck elaborates on the engaging plot of the crime fiction. It explains the important parts of the story. This is the story of a couple involved in the murder of four school children. The element of suspense in the story is great. All of the teachers, their classrooms, and the administration were well-researched by the author. I like how the reviewer provided her reactions to the book at the end of the review!

[Surabhi Rani]

'Volunteer Review: Cruel Lessons' by Randy Overbeck elaborates on the engaging plot of the crime fiction. It explains the important parts of the story. This is the story of a couple involved in the murder of four school children. The element of suspense in the story is great. All of the teachers, their classrooms, and the administration were well-researched by the author. I like how the reviewer provided her reactions to the book at the end of the review!

[Gerry Steen]

The element of suspense must be incredible. It is scary to realize that life-threatening drugs can be dealt in an elementary school. I feel sorry for Stacy if she is not the one who is guilty of this crime.

[Martina Sette]

This book is super interesting! I love thrillers and mystery stories—this might be a great read for me.

[Neha Panikar]

The premise of the plot and the mystery is very promising,but I can see how you must have felt let down by the execution. Your beginning of the review captivated me, but it's a travesty to have been disappointed at the end, for a book which could have been so much more. I feel for you, and hope the author can fix this. Still adding it to my bookshelves as I'm a mom and this subject still interests me.

[Anu Anand]

The plot sounds really gripping and thought-provoking, especially with the school setting and mystery angle. It's sad that there are too many loose ends left unresolved. Thanks for sharing your honest opinion about this book.

[Jeff Kanda]

I must admit that the title was carefully chosen. You have provided a really intriguing review and I am now aware of the general look of this book. Thanks for the review!

[Yasmine ZM]

The plot is very captivating and thrilling. There is so much mystery around the killer. The world is cruel, what does someone gain in killing all those kids? I am intrigued, and although the review mentions that the ending is disappointing, I think I will add it to my shelves for when I have some time