2 out of 4 stars
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When her father dies under suspicious circumstances, Jennifer seeks out the truth to clear her mother's name as a murder suspect. She already knew that her parents had an agreement about her father's long-term extramarital affair, but she knew nothing of the other secrets he hid. The two main suspects are the wife and the girlfriend; Jennifer's loyalty is torn because she suspects her mother and feels sympathetic for her father's girlfriend. How can she come to terms with her father's secrets while still cherishing his memory?
Sandy Magner's Toxic Side Effects is a sequel to Pocket Dial. It is not necessary to read the first book in order to understand this one, unless more background information on Jennifer's past is desired. Events of the prior story are briefly mentioned throughout, but they do not directly impact the new plot. This story is told by Jennifer and is in present tense, a tense that is not used frequently. I appreciate that the present tense is used because it gives the story a sense of urgency and the reader can experience the events as Jennifer does.
The plot is a classic mystery—there is a murder and two main suspects. Even though it is not necessarily innovative, it makes the book an easy read. The sentence structure is simple enough to follow and the reader remains engaged, but the characters are extremely immature given their ages. Jennifer is in her forties with two grown children, yet her actions are that of someone much younger. The reaction she has to her seventy-one-year-old father dying aligns more with that of a teenager who has never experienced death than with a twice-divorced middle-aged mother of two. Her septuagenarian mother even acts much younger than her age, creating online personas to watch her husband's girlfriend from afar.
While reading, I found myself swaying between sympathy and irritation with the characters, especially Jennifer. I recently lost my grandfather (who was like a father to me), so I understand her anger and hurt, but my ability to relate to Jennifer ended there. Perhaps I have experienced more death in my life than Jennifer, so someone else may relate to her better. Each of the characters act much younger than their apparent ages; if the story were rewritten with the characters being at least twenty years younger each (with exception of Andy), it would be less frustrating and more believable--at least for adult readers.
I picked up this book because it sounded like it would be full of family drama different from my own, and I watch a lot of true crime shows (such as Snapped and Forensic Files). It definitely delivered on the dramatics, but not necessarily in a good way. The relationships and reactions within this story were more along the lines of dramatic reality tv than dramatic fiction; had the former been expected, the story would have been better. The immaturity of the characters grated my nerves (especially Jennifer's best friend Kat) and I continued reading because the story itself is not bad—just the characterization.
I rate this story 2 out of 4 stars. If the characters were younger, then I would rate it higher. There are also more than ten typographical errors throughout which prevents a four-star rating. I would recommend this story to fans of fictional crime; fans of true crime may to find too many flaws with how the story unfolds. I would also recommend it to people who are looking for a fast read that does not require much commitment.
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Toxic Side Effect
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