4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
A quaint beach town on an island in the Bahamas sounds like a great place for a writer to get away and work on a book about the area's history. At least, that's what Dan Harrison thought...until people start getting murdered and Dan is looking like the guilty party.
Guilt by David Taylor Black starts off with a bang (or should I say stab) and the whirlwind doesn't stop. We follow the story of Dan Harrison, a writer who is going through a separation period with his wife, and has decided to go to one of their favorite islands in the Bahamas to work on a book about the area's history, how it was affected by the cholera outbreak of the 1800's. He befriends the local librarian, Cat, who offers to help him do his research for the book. All seems well until a body is discovered and the local police are convinced Dan, the outsider, is involved. The bodies continue to pile up and Dan appears more and more guilty. How can he prove his innocence when everyone is against him? Dan's desperation leads to twists and turns that make this book hard to put down.
I give Guilt a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters with all of their flaws and actually felt for some of them as well. I found myself experiencing frustration at some their decisions and saddened by some of their experiences. The story was surprising and suspenseful, and it left me wanting more. The book was well-written, and very well-edited, with only a few typos noted.
While I do recommend this book, I did find some moments and conversations felt a bit hasty or too simple. Also, the sheriff was almost too much of a blustery buffoon at times. While he did add comic relief in some ways, and he served the story well, he could also be a bit over the top and come across as a cartoon character. However, I do not feel this took away from the story itself.
Guilt will definitely appeal to any audience that enjoys suspense, and murder-mysteries. I do think it would be best for mature teens and adults as there is some grim content though. This book is the first in a series from David Taylor Black, and I must admit that I am already looking forward to the next installment.
******
Guilt
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes