Review by Vanessa Leong -- Waves Break (on Unknown Shores)

[Vanessa Leong]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Waves Break (on Unknown Shores)" by Barry Litherland.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Waves Break (on Unknown Shores) by Barry Litherland is a crime fiction novel that dwells on the themes of childhood trauma, loyalty, violence, and murder. It is written in a first-person perspective through the eyes of Phil, a local journalist. During their childhood years, Phil and his friend, Wayne, witnessed a tragic death; twenty years later, it continues to haunt them. They remain friends, but when Wayne is accused of burglary, Phil, by association, finds himself stuck with a whole host of unwanted problems as well. Harassed, threatened, and fearing for his life, Phil scrambles to ascertain the whereabouts of a mysterious document that everyone seems to think Wayne has stolen. One discovery leads to another as Phil begins to comprehend why everyone wants to get their hands on this document.

In large, I enjoyed reading this book. The author adopts a style of storytelling that can be confusing if not properly executed, but fortunately, he manages to navigate the complex story and interchanging timelines well. While the story frequently alternates between Phil’s childhood and the present, the author gives clear indications of where he is in the timeline. The story includes a whole web of interlinking characters and events, but the author introduces each element appropriately, making the plot easy to follow.

I also love that many of the characters are complex and multidimensional. As the book progresses, it becomes clear that they aren’t all merely “good” or “bad”; they each have their own personal motivations that, when aligned with Phil's, results in them being unexpectedly helpful (or unhelpful) in certain situations.

However, there are exceptions. For example, it is made clear that Wayne’s older brother, Tyrone, has extremely violent tendencies. However, not much information is conveyed to suggest the reasons or motivations behind these behaviors. It insinuates that Tyrone is just a “bad” person who does “bad” things, which seems a little superficial, given that most of the other characters do possess the depth of displaying different behaviors when necessary.

Also, I personally feel that it takes quite a while for the story to pick up steam. The first third of the book is rather slow and draggy. It wasn’t enough to make me give up on the book, but I felt like it took more chapters than necessary to reach the crux of the plot.

Considering all the factors above, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is a well-thought story with interesting characters and a suspenseful plot. The author does a praise-worthy job of guiding the reader through the complicated web of interlinked events and characters. However, I feel like the book can still be improved by condensing the build-up to better sustain the reader’s attention. A more consistent depth across all characters and themes would also increase my rating. While it is a generally well-edited book, there are still a few minor errors that may catch the reader’s attention. I would recommend this book to anyone who can appreciate a good mystery and crime novel. However, it does contain profanity and violent content, which may not be suitable for young or sensitive audiences.

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Waves Break (on Unknown Shores)
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