The 13th Hour by Richard DoetschOn the library stacks: Adult fiction
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The unthinkable has happened to Nick Quinn. His wife Julia has just been murdered in their own home, and the police are convinced that he has committed the crime. But when he is offered a chance to go back in time twelve hours, one hour at a time, he is determined to make sure that when the thirteenth hour arrives, his wife will be alive and well. What Nick can't foresee, is the complicated mess that unfolds as he not only solves the crime, but how he alters the course of history as the hours run backward.
The thriller element gets 4 stars for me. I carried the burden of Nick around with me until I finished the book and I loved the time travel. But I had some issues:
1. The writing/editing: parts of the story were super repetitive, the use of ... to build suspense, the misspellings and punctuation problems.
2. The one-dimensional characters. Nick and Julia are pretty much perfect--the perfect house, the perfect marriage, perfect jobs, and trust me, Nick has the perfect answers for everything.
3. The over-the-top sickly sweet Hollywood ending. Don't get me wrong, I like a happy ending. And I think that this one should have had one too, just not THAT happy.
I really did enjoy this book when I was reading it. I think the idea behind it is clever and unique and I would say fans of time travel should give this book a try.
Also reviewed by: Book Journey ~ Your link here?
Book 62 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 20 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge, Book 39 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Source: Library
6 comments:
I just finished reading this one a few hours ago, so it was fun to see your review. It's definitely a suspenseful and compelling read!
It was fun to read your review of this book here! Thanks for linking me :)
I got this one out from the library a while ago, but didn't have the time to read it before it was due. I think I'd really like it because of the suspense factor. I've gotta get it again! I love me some suspense!
It's too bad it wasn't edited better - it sounds like the book had great promise. I love the premise.
I agree with your thoughts on this one. The ... thing was really weak and reminded me of something a beginning writer would do. I did like the story and the time travel aspect, but definitely not amazing literature.
What an interesting premise! But...I have to say that I'm not a...fan of those negatives you found...with the book. :)
I found your blog randomly, and I'm now a new follower!
Post a Comment