The Lies That Bind

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling!
Review: By page 2, Edward De Angelo's novel had me in its grip. The Lies that Bind is a book that I didn't want to put down. The story of Sam and Pete ensnares you with threads so light you don't realise you are bound.

The human genome, itself, has reached celebrity status and we have to decide what constitutes family, DNA or connection? Edward De Angelo's compassion and empathy with his characters, celebrates the relationships we all need to thrive.

Even though the title is "The Lies That Bind" , the book evokes "The Ties that Bind" and celebrates that thought. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: despite the sappy "lifetime tv" last chapter...
Review: I read this book within two days. Deangelo draws you into this story very quickly and I found myself unable to put this novel down. The characters are believable with faults and good qualities. While I hated the ex-wife Joan for living a lie, I did find myself wondering "how could she have done this?" All this thought pattern created by a work of fiction? That's when you know it's a great book. The ironic part is I find myself still wondering this morning what will become of Sam. All these feelings about "characters". Deangelo knows how to make you care about the characters. In my opinion that makes a worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: Not too bad!!!
Review: I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The narrator, Peter, has been suspecting for a while that his son may not be his. When he finally takes a DNA test and his suspicions get confirmed, the seemingly normal relationships he had with his ex-wife and son unravel into a huge mess. Peter, as self-deprecating as he portrays himself to be, becomes an endearing character, and of course you root for him from the get-go.

The writing is quite good. One of my favorite examples is: "The moment I started talking I had to check my voice to find that pitch that I used on police officers and bureaucrats, giving them just enough deference to let them know that I wouldn't challenge their authority as long as they didn't try to exercise it in any way I'd find inconvenient. It was a pitch you could find when you were a middle-aged guy in a suit, and occasionally it compensated for the high blood pressure and lower life expectancy".

This book reads fast, and it portrays very well the agony that children of divorce have to face. I would classify this novel under the category of "Thriller", because you get hooked into knowing how the situation is going to resolve. I won't spoil the ending, but i was quite satisfied with it.