Blood & Water: A Pacific Northwest Mystery

Rating:
Summary: Decent first novel
Review: After reading the reviews on Amazon, I found this book to be somewhat disappointing. It is absorbing; however, the main character's behavior is irritating at times and the ending is not such a surprise.

Rating:
Summary: Nancy Drew travels to the Pacific Northwest
Review: I enjoyed the first part of this book. Ms Fairweather is a good writer. And then she switches into her Nancy Drew mode and takes more stupid chances(even for the thriller genre where it is understood that you do always act rationally)than I have ever seen. Fran, the surviving sister spends the rest of the book educating the oafish and evil local law enforcement as to all the clues they are missing in the search for her sisters killer, which of course, they think is Fran. When Fran agrees to meet the person(alone, of course)that she believes is the real killer in a remote cabin(where he insists they meet, of course), I finally said "ENOUGH ALREADY"!! How stupid can you get, even in a thriller? Then there is a huge plot flaw. Not to give away the plot, but it is a fact(and the law)that a beneficiary of a life insurance policy cannot collect if he or she is convicted of murdering the insured. Think about that after you read the book. I realize that the "Nancy Drew" syndrome is an important part of certain thrillers and mysteries, even some decent ones. But here, it is carried to unbelievable lengths. I will read Ms Fairweather's next book because she is a talented writer,and with some work, will write books that you won't have to chuckle at. All you have to do is occasionally ask yourself as you write, "would anyone with an IQ over 50, who has ever seen a movie, REALLY do this?".

Rating:
Summary: A page turner!
Review: I picked up this book when the author was signing books in Orange, California in May. Didn't get a chance to read it until Thanksgiving 1999 and finished it shortly before dessert. Excellent and suspenseful mystery --- set in Northern California --- not the Pacific Northwest as indicated in the title. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: A page turner!
Review: I picked up this book when the author was signing books in Orange, California in May. Didn't get a chance to read it until Thanksgiving 1999 and finished it shortly before dessert. Excellent and suspenseful mystery --- set in Northern California --- not the Pacific Northwest as indicated in the title. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Supurbe amateur sleuth debut
Review: I've been stuck before by the hype a publisher gives a first time author. This time, however, the reviews are accurate. Lori Fairweather's first novel, Blood and Water, is first rate, one that I wish I'd written myself. The plot moves quickly with enough twists and turns to keep the reader turning the page; in fact, I took the book along with me to the movies last night so that I could read while I waited for the lights to dim, I was that hooked! The characters, too, are richly drawn. Fran is likeable; her relationship with Peter is realistic; her need to know about her twin sister's death is finely crafted--the push and pull of their relationship (as well as the truth about their own father) is temptingly revealed, the way such knowledge might be revealed in real life. Lori Fairweather clearly has a career as a mystery writer ahead of her!

Rating:
Summary: Decent first novel
Review: I¹m an avid reader of mystery/suspense novels and was delighted to find that "Blood & Water" is one of the best books I¹ve ever read. Fairweather has done an exceptional job of capturing the awesome beauty and distinctive flavors of the Northern California coast. It almost becomes one of the characters in this tightly woven tale of one woman¹s courageous struggle to find her twin sister¹s killer. As the pieces of the puzzle are revealed through confrontations with each of the expertly drawn characters, the emotional intensity escalates. The reader can¹t help but be swept up into a whirlwind of intrigue until the very last page. No doubt about itŠ it¹s definitely an "E" ticket ride!

Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced, well-written mystery with a very appealing hero
Review: This is a fast-paced, well-written mystery that features a hero who could be the woman next door (or me for that matter). Lori Fairweather has written a gem of a first novel--interesting and believable plot, wonderful setting (Mendocino coast), concise and entertaining writing style, and above all, really fun to read. I was hooked the minute I first met Fran, the very likable and very believable hero of this book, and didn't put this book down until I had turned the last page. I can only hope that the author's new motherhood (described on her webpage: lorifairweather.com) doesn't distract her from finishing her next mystery. I'll be the first to buy it.