Thread of the Spider: A Mystery

Rating:
Summary: fascinating amateur sleuth
Review: Knute and Nora were bank robbers and folk heroes in 1940 Utah until they robbed the wrong bank. Unbeknownst to them, top secret documents were taken along with the cash and the media was told they slaughtered everyone in the bank, which was a lie. They died in a shoot-out after they already surrendered but the documents and the cash was never found.

In July 2001 in Gulch Canyon, Utah, historical archeologist Nick Scott and her father are searching for Anazzi ruins. In one of the caves she finds the top secret documents and realizes the information she has. She can change the way people look at the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, there are people who prefer those papers never see the light of day and will go to any lengths to stop her.

THREAD OF THE SPIDER is a fascinating amateur sleuth tale starring a protagonist one must admire for her tenacity. The plot is fast paced and filled with enough startling revelations to keep reader interest throughout the plot. Val Davis is a natural storyteller who parcels out crucial information one tantalizing piece at a time.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: fascinating amateur sleuth
Review: Knute and Nora were bank robbers and folk heroes in 1940 Utah until they robbed the wrong bank. Unbeknownst to them, top secret documents were taken along with the cash and the media was told they slaughtered everyone in the bank, which was a lie. They died in a shoot-out after they already surrendered but the documents and the cash was never found.

In July 2001 in Gulch Canyon, Utah, historical archeologist Nick Scott and her father are searching for Anazzi ruins. In one of the caves she finds the top secret documents and realizes the information she has. She can change the way people look at the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, there are people who prefer those papers never see the light of day and will go to any lengths to stop her.

THREAD OF THE SPIDER is a fascinating amateur sleuth tale starring a protagonist one must admire for her tenacity. The plot is fast paced and filled with enough startling revelations to keep reader interest throughout the plot. Val Davis is a natural storyteller who parcels out crucial information one tantalizing piece at a time.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Nicely worked sleuth
Review: Nicolette "Nick" Scott is an 'Historical Archaelogist,' meaning that she likes to dig up the recent past; as opposed to her father who is a "real" archaelogist (Elliott Scott). There's some old family friction going on thanks to Nick's dead mother and Nick's chosen field of study. But when Nick goes to an Anasazi site with her father, and she finds a 1937 Packard convertible in an abandoned building, both her and her father are happy with this site...for a while.

The Packard, it turns out, belonged to two notorious bank robbers of the past named Knute and Nora. But Knute and Nora robbed the wrong bank, a bank that had some top secret documents in it that the government wants to remain hidden now that so many years have passed. Unwittingly, Nick sets into motion a plan to destroy all those who know anything about this old car and the documents it contained.

What ensues is a fast paced, action-filled, sleuth-yarn that will keep you reading into the wee-hours of the night. Will those government killers catch up to Nick, her Dad and her friends? Will the slimey boys get their just dessert? Read and see.

My only issue I had with the book was its ending; it ended rather abruptly (indicating a sequel maybe?). And the fact that a love interest of Nick's was killed right in front of her and there was no emotional response also seemed unlikely. But other than that, this book was a pure joy to read. It'll stay on my shelf to be read again...later.

B+ rating.

Rating:
Summary: Nicely worked sleuth
Review: Nicolette "Nick" Scott is an 'Historical Archaelogist,' meaning that she likes to dig up the recent past; as opposed to her father who is a "real" archaelogist (Elliott Scott). There's some old family friction going on thanks to Nick's dead mother and Nick's chosen field of study. But when Nick goes to an Anasazi site with her father, and she finds a 1937 Packard convertible in an abandoned building, both her and her father are happy with this site...for a while.

The Packard, it turns out, belonged to two notorious bank robbers of the past named Knute and Nora. But Knute and Nora robbed the wrong bank, a bank that had some top secret documents in it that the government wants to remain hidden now that so many years have passed. Unwittingly, Nick sets into motion a plan to destroy all those who know anything about this old car and the documents it contained.

What ensues is a fast paced, action-filled, sleuth-yarn that will keep you reading into the wee-hours of the night. Will those government killers catch up to Nick, her Dad and her friends? Will the slimey boys get their just dessert? Read and see.

My only issue I had with the book was its ending; it ended rather abruptly (indicating a sequel maybe?). And the fact that a love interest of Nick's was killed right in front of her and there was no emotional response also seemed unlikely. But other than that, this book was a pure joy to read. It'll stay on my shelf to be read again...later.

B+ rating.