March 20, 2014

After I'm Gone


"When destiny wants to fuck with you, it can afford to be patient. Destiny has all the time in the world." ~ pg. 32

Felix Brewer disappeared on July 4, 1976, leaving behind a wife (Bambi) and three daughters. His mistress, Julie Saxony went missing almost ten years to the day on July 3, 1986. It was assumed Julie had gone to join her old lover Felix...until her remains are found. Fast forward 26 more years and a retired Baltimore detective, Sandy Sanchez, is working the cold case for extra cash. He discovers a tangled web of deceit, lies and jealousy revolving around five women (faithful wife Bambi, dead mistress Julie and three very different daughters) bound together by one man: Felix.

Lately I have jumped on the bestseller wagon by immediately reading newly released popular books. After I'm Gone is featured in a few magazines and on a few bookish sites. The synopsis seemed mysterious enough to read right away. At a quick glance, the six sections sounded interesting too: Hold Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me, Miss Me, Tell Me, and Never Let Me Go.

"You can rewrite life all you want. It's still a play where everyone dies in the end." ~ pg. 159

Some people argue that if you've read one mystery, you've read them all. Not so. But in this case (pun intended), the same detective mystery recipe was used. The alternating points of view between present-day (2012) and back-in-the-day (starting in 1959) tended to slow me down in After I'm Gone. The cliché of the retired cop trying to solve one more big cold case. The same cop who lived an ain't-shit life but can solve cases better than anyone. Same ole, same ole.

Title: After I'm Gone
Author: Laura Lippman
Published: February 2014
Pages: 275
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥

 

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